May 12th 2008 | Complete Hours
- W.E.B. Du Bois Library • OPEN 24 hours
- Integrated Sciences and Engineering Library (ISEL) • 8:00 am - 9:00 pm
- Learning Commons • OPEN 24 hours
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Academic Liaison Program
Liaison Librarian assignments by Academic or Other Unit
The goals of the Academic Liaison Program of the UMass Amherst Libraries are:
- Maintain regular communication with academic and other units (departments, programs, centers, institutes, schools, colleges).
- Build effective working relationships between library staff and faculty.
- Improve and increase the use of library services, collections, and content delivery tools.
- Enhance the role of librarians as spokespersons for the Library.
The Program seeks to strengthen communication channels between the Library and UMass Amherst academic and other units. Each Liaison Librarian develops a unique set of activities based on the needs of the academic or other unit and discipline served. The Program is inherently collegial and is strongly dependent upon cooperation among individuals from many library functional areas.
What is a Liaison Librarian?
A Liaison Librarian is a librarian who has been formally designated as the primary contact between the Libraries and an academic or other unit of the UMass Amherst campus. The purpose of such appointments is to provide faculty and students with the name of one person who is identified as a starting point for assistance with and information about library services, collections, policies, and content delivery tools. The essence of the role played by a Liaison Librarian is to foster two-way communication between the Library and campus academic or other units.
The Liaison Librarian is well informed about the Libraries' collections, services, policies, resources, as well as the technologies used to delivery them, and skilled in interpreting and promoting their effective use to faculty and students in his or her academic and other units. The Liaison Librarian is also knowledgeable of the subject matter and nature of the teaching and research conducted by the academic or other unit, particularly with regard to changes in teaching and scholarly communication within the discipline. Liaison Librarians work together with teaching faculty to ensure that relevant information access skills and content delivery tools are incorporated into academic programs at all levels.
A Liaison Partner is frequently assigned to assist and back-up the Liaison Librarian in performing liaison responsibilities, particularly for large academic units. Liaison Partners may be new librarians or those in a mentoring relationship with the Liaison Librarian. Faculty and students should contact the Liaison Partner when the Liaison Librarian is unavailable.
What does a Liaison Librarian do?
Responsibilities of Liaison Librarians and Liaison Partners include activities in the following areas:
Communication
- Participate actively in relevant aspects of the work of the assigned academic or other units.
- Establish and maintain ongoing relationships with faculty in assigned units.
- Survey and document course delivery technologies used by academic unit faculty.
- Communicate the academic or other unit's pursuits and interests effectively within the Library. These efforts ensure that library policies, collections, services, and content delivery tools are responsive to the needs of the academic community.
- Inform faculty about new and improved library services, collections, policies, and content delivery tools.
Reference and Instructional Services
- Provide information or reference assistance in person, by telephone, by letter, by email, or through other electronic means.
- Consult with students and faculty on research questions and projects.
- Teach classes in library use, information literacy, and other relevant topics.
- Develop and maintain Web-based guides to resources and services for the assigned subject areas.
Collection Development and Information Access
- Continuously expand knowledge of information resources within assigned subject areas.
- Maintain knowledge of access and management technologies for relevant library content.
- Select materials for the Libraries (or advise the Selector on purchase decisions).
- Evaluate gift collections.
- Evaluate existing library collections in the assigned subject areas.
- Notify faculty of new resources acquired in the assigned subject areas.
- Provide support for accreditation review processes, new academic programs, and grant proposals.
Liaison Program Evaluation and Development
- Seek and add new initiatives to the customized liaison program for each assigned academic or other unit.
- Assess and improve their own work with assigned academic or other units.
- Participate in evaluation and continuous improvement of the Academic Liaison Program as a whole.
For complete list of Liaison Librarian assignments, visit:
http://www.library.umass.edu/reference/liaisons.html
Updated: March 29, 2005
For questions or comments about this page, email the Reference Web Manager.
This site is maintained by UMass Amherst Libraries.
