A library liaison is a librarian who has been formally designated as the primary contact person between the Indiana University School of Medicine Library and a department or center of the Medical School and other related schools. The intention is to provide faculty, students, and staff with the name of at least one person they can call upon as a starting point for assistance with or information about any library service or issue. The role played by a liaison is to foster two-way communication between the library and the Medical School 's programs. The liaison is expected to understand the information needs of his or her unit as clearly as possible, and to represent those needs within the library. At the same time, liaisons should be fully knowledgeable about library products and services so as to represent these effectively to their contacts.

Library liaisons are:

•  Expected to be generally well-informed about the library's collections, services, policies, and resources; and skilled in interpreting and promoting these to faculty and students in their departments.

•  Expected to become knowledgeable of the subject matter and nature of the teaching and research conducted by the department.

•  Expected to work together with teaching faculty to ensure that relevant information access skills and tools are incorporated into academic programs.

What does a liaison do?

Liaison assignments include activities in the following areas:

Communication
Regular communication between the liaison and his or her department/center is the foundation on which the program is built. Liaisons make themselves known and available to the faculty. The ways in which such communication takes place varies, but face-to-face, on-site contact outside the library is encouraged. Communication may be through an official departmental contact person or departmental library committee, by visits to individual faculty or scheduled, on-site "advising hours," through printed or electronic communications, by participation in faculty meetings, and by attendance at academic symposia or colloquia.

Liaisons communicate effectively within the library, sharing information with colleagues informally or in meetings so that library policies, collections, and services are responsive to the interests and needs of the faculty. Tasks performed by liaisons are inter-related with work performed and managed across library functional areas. Liaisons are expected to exercise initiative in the performance of their work, but to recognize that library functions are inter-dependent and need to be coordinated with their colleagues.

Collection Development/Information Access
Liaisons assume responsibility for a range of collection development activities associated with one or more subject areas. Liaisons may:

• Develop and maintain a comprehensive knowledge of information resources within a given subject area(s)
• Select, evaluate, and monitor electronic and web resources, creating appropriate subject portals for the department.
• Notify faculty about new library services and materials of potential interest
• Provide support for accreditation review processes, new academic programs, and grant proposals
• Assist the Collection Development librarian in evaluating collection strengths and weaknesses in assigned areas.

User Services
Liaisons perform some or all of the following services:

• Consult with students and faculty
• Provide reference correspondence
• Deliver unscheduled reference assistance
• Instruct individual(s), group(s) or classes for students, faculty or staff.
• Develop guides to resources and services
• Serve on academic committees concerned with library services

Potential Liaison Activities

The following list is meant to identify potential activities for individual liaisons to consider when preparing a course of action for their assigned programs.

Communication

• Have name added to departmental mail and e-mail distribution lists
• Create or update electronic distribution list of liaison clientele
• Update subject web page or other resources in print and/or electronic form.
• Produce information guides on new services, collections, and research tools
• Prepare or update subject research guides and electronic guides
• Schedule regular on site visits, e.g. office or computer lab hours
• Write a feature or column for departmental newsletter

Information Sharing

• Send information packets to new faculty including adjuncts
• Schedule individual orientation meetings with new faculty and adjuncts
• Schedule library orientation sessions for new residents.
• Review and, if appropriate, revise orientation or instruction programs
• Schedule demonstrations of relevant electronic resources.
• Familiarize faculty and students with the Document Delivery process.
• Promote classes and training sessions offered by the Library.
• Prepare library exhibit(s) relating to liaison area Information Gathering
• Meet with Department Head, other faculty or other individual to learn about the current plans for the department or center, and seek feedback on the library liaison program.
• Attend departmental meetings or other faculty inclusive gatherings
• Attend departmental or campus seminars/events/workshops
• Survey and document faculty research interests
• Serve on a departmental committee.
• Assist with departmental or center program, re-accreditation or grant applications.
• Learn about the curriculum

Collection Development

• Create or update collection development profile for library materials.
• Perform a library collection review in coordination with the librarian in charge of collection development.
• Get feedback on serial and book use and elicit suggestions for purchase.
• If requested, assist in evaluating and selecting materials for existing or future developmental collections.

Professional Development

• Audit or attend a class in the liaison subject area
• Write and submit an article for publication that is related to one's liaison work or liaison subject area
• Participate in a conference or workshop related to one's subject area
• Assist with planning of conference related to one's subject area

New Directions

• Work with departments to insure information literacy is fully incorporated into the program curriculum
• Establish a teaching partnership with a member of the liaison department.
• Teach a course or a course component in the liaison departments or programs
• Establish a research partnership with a member of the liaison departments or programs
• Develop or help develop an interactive learning module in the liaison area
• Develop or help develop a program that promotes active student centered learning
• Build new library modules that can be used by medical students.
• Develop surveys to measure needs of medical students and faculty.
• Work with the Development Librarian to make sure that faculty is aware of donation opportunities.

This document has been adapted from the Academic Liaison Program http://www.lib.uconn.edu/liaison/prog00.htm and Checklist of Potential Liaison Activities http://www.lib.uconn.edu/ris/Liaison/liaisonactiv.html at University of Connecticut .