Getting with the Liaison Program: ExperiencesMason

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Getting with the (Liaison) Program
Experiences_at_Mason
Taking Your Liaison Program to the Next Level

Strategies for Outreach and Integration

ACRL Preconference Workshop

March 29, 2007 Jamie
Coniglio
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!

• In theory, there
  is no difference between theory and practice.
  In practice there
  is.
• -- Yogi Berra

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Background

• January 2002
• Library Liaison Program Task Force formed
• Examined all aspects of existing program
• Recommended program improvements
• September 2002
• Report submitted to University Librarian
• Nine basic recommendations
• September 2004
• Implementation commenced

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Background

• Fall 2004 March 2007 Liaison Advisory Team
• Seminal documents
• Branding/Communication
• Collection Development policy
• Workload Review
• Roles/Functions on each campus
• Tasks moved
• Workload Review Planning/Assessment Librarian
  (2005)
• Branding/Communication B/C Task Force (2006)
• LAT ? (2007)

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Key Elements

• Who
• Clearly ID who is in charge of program
• Coordinator?
• Team?
• Department Head?
• Level of Authority
• Clearly state charge
• Scope
• Implementation
• Timelines
• Clearly state desired outcomes / assessment

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Key Elements

• What
• Comprehensive vision statement
• Clear, concise goals objectives
• Process for executing the program
• Well defined (and promulgated) responsibilities
• Liaison training
• Program evaluation by faculty, students, liaisons

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Key Elements

• How
• Communicate between
• Communicate among
• Communicate with

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Key Elements

• When
• Clear timeline
• Clear deadlines
• Clear feedback deadlines

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Key Elements

• Perception vs. Reality
• Perceived agendas (hidden or otherwise)
• Perceived competition
• Perceived workloads

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What LAT Did

• Surveyed literature
• Mission, values, goals for program
• IDd and listed responsibilities/opportunities
• Adopted competencies (ASERL) and gave examples
• Created standard, sample position descriptions
• Initiated work on workload analysis
• Got Senior Level oks at all stages

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What LAT Did

• Initiated work on marketing/branding
• Liaison assignment process
• Initiated blog (liaisonland)
• Initiated work load review
• Initiated monthly team meetings (LAT Chat)
• Initiated monthly Liaison Lunches
• Reviewed general aspects of collection
  development policy

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Results

• Branding/communication
• Branding/Communication Implementation Group
  (2006)
• Liaison workload analysis (Report 2006)
• Helpful?
• Hurtful?
• Preparing for new hires
• Three new liaisons (one new position)
• Formalizing liaison training orientation
  (Summer 2007)
• Professional development
• Link to Librarians Council

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What Admin is Doing

• More Tech librarians (Web, IR, UDTS)
• Differentiated Liaison Philosophy/Religion/CD
• Supporting Branding/Communication
• Drumbeat Presidents Task Force
• Supporting experiments, pilots

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Implementing

• FenRef
• 10 Liaison Librarians
• 2 Full-time Library Assistants
• 3 Graduate Research Assistants (20
  hours/week/each)
• 3 Wages/CWS Student Assistants

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What FenRef is Doing

• Expanded LA expectations
• Weekend/Night Desk
• Teaching gut undergrad instruction
• Tech work
• Help links, TOC/E-alerts links
• Assignment Calculator
• WebCT course
• Wikis, blogs, podcasts
• SFX menus
• Catalog enhancement projects

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What FenRef is Doing

• Using Technology
• Camtasia / Captivate
• WebCT, Blackboard
• Blogs, wikis
• Content management
• Database portal
• Web Guides
• Mobile Reference
• A la Carte
• Departmental office hours

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What FenRef is Doing

• Linking with classes
• Coming projects
• Adjuncts
• Graduate Seminars
• Topical Approches Plagiarism?
• ID all research classes on all levels

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What FenRef is Doing

• Outreach/Visibility
• Desk as classroom
• UDTs evening hours
• Classroom as market
• Gumshoe-ing, entrepreneurs
• Streamlining CD
• Better levels of dept support
• Any ideapilot
• Looking to technology
• Being the best we can be

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What FenRef is Doing

• Branding/Communications Plan
• TAC Revision/Information Literacy
• CTAC New Campus Initiative
• Monitoring new programs, degrees
• Monitoring landscape for whats working (and what
  isnt)
• Maintaining our reputation for good service and
  collaboration
• Good old carpe diem

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What Liaisons seek

• Communication
• Cooperation
• Collaboration
• Internal
• External
• Continuity
• Camaraderie

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!

• If you come to a fork in the road, take it.
• -- Yogi Berra

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Sources Used_at_Mason

• Mozenter, Frada et al. Restructuring a Liaison
  Program in an Academic Library. College
  Research Libraries.
  Spring 2000 432-440. Available at
  http//www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlpubs/crljournal/ba
  ckissues2000b/september2/mozenter.pdf
• University of Massachusetts. University
  Libraries. Academic Liaison Program. Available
  at http//www.library.umass.edu/reference/alp.htm
  l
• University of Connecticut. University Libraries.
  Academic Liaison Program. Available at
  http//www.lib.uconn.edu/using/services/liaison/pr
  og00.htm
• Liaison Services in ARL Libraries. Washington,
  DC ARL Office of Management Services, 1992.
• American Library Association. Reference and
  Adult Services Section. Guidelines for Liaison
  Work. RQ.
  Winter 1992, 32 198-204.
• American Library Associaiton. Reference and User
  Services Association. Guidelines for Liaison Work
  in Managing Collections and Services. Available
  at http//www.ala.org/ala/rusa/rusaprotools/refer
  enceguide/guidelinesliaison.htm
• Association of Southeastern Research Libraries.
  Shaping The FutureASERL's Competencies For
  Research Librarians. Available at
  http//www.aserl.org/