Liaison Roles and Responsibilities

Teaching and Learning

• Provide information literacy and research instruction to distance and residential classes via guest instruction, teaching or co-teaching credit-classes, creating online learning objects, etc.
• Work with instructors to integrate information literacy and research skills into the curriculum
• Create and maintain effective library guides, subject portals, tutorials, videos, and other learning objects
• Design graded and ungraded research assignments that incorporate information literacy goals in collaboration with instructors
• Assess student learning of information literacy concepts using the University Libraries’ “Student Learning Outcomes” and via multiple assessment methods
• Identify core classes and curricula that would benefit from research instruction and/or learning objects, and contact the teachers involved

Best practices:

• Developing teaching and assessment skills through conferences, workshops, team-teaching, observing teaching by colleagues, etc.
• Discussing teaching experiences and ideas with other librarians
• Reading new and revised syllabi
• Reading students’ research projects or observing final presentations for assessment
• Examining other libraries’ research guides, tutorials, videos, etc. for fresh approaches and new ideas

Research Services

• Provide customized reference and research services through email, phone, chat, and individual and group consultations
• Help staff the Information Desk and AskUs online service
• Make referrals to other librarians, SCUA, campus units, etc. as appropriate
• Seek opportunities to extend services through embedded work
• Understand database interfaces, citation management tools, and other research tools used on campus
• Support the Reference Intern program through training and mentoring
• Understand the research process of students and faculty

Best practices:

• Monitoring information desk and liaison chat queues
• Applying reference interviewing strategies to research services
• Following up with users after the initial research session
• Investigating the research interests of faculty and graduate students in preparation for providing future research service
• Learning new interfaces and tools through training, webinars, and self-directed learning
• Analyzing LibStats, web logs, and other methods of data tracking to better understand user behavior and to make recommendations on how to improve our services or interfaces

Collections and Resources

• Communicate with users regarding collection and research needs
• Develop and maintain print and electronic collections for assigned subject areas
• Manage collection funds effectively and efficiently
• Monitor research and publishing trends in assigned subject areas
• Contribute to accreditation reports and “new program” applications
• Remain knowledgeable about SCUA collections and collaborate with SCUA as needed
• Support donor connections as relevant to liaison subject areas

Best practices:

• Discussing collection, budget, and licensing issues with faculty, administrators, and graduate students in meetings and one-on-one conversations
• Examining UNCG-authored papers for research interests, trends, and use of research sources
• Promoting use of i alerts for new titles
• Investigating and offering trials to new or cheaper databases
• Supporting collaboration with other libraries  through such groups as  NC LIVE and the Carolina Consortium

Scholarly Communications

• Keep current with general trends in scholarly communications, and monitor subject-specific trends
• Educate and inform faculty, graduate students, and campus administrators about scholarly communication issues, copyright, author rights, etc.
• Investigate and promote new avenues of scholarly communication such as open access publishing, institutional repositories, journal hosting, etc.
• Encourage and support the writing of data management plans
• Discover and recruit UNCG scholarly output for inclusion in the open access digital initiatives

Best practices:

• Encouraging faculty to submit their work to NC DOCKS
• Attending workshops, webinars and forums sponsored by the Scholarly Communication Team, ACRL, etc.
• Encouraging faculty to attend such workshops, webinars, and forums
• Referring users to the Scholarly Communications Officer when appropriate