University of Toronto and Keio University Librarian Exchange Program: The Benefits to the Librarians and their Sponsoring Institutions
Librarian Exchange Programs are excellent opportunities for professional development, and consequently contribute to the growth of the sponsoring institutions. The University of Toronto and Keio University Libraries have an official Librarian Exchange Program since 2003. Librarians are able to learn about the library's organizational structure, observe numerous departments' workflows, shadow librarians, and in times, work on special projects. The schedule is normally planned in consultation with the trainee in order to accommodate his/her intended learning focus. The University of Toronto has welcomed so far four librarians from Keio University, and Keio has welcomed three librarians from the University of Toronto. In this presentation, I would like to share experiences from my three-week training at Keio earlier this year, highlighting the achievements in terms of personal and professional growth, and illustrate how both hosting and sponsoring institutions were able to benefit via this cooperative initiative.