1. Welcome Back! Day Two

2. 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

3. Homework review
• Use the whiteboard tools and share:
– A program you would like to reach out to
– A faculty member’s class you would like to work
with
– Add—a strategy you think will help you
get a foot in the door.

4. Best practices: outreach
• The elevator speech
• “What’s going on in the library?”
• Response—more than “Idunnonotmuch”

5. Sparking Interest
• Contact faculty directly
• Have a specific proposal in mind
• Offer your services after a rash of
questions
• Rely on word of mouth
• Maintain positive interactions and open
communication

6. The Collection Development Connection
• Liaison program + computers=
getting your foot in the door!
• When you meet the needs of faculty well
(collections, electronic resources, hardware)
they become more involved as partners.

7. Becoming embedded
• Librarians “go native”—are on the ground
departmentally and play a direct role in a
class or departmental project

8. Embedded librarians
• Have a presence in the academic
department
• Begin in departments that are already
“library friendly” –experiment and grow
• Don’t get overloaded!
• Discover what is most valued by
faculty/students in the class/department

9. Remember…
• You aren’t going to persuade them all
• Build strong relationships with a few
• Build trust/respect
• Use that contact to gain the notice/interest
of others
• Walk the halls!

10. Before You Go There…
• Know the field (resources, journals,
reference tools)
• Be forward, but not aggressive
• Never assume anything
• Don’t be shocked (what do you MEAN you
don’t know what ERIC is!?!)
• Be open to new ideas and methods
• Be sure you REALLY want to do this!

11. Meeting regularly with faculty…
• …but as an asset, not “because my director
said I should get on the agenda this month”
• Participate in seminars, meetings, etc.
• Take a class!
• Take instruction to the department
• Team teach—divide and conquer complex
material together as a team
• Hang out over there

12. Understand collections
• Seek prodev opportunities in disciplinary areas
• Participate in scholarly organizations (discipline specific
groups/roundtables at ALA)
• Conduct subject or database specific workshops
• Share discipline specific trends with your librarian
colleagues
• Work with faculty to create subject guides

13. Promote and teach about
resources
• Integrate info lit concepts into the discipline
• Research consultations
• Information literacy instruction
• Design tutorials
• Become “embedded”
• Develop places and spaces to show off

14. Creating discipline specific
resources
• Russell’s 5x5x5 rule for pathfinders
– 5 most important print/reference
– 5 most important databases
– 5 most important internet resources

15. How to be extremely unsuccessful at creating a
subject guide

16. Exercise
• As a group, we’re going to create a subject
guide.
• Using the 5x5x5 method and the
whiteboard, create a subject guide for
biology

17. Assessing your liaison program
• Formative
– Needs assessment/survey for faculty AND
liaisons
– Effectiveness of liaison training
• Ongoing and summative
– Assess faculty satisfaction
• Collections
• Services
• Instruction

18. For you, what does success look
like?
• Share on the whiteboard what factors are indicative of a
successful liaison program at your library:

19. What does success look like?
• Increased collections usage
• More efficient spending of dedicated funds in the
disciplines
• Faculty and librarians work more closely together
– Create/develop instruction, assignments, guides
together
– Greater dialogue about all library services
• Increase overall number of instruction sessions
• Greater presence in the campus community

20. Success…
• A librarian or two on every faculty committee
• Considered peers by other faculty
• Librarian office hours in departments
• One-on-one consultation with faculty and
students on research
• Increase in respect for the library on campus

21. Keys to liaison program
sustainability
• Liaison role must remain fluid and be
reviewed routinely
• Adding skills/knowledge, and keeping up
• Consistent promotion and marketing—if you
start a new books blog…
• Getting/maintaining buy in/nurturing
relationships

22. This will happen with liaisons
• Who…
• Are experts, consultants, facilitators
• Support faculty in challenging areas—intellectual
property/copyright, technology, assignment building
• Customize information to meet faculty/student needs
• Are seen outside the library
• Train not only students, but faculty and staff, to use
information resources

23. Thank You For Attending!
Questions/Comments?
• 1.800.999.8558
• Email: russell.palmer@lyrasis.org