Library liaison with non-academic units: a new application for a traditional model

Abstract

This paper suggests that traditional models of liaison librarianship, which focus on liaison with academic units such as teaching departments and specific colleges within institutions, should be adapted and then expanded to include nonacademic units as well. Although the literature demonstrates that understandings of liaison work have evolved, it still contains almost no examples of how to extend library liaison beyond traditional academic units in a systematic way. As a result, existing liaison programs are too narrowly conceived, and the strengths of the liaison model are not being fully exploited. By adapting the structures in place to support traditional liaison, such programs can be expanded to include nonacademic units as well. As a result, libraries gain opportunities for broader collaboration on campus. Suggestions for identifying targets for formal nonacademic liaison are provided, as are guidelines for determining suitable liaison activities and ensuring administrative support within the library.