Departmental Library Representatives remit

Departmental library representatives play a crucial role in terms of communication between Information Services (IS) and Academic departments. They are the first point of contact on matters relating to resource development and acquisitions and Information skills training within the department. Each department is asked by IS to nominate a member of staff (this can be an academic or administrative staff) to act as a liaison between the department and the library. The specific duties the reps perform vary from department to department but on the whole includes the following:

Communication

1. Act as the main point of contact between the department and the library
2. Communicate library information to staff and students in the department and vice versa or recommend another to do so, as appropriate.
3. Provide information to new colleagues on matters relevant to the library, and organizing an introduction to the subject librarian in the Academic Engagement Team.
4. Meet regularly with the subject librarian and develop a dialogue to help the librarian best meet the departments’ specific library and information needs over time

Collection development

5. Have overall responsibility for the discretionary book fund for the department ensuring it is committed in a timely manner for each academic year.
6. Liaise with the library for effective collection development at a disciplinary level.
7. Coordinate annual review of journal and database subscriptions for the department.
8. Act as liaison together with the HoD over new requests for journals and other recurrent information sources.

Information literacy training

9. Ensure that all new students are aware of, and encouraged to attend a library induction tour / other library induction activity including online.
10. Work with the library and academic staff to embed Information Literacy training within each curriculum in the department.
11. Promote Information Literacy development in the department.
12. Arrange library refreshers to keep staff up to date with changes to services and resources.

Student satisfaction

13. Attend Staff and Student Consultative Committees to monitor student satisfaction with library services and resources, and actions taken by the subject librarian to follow up individual issues raised by students.
14. Represent the views and opinions of staff and students in the department to the library for the development and improvement of effective library services to enhance the student learning experience, and improve services to staff within the department.
15. Maintain oversight and liaise with the subject librarian regarding actions resulting from  student-led working groups in departments.

This Policy is maintained by Information Services, was last reviewed in May 2023 and is due for review in May 2024.