Exploring the Value of Communities of Practice in Academic Libraries

Abstract

Communities of practice (CoP) have consistently demonstrated value in the private and public sector as a way for group members to elevate their subject knowledge in a field of practice, solve problems by working together as a group, and create new knowledge for the benefit of both old members and newcomers on an ongoing basis. One example in higher education is several communities in the LOUIS organization (e.g. the System Administrator community) that provide continuing education for members as well as a place, per their website, to share, learn, teach, and question. The CoP framework has been used in academic libraries to improve services in bioinformatics, digital humanities and archives, teaching, publication services and research support, research data management, and virtual reference services. CoP have also been used in the literature for professional development in academic libraries in collaborative continuing education, mentoring, on the job training, discussion groups, and learning communities.