Last fall, the 2CUL partnership between the libraries at Cornell and Columbia embarked on a new plan: sharing research materials and expert librarians in specialized fields, capitalizing on the strengths of each institution. Cooperating meant that the two libraries -- which could have viewed each other as competitors -- could enhance their purchasing power and research capabilities by pooling resources to provide content, expertise and services that would be impossible to accomplish acting alone.

The first resource-sharing agreement involved Slavic and East European studies, with joint support for building collections and Columbia's expert librarian working with the Cornell community. A year after the new relationship began, Cornell's library asked users if it was working.

The answer was a resounding yes.

A survey of Cornell professors and lecturers who specialize in Slavic and East European studies found a high degree of satisfaction (an average rating of 4.3 out of 5) with the arrangement. One faculty member noted that this service model made Columbia materials more accessible and created new opportunities for contact with their colleagues in New York City.

All the respondents also knew a specialized subject librarian was dedicated to supporting their research and teaching. Rob Davis -- Russian, Eurasian and East European studies librarian at Columbia, and Slavic and East European studies librarian at Cornell -- is based at Columbia, but he visits the Cornell campus every semester to provide face-to-face instruction and consultation services. Cornell users can also subscribe to Davis' e-newsletter and access him via telephone, email and video conference.

Nearly all the survey respondents said they were not negatively affected by the fact that Davis works off-site, and several praised his expertise, conscientiousness and availability.

"Working with Cornell's diverse faculty, students and library staff has been an intellectually rewarding experience: Responding to a kaleidoscope of research needs keeps one on one's toes," Davis said.

The Slavic and East European studies resource-sharing program was just the beginning for 2CUL. In June, the partnership launched a similar program with Southeast Asian studies in which Cornell's expert librarians extended their services and collections to Columbia's users.

And in July, the two libraries created an on-site borrowing program that allows users from both libraries to take out materials on both campuses.

"We wanted our faculty and students to feel at home in New York City," said John Saylor, Cornell's associate university librarian for scholarly resources and special collections. "2CUL opens up the doors to both our libraries. It's not only about integrating resources, but also about bringing our academic communities together."

In the future, the collaboration may expand even further, with new resource-sharing programs potentially covering Latin America and other parts of Asia.

"There is a tremendous amount of interest in the progress of the 2CUL project among our peer institutions around the nation," Davis added. "Substantially reducing duplication between two major libraries means greater depth of coverage in foreign language materials. This is the key to maintaining a rich research resource base."

Gwen Glazer is the staff writer/editor for Cornell University Library.