Assessing a Long-Standing Health Sciences Liaison Librarian Program

Objectives: The health sciences library at the University of Florida has operated a liaison program since 1998, with each health-related college or department assigned a liaison librarian as their primary point of contact for library and information services. An extensive assessment of this service model took place in 2003; the current study provides an update to this previous work, using similar data collection tools. This is part of ongoing efforts to periodically request input from faculty, students, and staff about their information needs and whether library personnel and services are meeting them. Such input is used to improve library services and the user experience.

Methods: A team of librarians updated the two surveys from the 2003 assessment: one for the health science faculty, students, and staff that our library serves (patron survey) and one for our liaison librarians (librarian survey). The surveys were tested by members of a cross-disciplinary committee in the health sciences and by librarians at the campus science library, respectively. The patron survey consists of 13 questions about participants’ experiences and preferences related to liaison services and 6 demographic questions. The librarian survey consists of 20 questions about experiences offering liaison services and needed supports from library administration. The patron survey will be distributed via email by librarians posting to departmental and college email lists and links on the library website and Facebook page. The librarian survey will be distributed via e-mail list to all liaison librarians in the health sciences library.

Results: The modified survey instruments were submitted to and approved as exempt by the IRB02 (Behavioral/NonMedical Institutional Review Board). Health sciences faculty and science librarians pilot tested the surveys and provided feedback; minor revisions were made and resubmitted to the IRB for review. The surveys are currently being distributed and will be open for responses throughout the remainder of the fall semester.

Conclusions: The team expects that survey responses will yield valuable insights into how effectively our liaison librarian services meet the needs of patrons, from the perspectives of those patrons and the liaison librarians themselves. Results will guide any future changes to liaison librarian services at our institution.