by Sara Baron, Ed.D., Dean of the University Library
On the 2015 Customer Satisfaction Survey (CSS), we received several comments from students who are not sure where to turn with discipline-specific research problems. Here are two sample remarks:
- “[The reference service] was somewhat helpful, but I think I kept asking librarians for source advice in subjects they weren’t as familiar with.”
- “[Just] like students have an academic adviser, give each student an academic librarian that they can go to for help on particularly difficult projects, so they have a friend at the library.”
- Yes, you have a friend at the Library. For each discipline at Regent, there is a Library Liaison who specializes in research in that subject and can help you find the best possible information for your projects. See the table below to find the research specialist in your discipline. Feel free to contact them directly or request help through our Ask a Librarian page. Whether student or faculty, your Library liaisons are standing by to help you succeed at Regent.
Students:
Research has shown that students with a GPA of 3.5 and higher frequently state that working with a librarian has helped them succeed.1 Library liaisons will:
- Save you time by directing you to the best resources.
- Meet with you online (Skype or Google Hangouts), over the phone, or in person.
- Help you develop information finding and evaluating skills that will serve you well in your academic and professional careers.Faculty:
Are you aware of the services your Library liaisons provide? These include:
- Acquiring resources for your research and classes.
- Developing research guides for your courses, or even a particular assignment, such as a big research project.
- Teaching your students research skills in your classroom, in the Library, or online.
- Helping you embed Library tools into your Blackboard courses.
- Libraries and the Academy found that university faculty consider four functions of their libraries’ liaison program to be especially important:2
- Communicating with teaching faculty.
- Providing library services.
- Responding to faculty requests.
- Providing research expertise in the discipline.
Regent University Library Liaison Responsibilities for Instruction, Developing Research Guides, and Collection Development – 2014-2015:
Disciplines (Undergraduate & Graduate) |
Library Faculty |
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Business & Leadership Business Administration, Organizational Leadership, Strategic Leadership, Business, Leadership Studies, Economics |
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Communication Communication, Cinema-TV, Journalism, Theatre, Animation |
Instruction & Research Guides |
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Divinity Practical Theology, Theological Studies, Divinity, Ministry, Renewal Studies, Biblical and Theological Studies, Christian Ministry, Theology, Youth Ministry |
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Education All programs, including: Curriculum & Instruction (including Curriculum Collection), School Administration, Higher Education, English Secondary Education, Interdisciplinary Studies (PreK-6 teacher licensure), Math Secondary Education |
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English
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Foreign LanguagesStudies Hispanic Studies, French & Spanish |
Instruction |
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Government Government, Public Administration, International Studies, American Government & Politics, Homeland & International Security, International Relations & Foreign Policy, Political Philosophy |
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History
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Information Systems Technology, Mathematics, Biophysical Sciences |
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Psychology & Counseling Human Services Counseling, Psychology, Criminal Justice |
Instruction & Research Guides PsycCoun- Sandy Yaegle |
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1Steven Bell, “Keep Them Enrolled: How Academic Libraries Contribute to Student Retention,” Library Issues, 29, no. 1 (2008), http://www.libraryissues.com/sub/PDF2901Sep2008.pdf.
2Julie Arendt and Megan Lotts, “What Liaisons Say about Themselves and What Faculty Say about Their Liaisons, a U.S. Survey,” Libraries and the Academy12, no. 2 (2012), http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/portal_libraries_and_the_academy/v01212.2.arendt.html.