The academic library as co-producer of transdisciplinary engagement : a social exchange framework for resource mobilisation and outreach

Abstract

Purpose – This paper introduces the Strategic Reciprocity Model, a framework that reconceptualizes the academic library as a fiscal and strategic co-producer of transdisciplinary engagement. It examines how this model operates in practice through a case study of the LACES (Lab for Art, Community, Ecology & Science) Library Mural Project at the University of Malta. The paper argues that fiscal agency is the key mechanism enabling libraries to operationalize this model and institutionalize transdisciplinary research within the university’s public mission. Design/methodology/approach – The study utilizes a qualitative, single-site case study methodology, focusing on the LACES (Lab for Art, Community, Ecology & Science) Library Mural Project at the University of Malta. It applies Social Exchange Theory (SET) to analyze the internal administrative partnership, examining how the library exchanges its physical and financial capital for the faculty's pedagogical capital to achieve mutual institutional impact. Data was triangulated across three streams: administrative and financial document analysis, semi-structured interviews with library management and faculty leads, and pre- and post-installation user surveys combined with non-participant observation. Findings – The permanent integration of the arts-based research installation suggests a shift from a high-traffic transit zone toward a more engaged community space, shifting user perception from seeing the library as a "sterile" space to recognizing it as an advocate for sustainability. The library's fiscal agency, specifically its management of internal funds and a secured Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) grant, empowered it to enforce project governance and upgrade the research from a temporary exhibit to a permanent educational resource. Faculty stakeholders confirmed that the library’s central, neutral positioning provided crucial institutional legitimacy to their arts-based community collaborations. Research limitations/implications – Limitations include the single-site case study design at a university with a unique geopolitical context as the sole national university in a small island state, which may affect generalizability. Additionally, the study acknowledges potential researcher insider bias, reliance on a specific external CSR funding model that may not be available to all institutions, and the short-term temporal nature of the post-installation impact data. Future longitudinal research, utilizing concrete tracking methodologies such as annual sentiment surveys and curriculum integration metrics, is necessary to assess the enduring legacy of the installation. Practical implications – The research proposes the "Strategic Reciprocity Model," which reframes outreach as a negotiated transaction rather than a unilateral service. By trading spatial and financial capital for the faculty's pedagogical capital, libraries can convert administrative costs into significant institutional profit, such as higher user engagement. This framework provides actionable pillars for libraries to overcome departmental silos and institutionalize transdisciplinary methodologies like Arts-Based Research (ABR) and STEAM. Originality/value – This paper addresses a significant gap in existing literature by evaluating the academic library not merely as a venue or service provider, but as an active strategic funder and co-producer of research. It innovatively applies SET to internal "Library-Faculty" partnerships rather than external "town-gown" relations. Furthermore, it investigates the operational realities of establishing permanent, rather than temporary, transdisciplinary art installations within the rigid structural confines of a functioning academic library.