Globalisation and internationalisation: models and patterns of change for Australian academic librarians.

Whatever specific characteristics we tend to associate with the concept of 'globalization', it is an expression of 'new geopolitics' in which a control over territory is of lesser importance than the control of and access to all kinds of markets, the ability to generate and use knowledge and the capacity to develop new technology and human resources. (1)

Globalisation has changed the ways universities operate, and institutions of higher education in Australia have become increasingly pressured by their government s economic response to globalisation into entrepreneurial ways of providing education. Although change has been forced on the basis of economics, the results have social, cultural, and psychological implications that resound globally. (2) Universities are drawn into commercial endeavours because of practical necessity, and this in turn affects institutional change at all levels and in all departments. In response to these changes, librarians have been encouraged to internationalise library practice.

This study addresses the question: What is the role of Australian academic librarians in the internationalisation of higher education? It provides information on the strategies employed by Australian librarians to gain international experience and perspective, and in internationalising their practices in both the university library and within higher education generally. The research provides ways to identify and describe internationalisation practice for librarians, and demonstrates how that practice is a response to the changes brought on by globalisation.

Following a literature search (3), a survey of Australian university librarians was administered under the auspices of the Council of Australian University Librarians (CAUL) in October 2004. (4) The survey examined five variables: international exchange, international conference attendance, international collaboration, foreign language ability, and international/multicultural perspective. It was administered via email to all 36 public universities in Australia and achieved a 64% response rate. The variables that were revealed as having high participation are international collaboration, attendance at international conferences, and training for international and multicultural perspective. Librarians reported a low incidence of international exchange, and evidence about the importance of foreign language acquisition was contradictory. Multicultural or international perspective was valued by providing library training or university seminars in which staff members learn to work with diverse and changing populations. University librarians and library administrators were reported as those who regularly engage in international practices. Respondents indicated that there is a higher rate of internationalisation activities for library staff on campuses where library leaders are active in university planning committees and belong to international library organisations. Conversely, where there has been little or no strategic planning for change in the library or in the university, despite serving ever-increasing numbers of international and multicultural students, there was little scope for internationalisation practices as defined by Bull. (5) If there is no institutional budget for mobility, there is little possibility for librarians to become actively engaged in international endeavours.

The survey identified university libraries whose internationalisation practices could be said to be both wide and deep. (6) The two university libraries that scored highest were subsequently chosen for in-depth case study analysis. Interviews, conducted in 2005, were employed to gain a rich understanding of the practices and perspectives of librarians who actively engage in international activities.

The Case Studies

The two case studies represented very different sites: Ibis University was a large, well-established university, and the University of Greenfields was a medium-sized university founded in the middle of the twentieth century (these names are used to preserve confidentiality). Each exhibited a different operational model of development based on the age of the institution, size, geography, and institutional vision or philosophy. In both cases, the library model closely followed the model of development at their respective universities, which helps to explain why each has been successful in internationalising its practices and in integrating library practices with those of the university.

While there were numerous differences between Ibis and Greenfields, and their models had developed differently, there were also commonalities for both the institutions and the librarians. Growing numbers of international students attend both institutions, reconsideration of curricula and programming is an ongoing process that plans for diverse populations to be served, entrepreneurship is valued and rewarded: all of these are effects of globalisation and could be seen in the professional, respectful approach to all students, foreign or domestic. Both libraries have special programs to bring cultural awareness and perspective to the library staff. Participation in collaborative efforts with international partners, whether carried out in person or electronically, was furthered by a can-do attitude and was seen as normal procedure. Librarians at both institutions were encouraged to undertake further study and their efforts were supported. Librarians at each site reported a sense of fairness: opportunities for national and international conferences, exchanges, and other experiences were open and accessible to all who wanted to be proactive. Librarians understood that while not every plan for mobility could be financed, if one made a good case that the project or research presentation would bring professional recognition to the library or the university, it would be given a fair hearing. Many librarians said that they received good international information at domestic conferences and might not always need to travel abroad for knowledge and experience. Budgets, however lean, included some funding to support librarians' projects. While library leadership positions had grown, the methods and message from the top was consistent over long periods of time, thus facilitating change.

The Australian government's mandate for international education as a way to pay for higher education had been in effect since the late 1980s. (7) In these two universities the disruptive period of amalgamating disparate institutions had already become a dim if unpleasant memory. (8) Therefore, although enough time had elapsed for librarians to be fairly comfortable with the changes brought about by government policy and university administrations eager to find new sources of funding (9), some respondents voiced reservations. Librarians and others at both universities expressed a common sense of discomfort over the commercialisation of education, and were concerned about new business ventures that changed the tenor of campus life. Others foresaw a coming crisis when the market for international students will surely dry up as other countries develop their own programs. In the meantime, they understood that their institutions were actively courting students from all parts of the globe in order to cover shortfalls if one area should become inactive.

Results

Both the University of Greenfields and Ibis University have responded to the pressures of globalisation,…