SPEC Kit 349: Evolution of Library Liaisons · 47
Those items checked off MAY figure into the determination of role, but frequently the assignment is determined by
individual capacity or interest.
Usually, these are determined within the context of the liaison’s unit in relation to their academic background, workload,
responsibilities of other liaisons, etc.
What we need to cover.
15. Is a liaison assigned one or more than one department? N=67
Some liaisons are assigned only one department some are assigned more than one 50 75%
All liaisons are assigned more than one department 17 25%
All liaisons are assigned only one department 0 0%
If liaisons are assigned more than one department, please indicate the minimum number and
maximum number of departments that are assigned to any one liaison. N=60
Number of Departments Low High Mean Median Std Dev N
Minimum 1 4 1.35 1.00 0.73 60
Maximum 3 100 9.43 7.00 12.64 60
16. Does the library assign a liaison to every academic/research department or only to some? N=67
Every department 59 88%
Only some departments 8 12%
If only to some departments, how are those chosen? N=8
Most departments have a liaison, but in cases where we don’t have enough people, the liaison role might be grouped
under a larger level organization (such as a liaison to the College of Music instead of individual departments). The
campus has numerous centers and organizations that could use a liaison but we don’t have a system for identifying
those, though we are working on them.
Newer departments that tend to be highly interdisciplinary and pull instructors from other departments, such as the
honors college, do not have a liaison rather, they tend to be served by several librarians, depending upon subject
expertise needed.
The intention is to cover all departments. With staff turnover there are times some departments are not covered or we
lack anyone with any relevant skills to support them. New programs and new departments sometimes have arisen and it
may be a few years before we were able to define someone to cover them.
The liaison assignments are based on historical need. Some are affiliated with departments, some by faculty
(professional faculties in particular), and some by discipline or interdisciplinary unit.
They are chosen based on enrollment in the department and the department’s importance to the university.
This is a good question. I think most of these decisions are made at the unit level, and seem to be based on a mix of
tradition/relationships and emerging campus needs.
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