Library & Information Sciences. (Abstracts-2003 Annual Meetings)‪.‬

Library and IT Collaboration to Create the Next Generation Tech Support Center. Anthony S. Guardado and Mark A. Christel, Hope College, Van Wylen Library, Holland, Ml 49423; guardadoa@hope.edu, christelm@hope.edu During the summer of 2001, Hope College's library and the Department of Computing and Information Technology (CIT) merged two facilities, the library's media center and CIT's Teaching and Learning Center, to create the TechLab. There were problems we hoped to solve through this merger, such as combining the technical skills of our IT group with the public service attitude of the librarians, extending the hours campus users could access high-end resources and assistance, and creating a centralized, well-supported facility for our campus without adding staff or square footage. Both departments contribute staff and funds to support the center, promote its use, and participate in its development. While the Director of the TechLab is a reference librarian, a combination of IT staff and librarians work in the TechLab. Because of the number of hours available for assistance, this has required us to rely heavily on student assistants. Various models of training have been used. These issues and how the professional st aff (librarians and instruction technologists) has had to adapt to their new roles will be presented. An analysis of how this merger has been for the campus community will be provided.