Leveraging Technology and Staffing in Developing a New Liaison Program

Abstract

With nearly all library resources and services delivered digitally, librarians working for the New York University Health Sciences Library struggled with maintaining awareness of changing user needs, understanding barriers faced in using library resources and services, and determining knowledge management challenges across the organization. A liaison program was created to provide opportunities for librarians to meaningfully engage with users. The program was directed toward a subset of high-priority user groups to provide focused engagement with these users. Responsibility for providing routine reference service was reduced for liaison librarians to provide maximum time to engage with their assigned user communities.

KEYWORDS:

• Liaison programs
• program evaluation
• service levels
• training

Notes

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Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jeff Williams

Jeff Williams, MLIS, AHIP ([email protected]) is Associate Director, Research, Education, and Clinical Support

Aileen McCrillis

Aileen McCrillis, MSLIS ([email protected]) is Research Librarian and User Experience Librarian

Richard McGowan

Richard McGowan, MLS ([email protected]) is Research Librarian

Joey Nicholson

Joey Nicholson, MLIS, MPH, CPH ([email protected]) is Education and Curriculum Librarian

Alisa Surkis

Alisa Surkis, PhD, MLS ([email protected]) is Translational Science Librarian; at all New York University Health Sciences Library, New York University Langone Medical Center, 577 First Avenue, Room 130, New York, NY 10016.

Holly Thompson

Holly Thompson, MSLIS ([email protected]) is Associate Fellow, National Library of Medicine, Building 38, Room 2N05C, 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20814.

Dorice Vieira

Dorice Vieira, MLS, MA, MPH ([email protected]) is Clinical Outreach and Graduate Medical Education Librarian, New York University Health Sciences Library, New York University Langone Medical Center, 577 First Avenue, Room 106, New York, NY 10016.