Collaboration between librarians and information technologists: A case study employing Kolb's experiential learning theory (David Kolb)

This case study examines teams of librarians and information technologists in a higher education institution using the framework of David Kolb's experiential learning theory. Kolb's Learning-Styles Inventory (LSI) instrument was employed to determine the learning style of members of three teams in one institution: a collaborative team of librarians and information technologists, a team of librarians, and a team of information technologists. All of the teams had been working on aspects of a building project that will incorporate some units of the computing center in a renovated and expanded library. The study analyzes the process the teams used to do their work in the context of the stages of a problem solving process as described by Kolb. The study did not demonstrate a correlation between Kolb's predicted learning style by profession and the learning style of the librarians and information technologists as determined by the LSI instrument. Kolb's framework had some utility in examining the problem solving process of each team. Suggestions for improving collaboration between librarians and information technologists are provided based on the study and the review of the literature.