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Lansing Community College Library

Reference & Instruction Guide: Liaisons

Policies, procedures, best practices and training guide, for reference and instruction services.

Communication

Liaison Librarianship

Calendar

We recommend trying to get on the agenda of Department or Division meetings in the fall. In the spring, often there are no divisional meetings, but you can focus on visiting program or class meetings throughout the semester.

Communication Tasks throughout the year
Time Task
Summer Update contact list
August/September

Send email message to Departments.

Present at Department or Division meetings.
Early December Send email to Divisions about end of semester support (Finals Frenzy, citation and research help, liaison for spring)
January

Send email message to Departments.

Present at Program or Course meetings.
Late April Send email to Divisions about end of semester support (Finals Frenzy, citation and research help, liaison for summer).

Library Liaisons Activities

LCC Library Liaison:

As subject or program liaison, Liaison Librarians are the main link between the library and academic programs. Liaison activities involve establishing a line of communication with faculty through e-mail, phone, or face-to-face meetings.  Liaisons become familiar with program curriculum and trends, plus develop & manage a collection of resources that fit the program needs.

Here are some recommendations on how to build a relationship with program faculty:

Before contacting your assigned academic department:

  • Review their campus webpage, specifically the degrees granted, classes offered, and contacts.
  • Become familiar with course descriptions / topics and syllabi for current courses offered.
  • Relate course topics to Library resources in both print & e-resources currently available.
  • Check to see if your area has gone through a Program Review, where program trends are documented. 

Contacting department:

  • Initiate contact with program lead by phone or email.  
  • Consider creating list of questions or resource sharing topics ahead of time to maximize time together.
  • Ask to attend a program meeting to get to know faculty in your area, listen to program issues, and to be considered to talk about library resources that relate to curriculum / assignment topics.
  • Once you get to know some of the faculty, you may want to meet individually regarding assignment research needs or library collection development needs. This is a nice way to encourage Library Instruction and Library Collection Development services.
  • Share via campus email distribution lists to all full-time & part-time faculty / staff in your program any library news and resources that may be pertinent.
  • Check the STAR for new faculty and send them welcome messages.
  • Write to faculty teaching courses with research guides or relevant databases reminding them about the resources and asking for input.

Share with library staff happenings in your liaison programs: 

  • Keeping library staff updated assists in providing reference / instruction services and other library services. 

When a liaison assignment is agreed to be changed:

Reference Lead & Liaison Librarian will notify:

  • Web Librarian to change pertinent web pages
  • Collection Management Librarian update
    • GOBI notifications
    • Call Number / Subject assignments
  • eResources Librarians to have online subscriptions by subjects updated for annual renewal

New Liaison:

  • Collaborate with former liaison, if possible, about outstanding activities and experiences.
  • Look for new GOBI notifications within a couple weeks. 

A list of tutors by discipline is available in the SharePoint Library Files > Reference > Liaisons > 

Library Liaison Teams were established to develop a team-based approach to Liaison work.  This way a librarian doesn't feel isolated and has others to talk about specific liaison work activities. 

Recommended that the Liaison Teams meet and the beginning & end of  each semester to create plans for next semester, review previous activities, or identify what next steps to take on projects.

Teams are asked to share happenings and activities that were successful or not at RST meetings.  Teams can also meet with Reference Lead & Liaison Librarian to discuss unique issues .

Within the Liaison Teams, individual members may work with specific programs, review & develop certain program library collections.  

Finding Distribution Lists in Outlook

To find a distribution list for a division, department, or program:

  1. Click on CC or BCC
  2. Select All Distribution Lists from the dropdown menu
  3. Type the prefix for the division you are looking for. Here is a list of all Divisions and Departments:
    • Arts & Sciences - ASD
    • Health & Human Services - HHS
    • Technical Careers - TC
    • Student Services - SS
    • Academic Affairs - AA
  4. Each division has these set up differently, but often there is a DIV list and individual DEPT lists.
  5. Double click on the Listserv you want and click Ok.