From Collections to Engagement: The Changing Role of Liaison

Librarians

Kathryn Crowe

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Academic Library Director’s Forum

Shanghai, China

November 2014

Changing roles

Traditional

• Reference desk

• Collection management

• Information literacy

• Consultations

New trends

• Engaged and embedded

• Scholarly communication

• Curriculum design

• Streamlined collection management

• In-depth research assistance

What do U.S. library leaders think?

More Emphasis• Research skills and

information literacy

• Instructional design

• Learning spaces

• Key services

• Special collections

Less Emphasis• Reference

• Print collections management

• Building legacy print collections

http://www.sr.ithaka.org/research-publications/ithaka-sr-us-library-survey-2013

Leveraging the Liaison Model (IthakaS&R 2014)

Themes• Shifting focus to work of

scholars

• Address new demands and expectations

• Promoting tools and templates

Recommendations• Align with university goals

and indicators• Collaborate with campus

assessment • Quantify progress toward

goals

http://www.sr.ithaka.org/blog-individual/leveraging-liaison-model-defining-21st-century-research-libraries-implementing-21st

Why change at UNCG?

Liaisons• Less desk time

• Less collection management

• More time for information literacy, outreach, engagement

Libraries’ Administration• Streamline collection

management

• More time working with faculty on scholarly communication

• More time on in-depth research work with students and faculty

Reorganization process

• Appointed task force to:

• Examine past and current liaison responsibilities

• Benchmark other libraries

• Recommend models for new organizational structure

Key findings from benchmarking

• Many libraries have decentralized model

• Most have a collections department

• Some have teams

• Some have formally prioritized liaison responsibilities with engagement as the top priority

Previous structure

Reference & Instructional

Services

Electronic Resources & Information Technology

Library Administration

Various liaisons Various liaisonsVarious liaisons

Collection Management Committee(chaired by head of Collections)

(also included non-liaisons, ex. the head of Acquisitions)

Head, Research, Outreach and Instruction

New structure

Instruction Coordinator

AD for Collections & Scholarly

Communications

The leadershipteam, along with the

3 subject team coordinators

Humanities Team

Social Science Team

Natural Science Team

Staff & student worker support

AD for Public

Services

Reference Desk Coordinator

Instruction Team

Functional teams:Composed of liaisons from each

subject team plus other librarians & staff

Social Science Team

Humanities Team

Natural Science Team

Reference Desk Team

Collections Team

Scholarly Communications

Team

2013

Implement Collections

Team in Acquisitions

Planning & implementation timeline (2013-14)

DecOctSepAugJulyJuneAprilMarchFebJan May Nov

Liaisons track their tasks

& work load, &

contemplate prioritizing

& dropping roles

Liaisons officially

prioritize roles

Establish best practices & have

training on working in teams

Begin formation of ”Liaison

Department” with teams &

functional coordinators

Discuss roles of

functional coordinators

Increased focus on scholarly

communication, open

access, & research support

2014

+Redefined roles

of liaisons continue

Planning & implementation timeline

DecOctSepAugJulyJuneAprilMarchFebJan May Nov

Liaisons evaluate

developments

so far

Final Implementation

Accomplishments 2013-14

• Provided training and professional development

• Refined collection management procedures and planning

• Renamed Reference Department to Research, Outreach and Instruction

• Enhanced research support

• Improved communication and collaboration across the Libraries and campus

• Curriculum mapping for information literacy

• More opportunities and flexibility for innovation

• Emphasized “triage” at Reference Desk

Challenges

• Team structure can be “messy”

• Some resistance to change

• Communication -- much improved but always an issue!

• What do we give up?

• Staffing issues

What’s next?

• Focus goals and measures

• Continue training and professional development

• Monthly informal “coffee break” meetings

• Increase communication of value to the campus

• Improve collections planning

• Refine performance evaluation process

Recommendations

• Must have buy-in and participation at all levels

• Align with library and university goals

• You can’t communicate too much!

• Tell your story

More information

• Liaison Task Force Report• http://tinyurl.com/liaisontf

• Email:kmcrowe@uncg.edu