What does a Liason Librarian do?

Today I have been following a Liason Librarian as part of my work placement. So time to document a few ideas, points of interest and observations for future reference:

Liason Librarian's job focus is to service the needs of the academic areas within the University Library:

• Liase with lecturers and faculties to ensure that the collection meets their teaching needs. This involves reviewing curriculum outlines and making sure that students can find the information that they need on the system. Assisting with sourcing updated resources. Scanning in documents for lecturers.
• Primary contact and ourreach for a designated faculty. They are the go-to person and responsible for servicing that department.
• Librarian has an education focus but not necessarily from an education background.
• If needed, teaching undergraduates information literacy and library orientation with staff.
• Goal is a fair and equitable service for all students, given that a Liason Librarian might be servicing a faculty with 900 students the relationship that they have is mainly with the teaching staff, not the students.
• High degree of networking and building the relationship between the Liason Librarian and the faculty.
• Librarian drop-in session for academic teaching staff, makes the Liason Librarian more visible.

ACU's Liason Librarian Description:

I pulled this information from a job description (edited in on the 15/10/2014)

• School Liaison: establishes good working relationships with a designated School/s, promote the Library’s services, understand the needs of the students and staff of the School and provide support them.
• Information Resource Management: develops the Library’s collections in areas relevant to the academic programs and research needs of the School/s.
• Information Service Provision: provides information services through a variety of means including rostered shifts on the Information Desk and the Library’s virtual reference services: Ask Your Librarian and real-time Chat.
• Information Literacy: has sole responsibility for the initiation, development and delivery of relevant sequential Information Literacy Programs for the School/s, which will enable students to become independent and effective information users.

Further Reading

• Melbourne University Liason Librarians
• The role of Librarians today: The Liason Librarian (2012)
• Deakin University Liason Librarians
• Transforming Liason roles in Research Libraries (2013) Association of Research Libraries
• Liasing around: Essentials for a New Liason Librarian (2007)