Poster Board Number: 137
Title: Librarians Outside the Library: A Look at Dealing with Some of the Benefits and Pitfalls
Objective: In line with our objective of supporting our students, faculty, staff, and researchers without being confined to the library space, librarians have established many new connections with faculty and the different health sciences schools. We continue to support our users by providing research and other services, both inside and outside the library building. Support roles include librarians’ participation in providing research support to special classes and groups on campus and joint faculty appointments.
Methods: The service desk was restructured so librarians could work outside the library. Librarians were available for consultations at the service desk. Our visibility outside the library was enhanced by our scholarly circuit librarian program, librarian liaison program to different schools and departments, active participation on campus wide committees (i.e., qualitative research interest group, center for clinical and translational research, the research incubator), and cosponsoring a campus "Research Day" in the library and a "Technology Day."
Results: The librarian role has expanded to co-teaching special classes outside the library, involvement with nonlibrary research endeavors, and health disparities activities. Some librarians now have joint faculty appointments in different health sciences departments, and one serves on the institutional animal care and use committee. Librarians have been able to host lunch-and-learn sessions for the research incubator and presented helpful information to several groups on campus. We have also been invited to sit on accreditation and curriculum committees and coauthored papers with academic faculty that have been presented at nonlibrary conferences. Furthermore, more researchers are seeking help from the library, and they continue to refer others. However, rewarding as these new connections with academic programs are, there are also unique challenges. Communication problems, time challenges, personnel challenges, and balancing roles and responsibilities have surfaced.
Authors: Irene M. Lubker, Research Librarian; Barbara A. Wright, AHIP, Reference Services Librarian; Margaret E. Henderson, Research Services Librarian; Research and Education Services, Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences; Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA