2016 Charleston Library Conference

For the past two years, we have led very lively lunchtime conversations about a topic on the minds of many academic librarians: the changing role of the liaison librarian in the 21st century, and the approaches taken by our various institutions to address these changes. This year, we'll continue the conversation by focusing on one of the thorniest aspects of this re-visioning: collection development. Participants will be invited to share their perspectives, and group comments will guide the conversation. Framing the discussion will be several questions. As liaison librarians shift their energies to more outward-facing engagement and focus on the development and delivery of new services, what has happened to their traditional roles as architects of collections? How successful are we in molding our collections to the contours of our libraries in light of the ever-changing horizon? How exactly do we define "collections as service" in this new landscape? What kinds of expertise are needed for today's liaison librarian? And what does it mean to be a subject specialist if the actual choice of materials is guided by outside forces? Join us to share perspectives on these and other questions as we continue to work together to explore, assess, and re-imagine the role of the academic liaison.