If You Build It, Will They Come?Designing a More Engaged Liaison Program

Teresa LePors and Betty Garrison NCLA Conference 2015

About Belk Library

Belk Library:10 liaison librarians27 total staff24/5 service desk

Serves:5900 undergrads – 60 majors700 graduate students – 8 programs400 full time faculty

New Liaison Program

Belk Library’s

A Timeline

June 2012

1

Dean Joan Ruelle begins her tenure. The library staff is surveyed. What can the library achieve?

After 4 years of planning, preparing and proposing, promotions for librarians at Elon is approved.

November 2013

2

3

Library Research and Scholarly Services department is formed. Monthly liaison meetings begin. Liaisons discuss ways to improve communication and collaboratewith faculty.

March 2014

4May 2014

Brainstorming begins toidentify faculty outreach objectives by semester.

Summer 2014

Library first floor is renovated. All librarians apply for continuance in preparation for promotion. A single service desk is implemented with“all hands on deck.”

5

Fall 2014Librarians implement new initiatives including office hours in two campus neighborhoods.

6

May 2015Liaison activities by semester list completed. Instruction increases every semester.7

8

New collection development funding model is implemented. Academic neighborhood office locations are expanded. Open Access conversation with faculty.

Fall 2015

Liaison Program Structure

Change

2012 Liaison Structure

Deliverables Focus:InstructionCollection development

2015 Liaison Structure

OutreachPromotionTeachingCollection DevelopmentResearch SupportProfessional Development / Skills Acquisition

Cracking the Code

Faculty Interactions

Everything You Wanted to Know About Faculty Emails

Emails by MonthN=512

May

April

March

February

January

80

57

127

135

113

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesd

ay

Thursday

Friday

Satu

rday

Sunday

105

145

106

85

51

13 7

Emails by Day of WeekN=512

Emails by Time of DayN=512

Midnight - 1am

10pm - 11pm

8pm - 9pm

6pm - 7pm

4pm - 5pm

2pm - 3pm

Noon - 1pm

10am - 11am

8am - 9am

44

910

139

1652

5659

3540

2468

4047

242

Emails by InitiatorN=512

Liaison21%

Pro-fessor20%

Reply57%

CC2%

Emails Initiated by Professor or Liaison

AMS HST/GEO

SOC/ANT

PSY CJS HSS Honors

Liaison 3 22 34 18 7 14 8

Faculty 12 10 44 6 1 22 4

2.57.5

12.517.522.527.532.537.542.547.5

N=

20

5

Emails by Function

Circulation 10%

Instruction9%

Research Assistance

10%

Faculty Outreach46%

Collection Devel-opment

24%

The Big Reveal

Circulation

I have a huge favor to ask. My TA checked out this book below for me in the fall, and I still have it. I also have a pile of books that the library thinks are lost and my account has been frozen. They are not lost, I just haven’t had the time to go and haul them in to clear my account. Is this something that you might be willing to do.

I just wanted to let you know that when I screened "Lost in Translation" last week, the DVD started skipping and

then froze. I tried to re-start it, but we had the same problem…. I wanted to let you know about this since I

think it might be time for a new DVD -- that copy seems to have gotten a lot of use.

Faculty Emails

Instruction

The computer lab session you led for my SOC 355 Criminology students last semester … was a hit and I am curious as to whether you are available to do another session this spring….Ideally, we would have a session on Friday, March 13, but we can certainly work to accommodate your schedule. Thank you for your continuing help!

I noticed that you were teaching a course in the first session of summer school.  If there is anything that I can do to help you or your students with library research this summer, please let me know.  I’ve included my contact information below if you would like to add it to your syllabus or drop it into Moodle for your classes.  Thanks!

Research Assistance

I have a research question for you. I'm working on an article about HIV/AIDS in Japan. One of the things I'm writing about is the lack of knowledge about the difference between HIV and AIDS amongst the general population. I want to compare this to what people know in China, Thailand and the US. Do you have suggestions for searching for this kind of information?

I am working on a publication and the editor has asked whether there is a DOI available for the reference below. Can you please assist with this?

Thanks for your request.  We’ve got Play Matters on order so hopefully it will be in the library soon. I received a Psychotherapy/Psychoanalysis catalog recently from Rowman & Littlefield and the titles below made me think of you.  Psychology has lots of funds left to spend so if any of these titles seem relevant, just let me know. 

Collection Development

I was wondering if we still have money in the anthro budget to order books? I'd love the students to have access to these three books... Also -- I requested several films for my WT class. We're seeing Lost in Translation on Wednesday, so I wanted to be sure I requested it in time. Is it soon enough? Also, could I keep these films until the end of the month?

Can I also get the following (whether from my promotion stash or departmental if the first runs out):

I’ll be happy to order this for you. SOC/ANT still has some departmental funds available, so I think I’ll order it from them….I do have a question for you. I can order unlimited user access to this title as an e-book for nearly the same amount of money as the print copy….Which would you prefer? Thanks!

I wanted to let you know that HSS has done a great job of spending its library departmental allocation. There is only $91.98 left to spend by the March 1st deadline. Please let me know if anyone needs anything. Thanks again!

Thanks for letting me know about the two

books. We'll be happy to let you know when

they're available. Would you like for us to deliver

them to your office when they're ready?

Below is an online resource that I think would be fantastic for us to have at Elon. Can we purchase a subscription with our library money? I'm not sure how it works.

Marketing the Library

Outreach

I hope this finds you well. I am putting together my package for promotion to associate professor

and I was wondering if you'd be willing to co-write me a letter of recommendation.

[She] mentioned that

you were asking about

the “librarian is in”

hours for the Historic

Neighborhood… What

do you think of this

schedule?

Dear All,I am writing to invite you, in your Director of various programs/majors role, to meet with our Sociology and Anthropology external reviewer on April 13 or 14.

I just wanted to offer my congratulations on being promoted to professor. It’s well-deserved. Yay!!!

Two amazingly efficient people hard at work—thank you so much!  Isn’t she terrific? HST 3/10

Wow, that’s so exciting.  You all deserve honorary detective badges for tracking this stuff down. Thank you! HSS 1/20

I'm not disappointed, but thanks for the clarification. :) I'm just happy to see that it is in progress. I really appreciate how helpful the library staff consistently are! PSY 1/5

Thank You

Thank YOU SO MUCH

for saving my class! I'm

sorry about the

confusion... As a raised

Latina, I say it with

food... HSS 2/25

!What Works

What’s worked for us

Be visibleShow interestExperimentBuild relationshipsRespond promptlySupport colleagues

*

Building The Future

Blueprint

Scholarly communicationProgram assessmentExplore collaborations

Characteristics of a Strong Liaison Program

Best Practices

Best Practices

• Introduce – meet - network• Attend – serve – participate• Build relationships• Respond, be interested• Learn new technologies & tools• Collection development• Subject knowledge• Promote the Library• Share your research• Collaborate• Make it fun• Celebrate accomplishments of liaisons• Assess

ReferencesCarpan, Carolyn. “The Importance of Library Liaison Programs.” College &

Undergraduate Libraries 18.1 (2011): 104–110. Web. 20 Feb. 2015.Daniel, Linda et al. “Engaging With Library Users: Sharpening Our Vision as

Subject Librarians for the Duke University Libraries.” Duke University Libraries. 14 Jan. 2011. Web. 20 Feb. 2015.

Jaguszewski, Janice M., and Karen Williams. “New Roles for New Times: Transforming Liaison Roles in Research Libraries.” Association of Research Libraries. Aug. 2013. Web. 20 Feb. 2015.

Ohio State University Libraries. “A Framework for the Engaged Librarian: Building on Our Strengths.” n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2015.

Pasek, Judith E. “Organizing the Liaison Role.” College & Research Libraries News 76.4 (2015): 202–205. Web. 29 Apr. 2015.

Silver, Isabel D. “Outreach Activities for Librarian Liaisons.” Reference & User Services Quarterly 54.2 (2014): 8–14. Web. 20 Feb. 2015.

Stoddart, Richard A. et al. “Going Boldly Beyond the Reference Desk: Practical Advice and Learning Plans for New Reference Librarians Performing Liaison Work.” The Journal of Academic Librarianship 32.4 (2006): 419–427. Web. 5 Feb. 2015.

Questions or Comments

Teresa LePorsCoordinator of Library Research and Scholarly Serviceslepors@elon.edu

Betty GarrisonBusiness Research Librarianbgarrison@elon.edu

Best Practices From You

Food events in the library (Harry Potter)Student achievement day – poster session in the libraryCharlotte Research Scholars (UNCC) – using students with research; judges of postersAdvisory committee meetings with faculty at community collegeStress relief in the library around exam timeAnimal therapyInterior design class helped with redecorating the library. Get departmental help.