1. Scratching Backs: Establishing and Maintaining Faculty Relationships
ACRL-LA Conference
November 6-7, 2003
Megan Lowe

2. Historical Enmity
Several sources note that most of the “evidence” for this enmity is anecdotal.
Most library staff have a ‘horror story’ to tell about faculty encounters.
The reasons identified here have been culled from a great deal of literature, beginning in the late 1950’s and stretching to the present.

3. Reasons for the Enmity Communication breakdown
Failure to recognize our common purpose: to educate the students we serve
What Glover called “incendiary collections issues”
Territorial issues

4. Reasons for the Enmity
Ignorance of or misunderstanding the roles and services of the library
Self-isolation
Their reluctance to ask for help

5. Establishing & Maintaining Relationships
Make contact—network!
Professional speaking
Socially speaking
Introduce yourself to new faculty
Get involved with campus activities—not just committees

6. Establishing & Maintaining
Collaboration
Research
Classroom activities
Information needs
Share ideas with them—Kotter calls it “offering our skills to the classroom”
Being a team player

7. Establishing & Maintaining
Collection development
Offer faculty-oriented services
Citation searches
“Offering our skills to the classroom”
Document delivery
Alerts in databases
Library assignment workshop

8. Establishing & Maintaining
Honoring their accomplishments
Promotion & tenure; publication of work
Ways to honor them
Book plates (in book of choice)
Recognition (i.e., party)
Whatever you can think of
Communication
Define the library’s roles and services, so the faculty know what they can expect. If this means re-writing your policies to make things clearer, then do it!
Make faculty aware of library services and resources
Day-to-day basis

9. Communication 5 Myths of Communication
We’re born knowing how to communicate and listen effectively.
Communication takes place when one person talks, and the other person listens quietly.
Listening is a passive skill.
Hearing is the same as listening, and active listening involves keeping your ears open and your mouth shut.
You can stop listening when you’ve gotten the gist of what the other person is saying.

10. Communication Levasseur’s 5 Key Skills Right attitude
Learning to ask the right questions
Listening actively
Communicating directly
Giving feedback properly

11. Communication Communication as perspective Self-marketing
Controlling yourself and choosing how to behave and react
Face-to-face contact is the richest form of communication

12. Faculty Role in Information Literacy
Relevance, applicability, consistency
Encouragement and endorsement
Curricular implementation
Selection of appropriate materials and their application

13. Q & A

14. Enjoy the rest of the conference!
Thanks for coming!
Enjoy the rest of the conference!