46 · SPEC Kit 301
Challenge 1 Challenge 2 Challenge 3
Keeping up with and integrating
all issues into the liaison role:
collections, instruction, reference,
educational technology, scholarly
communication, media services,
faculty research, trends in the
discipline, etc.
Balancing the workload between
all the aspects of being a liaison
and doing collection development,
reference, instruction, undergraduate
outreach, scholarly communication,
etc.
Each discipline/department has a
different perspective on the how they
perceive the library and therefore
has different concerns and making
sure the library is responsive to those
needs. Interdisciplinary institutes
are a growing and challenging
additional area for liaisons.
Keeping up with technology. Managing shrinking budget. Meeting rising user expectations.
Lack of expertise in effective
marketing on the part of librarians.
Reluctance to engage in marketing
activities on the part of librarians.
Lack of response to marketing
activities on the part of the target
groups.
Lack of physical proximity to
academic departments. Size of the
institution. The two smaller libraries
that serve a smaller group seem to
know their clientele better and have
more interactions.
Lack of time to meet demand. Some departments very active users
of liaison services, others much less
so — uneven.
Librarians have multiple job
responsibilities and limited time to
devote to any one task. Liaison work
requires a lot of effort to be effective.
Departmental acceptance of librarian
participation in the department.
Limited time, competing priorities. Differential receptiveness among
departments.
Scope of information that liaisons
must know and keep up with.
Maintaining consistent and effective
communications with faculty.
Persuading faculty of the importance
of library services and support for
their students.
Finding usable programs for large
departments.
Maintaining department interest in
library services.
Keeping librarian attention when
department interest wanes.
Marketing collections and services
that will have the broadest impact
and awareness.
Getting busy faculty to respond and
engage.
Stopping some activities that are
low-impact but time-consuming.
Meetings demands of teaching
classes.
Improved collaboration between
teaching faculty and library faculty.
Greater integration of information
skills in curriculum.
Challenge 1 Challenge 2 Challenge 3
Keeping up with and integrating
all issues into the liaison role:
collections, instruction, reference,
educational technology, scholarly
communication, media services,
faculty research, trends in the
discipline, etc.
Balancing the workload between
all the aspects of being a liaison
and doing collection development,
reference, instruction, undergraduate
outreach, scholarly communication,
etc.
Each discipline/department has a
different perspective on the how they
perceive the library and therefore
has different concerns and making
sure the library is responsive to those
needs. Interdisciplinary institutes
are a growing and challenging
additional area for liaisons.
Keeping up with technology. Managing shrinking budget. Meeting rising user expectations.
Lack of expertise in effective
marketing on the part of librarians.
Reluctance to engage in marketing
activities on the part of librarians.
Lack of response to marketing
activities on the part of the target
groups.
Lack of physical proximity to
academic departments. Size of the
institution. The two smaller libraries
that serve a smaller group seem to
know their clientele better and have
more interactions.
Lack of time to meet demand. Some departments very active users
of liaison services, others much less
so — uneven.
Librarians have multiple job
responsibilities and limited time to
devote to any one task. Liaison work
requires a lot of effort to be effective.
Departmental acceptance of librarian
participation in the department.
Limited time, competing priorities. Differential receptiveness among
departments.
Scope of information that liaisons
must know and keep up with.
Maintaining consistent and effective
communications with faculty.
Persuading faculty of the importance
of library services and support for
their students.
Finding usable programs for large
departments.
Maintaining department interest in
library services.
Keeping librarian attention when
department interest wanes.
Marketing collections and services
that will have the broadest impact
and awareness.
Getting busy faculty to respond and
engage.
Stopping some activities that are
low-impact but time-consuming.
Meetings demands of teaching
classes.
Improved collaboration between
teaching faculty and library faculty.
Greater integration of information
skills in curriculum.
