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Unit 4: Library Cooperation

Notes
library to serve both St. Michael’s and UTCWI, given the very close relationship between
the two respective colleges and their location adjacent to each other, the administrators of
both colleges rejected the notion. There were fears that such a merger would place an
intolerable financial burden on St., Michael’s. Moreover, it was pointed out that uniting
the two libraries would require the seal of approval of all the mother-churches.
Geography, strong links between parent institutions, the use of CDS-ISIS as a common
platform and a vibrant national information system have fostered close cooperation.
Geography has facilitated cooperation since, of the six Caribbean libraries, the most
cooperating libraries are located on the same island, Jamaica. In other words, cooperation
exists at a national level. Furthermore, the deepest cooperation exists between the libraries
at St. Michael’s and UTCWI, which are located adjacent to each other. Strong administrative
links between the colleges have fostered cooperation in some instances. For example,
integration between St. Michael’s and UTCWI – common courses, common exams, sharing
of lecturers – has obviously spawned the close relationship between their respective
libraries. The third factor promoting cooperation is the use of CDS-ISIS as a common
platform, which has enabled the exchange of databases between UTCWI and St. Michael’s.
A vibrant national information system is the fourth factor that facilitates cooperation.
Jamaica’s national information system has inspired an open system of cooperation among
that island’s theological libraries. As illustrated above, the promotion of CDS-ISIS by the
National Library fosters the sharing of databases. In addition, the existence of a national
theological sub-system within Colinet is a potentially useful pillar for supporting further
cooperation. However, this sub-system though existing on paper is not yet functional.

Geography, finance, the use of incompatible software, the small number of research students
in the colleges comprising CATS, a focus on preparing students to become ministers
rather than theological education more broadly-speaking, the absence of librarians on the
CATS steering committee and denominationalism appear to be barriers to cooperation.
Geography, or more specifically distance, has apparently impeded cooperation at the
regional level – the Caribbean Sea perniciously divides. Cooperation is absent between
the Jamaican libraries and their regional counterparts in Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.
Similarly, the two libraries in Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago do not cooperate with
each other. Finance is a potent factor bringing libraries together is all-too- effective deterrent
to cooperation. As Jenkin (1992, 67) observes, “It is easier to cooperate when there is less
pressure on the budget, because in straitened financial times our first responsibility is to
our own immediate users”. St. John Vianney acknowledged that finance was a barrier to
cooperation, especially with St. Michael’s.
St. Michael’s, in turn, cited lack of finance as the major obstacle impeding the merger of its
library with neighbouring UTCWI. Pondering the suggestion of a merger, the Dean of
Studies explained, “It would mean expenditure of money which St. Michael’s cannot afford”
(Milner 2003). Apart from finance, those libraries catering exclusively to undergraduate
students felt less need to cooperate. The Deans at St. John Vianney and St. Michael’s both
expressed this view (Johnston 2003; Milner 2003). They felt that their libraries amply
supported the academic programmes. They acknowledged that were their institutions to
focus on graduate programmes, especially research programmes, their libraries would
need more (access to) resources generally: more Catholic resources along with more
ecumenical resources. Incompatibility in software is clearly a barrier to cooperation. This
is especially the case in Jamaica where the National Library promotes the use of CDS-ISIS
as a common platform. Thus Zenas Gerig library, which uses alternative software, is
unable to exchange bibliographic data with the other three theological libraries. It is
always a point of interest whether the presence of a librarian increases the likelihood of
cooperation.

Contd....

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