How to be an attractive life project partner

Examples and advice success for international cooperative projects

William J. Kopycki Field Director Library of Congress Cairo Overseas Office [email protected]

Successful collaborations in the US

The door of opportunity…

Consider the mutual benefits • What do you have to offer? • What can a potential partner do to help? • How do you both benefit?

Support from the highest levels • Raise awareness and build support from your library’s overseers (ministry of culture, university administration, etc.) • Partnership should contribute towards a tangible institutional goal

Offer “in-kind” or matching funding

Project cost-sharing

Partner A Partner B Funding Source

Be proactive in your communications

Useful links • OACIS/AMEEL http://www.library.yale.edu/ameel • Islamic Manuscripts at Michigan http://www.lib.umich.edu/islamic • Afghanistan Digital Library http://afghanistandl.nyu.edu/ • Middle East Librarians Association http://www.mela.us