A case study: the evolution of a "facilitator model" liaison program in an academic medical library.

Question: What type of liaison program would best utilize both librarians and other library staff to effectively promote library services and resources to campus departments? Setting: The case is an academic medical center library serving a large, diverse campus. Methods: The library implemented a "...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the Medical Library Association Vol. 100; no. 3; pp. 171 - 176
Main Authors: Crossno, Jon, DeShay, Claudia H., Ann Huslig, Mary, Mayo, Helen G., Patridge, Emily F.
Format: case study research tables/charts Journal Article
Published: University of Pittsburgh, University Library System Jul2012
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
Description
Summary:Question: What type of liaison program would best utilize both librarians and other library staff to effectively promote library services and resources to campus departments? Setting: The case is an academic medical center library serving a large, diverse campus. Methods: The library implemented a "facilitator model" program to provide personalized service to targeted clients that allowed for maximum staff participation with limited subject familiarity. To determine success, details of liaison-contact interactions and results of liaison and department surveys were reviewed. Results: Liaisons successfully recorded 595 interactions during the program's first 10 months of existence. A significant majority of departmental contact persons (82.5%) indicated they were aware of the liaison program, and 75% indicated they preferred email communication. Conclusion: The "facilitator model" provides a well- defined structure for assigning liaisons to departments or groups; however, training is essential to ensure that liaisons are able to communicate effectively with their clients.