1. Building Relationships: Implementing a Library Liaison Program at the Tuskegee University Libraries 2009-2010 HBCU Library Alliance Leadership Institute Building Relationships: Implementing a Library Liaison Program at the Tuskegee University Libraries 2009-2010 HBCU Library Alliance Leadership Institute Presented by: Leigh Alexandria Jones, JD, MSLS Government Documents/Reference Librarian Ford Motor Company Library Tuskegee University ljones@tuskegee.edu

2. Presentation Outline Summary Project Goals Past Library Liaison Program Department Pairing Faculty Assessments Cooperation with Other Librarians Liaison Activities Adaptive and Technical Challenges Accomplishments Lessons Learned Using the Immunity Map

3. Summary A library liaison program was implemented. Initially working with only one department (History & Political Science), a library representative was provided to develop library activities that were based on assessments of the needs of the department. Mentor: Jean Greene Director of Library Services and Archives William H. Holtzclaw Library Hinds Community College – Utica Campus (Thank you!)

4. Project Goals 1. To better understand and accommodate the information needs of library users 2. To increase awareness of library resources and services 3. To foster collaborative working relationships between librarians and other university faculty 4. To develop a model for liaison activities that can be used when expanding the program to other university departments/colleges

5. Past Library Liaison Program Librarians paired with colleges (not just departments) Focused on collection development With time, program disappeared After end of program, relationships/communications maintained through newsletter, email updates, everyday library activities

6. Department Pairing Librarian’s primary job responsibilities Department’s current relationship with the library Librarian’s interests and past educational experiences

7. Faculty Assessments Survey Monkey Interviews Determined needs: collection development (with a specific focus on building a pre-law program), instruction for faculty, instruction for students

8. Cooperation with Other Librarians It’s not the liaison’s job to be “THE” librarian for the department Liaison facilitates communication between other librarians and the department Important to find out the goals of the other librarians

9. Liaison Activities Accomplished Assessments Presentation for students Collection development activities Planned/Recommended Collect faculty profiles Collect syllabi Conduct interviews and/or distribute surveys Faculty instruction session Collection development activities Continuously update faculty on library activities (weekly/bi- weekly/monthly emails, etc.) Meet with other librarians to develop other activities

10. Adaptive and Technical Challenges Adaptive Challenge The members of the department’s faculty are not readily willing to communicate. Technical Challenge Obtaining information about the faculty and their activities.

11. Accomplishments Better understanding of needs of stakeholders (faculty, students, other librarians) Better able to serve department Better relationship with faculty and students. Beginning to build a better relationship with other librarians. Able to market the resources of the library, specifically Government Documents

12. Lessons Learned Often just a game of trial and error Continuous process Internal stakeholders are just as important as external stakeholders

13. Using the Immunity Map Visible commitment Commitment to providing quality service to our users What we are doing/not doing Not completely understanding what it is that our users need Hidden commitments Personal commitments to individual departments/personal work (commitments to parts, but not to the whole) Big assumptions Everyone truly supports the task at hand (this is not always the case) Insight There needs to be a better understanding of the goals and visions of colleagues