SPEC Kit 349: Evolution of Library Liaisons · 25
Our Health Sciences Library has been officially offering liaison services since 1982. Prior to 1982, reference department
librarians were assigned health affairs schools to focus on but they did not have the time to do outreach or provide
special services to groups. This was during a time when there was a high level of reference desk activity and mediated
searching. In 1982, a separate Information Management Education Services department was formed and instructional
outreach began. University Library began in 2009–2010 academic year.
Prior to 1981, we had subject specialist librarians assigned to our branch libraries (predominantly in the sciences), with
a team of “bibliographers” managing selection in other areas. In 1981, additional librarians were assigned roles for the
humanities and social sciences.
The liaison program has undergone several transformations since 1984. There has not been one continuous
organizational structure.
The year (1980) is an estimated figure. We have been offering liaison services for a long time.
Traditional liaison services to academic departments have been in place since at least 1980.
1990s
In 1992, public services librarians were given the option of remaining reference librarians (generalists) or becoming
subject specialists where they were assigned subject area(s). Subject specialists provided subject-specific instruction and
reference as well as performing collection development responsibilities for their assigned subject area(s).
Liaison Services came about as a consequence of combining separate subject collections, organized by floor, into one
single library.
Much has changed. In 1999, this model was adopted in one or more branch libraries. Now our library has merged the
branches into one library and reorganized into service-based programs, one of which is the Academic Liaison Program
(ALP), established in 2012.
Specific date is not available, although 1999 saw a combining of liaison/outreach, collection development, and
instruction activities.
The Health Science Center Library fully implemented its liaison librarian program in 1999, however the HSCL had
librarians serving ex officio on the College of Medicine Curriculum committee (1992–) and Colleges of Dentistry
and Nursing in 2006. These activities, along with strategic planning, served as impetus for the formal liaison
librarian program.
The program began in the health sciences in 1991 or earlier and expanded to the rest of the colleges in 2013.
The year is approximate (1999). Before that, we had subject librarians, but it was around 1999/2000, that a librarian
was put in charge of an official liaison program and all librarians were required to be liaisons.
There were liaison activities occurring before this time, but the approach was formalized in 1992.
We had several librarians doing liaison work from the mid-1980s on, but 1997 was the year all subject librarians started
doing it.
We had subject librarians for many years, but started a formal “college librarian” program in 1994.
2000s
Estimated timeframe (2004)
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