departmentally embedded librarianship as a way to enhance the traditional library liaison program
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Departmentally Embedded Librarianship as a Way to Enhance the Traditional Library Liaisonship Program
By Kathryn L. Waggoner, M.L.S., M.A.T.Senior Librarian
Grand Valley State University
Newman Library at Virginia Tech
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Lesson 1: Don’t be scattered across several buildings.
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Lesson 2: A good location, where people will see you, is important.
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Lesson 3: Adequate space in a consistent location is important.
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Lesson 4: The librarian must actually spend time in the departmental office.
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Lesson 5: Embedded librarians must not be given more than they can handle.
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Lesson 6: There were concerns about librarians “going native.”
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Lesson 7: Embedded librarians need to be somewhat outgoing.
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Advice for starting an embedded librarian program:
Watch out for elitism. Address possible divisiveness right
from the start. Respect all librarians. Choose a department that has an
affinity with the library. Find out what your clientele value.
Hatcher Graduate Library at University of Michigan
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Lesson 1: Don’t be scattered across several buildings.
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Lesson 2: It takes time.
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Lesson 3: Adequate space in a consistent location is important.
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Advice for starting an embedded librarian program: Find departments that have a lot of
instruction needs and an adequate instruction facility.
Find a few faculty who are supportive.
Find innovative, energetic librarians with a subject background.
Think about the field before starting a program.
Advice for starting an embedded librarian program: Choose librarians who can join the life
of the department in a useful way. Make sure the Field Librarian can
teach research methodology in the discipline.
Look at departments with graduate students or faculty who would really avail themselves of a program such as this.
Advice for starting an embedded librarian program: Have trust from the supervisor. It will
not work with micromanagement. It will be easier for a Field Librarian to
cover just one area. It will be easier where a department
may need or want some hand-holding. Choose patient, friendly, flexible
librarians who are comfortable doing outreach and are open to new ideas.
Zumberge Library at Grand Valley State University
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