Progressing Through Groundhog Day: Navigating the Impacts of Campus Turnover on Library Collaborations

Abstract

Collaboration is inherent in academic libraries, and the relationships and partnerships
we develop with our colleagues across the university are central to our effectiveness.
Building and sustaining those relationships takes time, energy, and intention, but those
efforts can be disrupted when there are shifts in the organizational structure of the university.
Turnover in key positions carries the potential of lost institutional knowledge, communication
breakdowns, and shifting priorities. Projects may stall, not because they lack
vision or merit but because they are not yet embedded in the university’s framework and
depend heavily on the advocacy of individual champions. When those champions depart
and new colleagues fill those roles, the library must reintroduce its expertise, demonstrate
its strategic value, and rebuild a shared sense of purpose