UNCG University Libraries | About the Libraries | Libraries’ Liaison Program | Liaison Roles and Responsibilities
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