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Strength in Numbers

Building a Library Liaison Program

Russell PalmerSupervisor, Professional Development

LYRASIS

LYRASIS ©2012

Objectives

• Understand the purpose of liaison programs in libraries• Create a plan for a liaison program that will provide a more

personalized level of service• Apply collaborative strategies for collection development• Create subject specific resources targeted to library users in a

liaison subject area• Understand the long term impact of a liaison program on

library services• Increase the visibility of library staff in the user community

Before we begin—what are you up to?

• Using the star on your markup tools, indicate the choice below that applies most closely to your current work:

• Exploring this idea for the first time—considering implementation

• Kicking a liaison program off, so this was timely!

• Doing this for awhile and need some fresh ideas

• Have a grasp on this and it’s successful, but there’s always more to learn

Liaison Programs • Sharing collection development work• Divide subject areas between librarians• Promotes better collaboration with librarians and

faculty/departments• Provides a touchstone for faculty and librarians • Increases collection development efficiency • Creates more opportunities for focused information literacy

instruction• Combines well with the idea of gateway courses

Why?

Why?-Answers!• Create a dialogue with schools, departments,

and programs• Better understand user needs • Better promote library resources and services• Increase staff visibility• Provide “personalized” services• Encourage input

What to do?

What to do?-Answers!

• Discuss collections with faculty• Meetings/outreach• Customize information literacy courses • Create access points for discipline specific information

(LibGuides, etc.)• Provide discipline specific research assistance (by

appointment) • Curriculum support statements• Orient new faculty/staff in liaison areas

An important factor to remember--discussion

• Approach a liaison program carefully; it should be about creating a new framework for doing existing tasks, not the addition of a completely new set of tasks.

• Consider “strategic fit”• “Intensification” vs “Overwork”

Creating a foundation

• Planning and decision making—questions to ask• Often, a committee is formed to guide the process (Library

leadership—reference/instruction, collection management, technical services)

• Sometimes, an advisory committee, consisting of faculty and librarians, review/inform liaison work

• Guidelines for Liaison Work in Managing Collections and Services (RUSA)• http://www.ala.org/rusa/resources/guidelines/guidelinesliaison

Questions to ask—formative assessment

• Where will library liaisons come from?• Who will administer the program?• Where will liaison responsibilities be focused?• What additional training will staff need? (fund codes,

acquisitions module of ILS, budgeting, etc, subject specific training, etc.)

• How will we introduce the concept to departmental faculty?

• How do we solicit cooperation?

More questions

• Criteria for liaison appointment?• If non-public services librarians appointed—how are

their instruction/reference responsibilities to be handled?

• How are librarians selected to a subject area? Will liaisons have some leeway to pick and choose?

• What if a liaison wants to opt out or change responsibilities?

Survey of staff subject knowledge

• Formal education• Knowledgeable*• Background/classroom experience• Professional experience• Passion

– *Knowledgeable-I can know much about chemistry resources, without being an expert chemist!

Collection development policy

• Sits at the core of a strong liaison program• May need to be revisited prior to starting or

reviving a liaison program• Is a helpful and guiding force for librarians

new to the liaison role

Formal planning

• Pieces of a formal planning document include:

• Institution specific definition of “liaison”• Outline of liaison duties and expectations• Selection and appointment criteria• Profiles leadership structure • Clearly delineates support structures • Outlines “best practices” for library liaisons

Examples

• University of Connecticut: • http://www.lib.uconn.edu/services/liaison/prog00.htm• University of Maryland:• http://www.lib.umd.edu/PUBSERV/Liaisons.html• Prince Georges Community College:• http://pgcc.libguides.com/pgccliaisons• Oregon Health and Science University:• http://www.ohsu.edu/xd/education/library/services/library-li

aison-program.cfm

A moment—just to discuss collaboration here…

• Share time--What kinds of collaboration are you:

• Already achieving?

• Aspiring to?

The “5 P’s” of Successful Collaboration

• Passion• Persistence • Playfulness• Projects• Promotion

• Raspa and Ward

Training liaisons

• Where are we going with this?– Program overview (goals, expectations)

• Budget– Financial information, fund codes,

understanding/interpreting budget information• Collection management tools– Approval plan, managing gifts, preservation, selection

resources, ILS • Collection building– Ordering, collection analysis, curriculum statements

Training—important!

• Instruction/Reference– If librarians not routinely involved with these

duties are enlisted as liaisons, it is important to offer them excellent support and training

• Outreach– Best practices for reaching out to faculty

Surveying the faculty

• Often, an initial step in starting or reviving a liaison program is assessing what faculty want/need from it!

• But first…

What Faculty REALLY Want (In a Librarian)

• Proactive involvement from librarians• An acute sense of “when to back off”• Clear communication about the level of service offered • To be asked for input on library collections• Information on new and useful resources

» Stahl, A.D. (1997). “What I want in a librarian”: One new faculty member’s perspective. Reference and User Services Quarterly 37 (2), 133-135.

What Faculty REALLY Want (In a Librarian), Cont’d.

• Focus on practical applications for library resources

• Teach material that corresponds to the needs of the class/assignment

• Creativity—collaboration “outside the box”

What LIBRARIANS Really Want (In a Faculty Member)

• Know that we’re in the same business—serving students’ needs

• Clear communication about what is going on in courses• Basic familiarity with the research tools in their field • Involvement for librarians in assignment design (to match

library resources)

» Larson, C.M. (1998). “What I want in a faculty member”: A reference librarian’s perspective. Reference and User Services Quarterly, 37 (3), 259-261.

In What Kinds of Collaboration are Faculty Most Interested?

• Library instruction• Web page development• Collection development• Learning more/more sophisticated research

strategies (selves and students)

• Jeffries, in Ward & Raspa

Ten Collaboration Tips!• Be interested in faculty research • Be friendly • Be courteous and respectful • Be a promoter of new products, services, and acquisitions • Be a “personal librarian”• Be willing to attend faculty meetings • Be committed • Be a good listener• Be responsive to students • Be knowledgeable

• Raspa and Ward

Faculty Advice

• “Let us know you’re willing”• “Approach it as a scholarly endeavor”

• Approach should be geared to: • Needs• Course structure• Academic requirements• Constraints

How to Talk to Faculty• They love e-mail!• Formality of address? • Contact them at the beginning of the semester, or before

classes begin• After finals? • Use positive words and wording“Have you considered?” or “Are you aware that we have…?”

Expressing availability and interest can get the ball rolling!

How to Talk to Faculty• They love e-mail!• Formality of address? • Contact them at the beginning of the semester, or before

classes begin• After finals? • Use positive words and wording“Have you considered?” or “Are you aware that we have…?”

Expressing availability and interest can get the ball rolling!

Examples: Liaison surveys for faculty

• Southern Illinois University, Carbondale• http://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/morris_surveys/1/

• Rutgers University (Includes their results) • http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/rul/staff/groups/lia

son_relationship/reports/liason-survey.pdf

Homework

• Our next challenge to discuss—outreach.

• Before we meet tomorrow, be ready to share: – A program you would like to reach out to– A faculty member’s class you would like to work

with

End of Day One! Questions/Comments• 1.800.999.8558• Email: russell.palmer@lyrasis.org

We’d very much appreciate your thoughts about the class.http://www.lyrasis.org/Classes-and-Events.aspx

(Please scroll to the bottom to link to the Class Evaluation.)