Business Liaison Collaboration: A Case Study

The academic library has always been known as a place to go for a book, journal article, or item on reserve. During the past decade the format of these sources has changed from primarily print resources to a mix of print and electronic. Traditional resources and services have expanded to become electronically available from one’s desktop. Accessing online scholarly materials is challenging for both the librarian and faculty member. But while the tools of scholarly research have changed, the need for library instruction remains: “Since most faculty find it difficult to keep up with the rapid growth in electronic information sources, instructional librarians need to instruct both students and faculty about these new sources.” [1] Just as the tools have changed, instruction has expanded to include collaboration between librarians and faculty. As the role of the librarian has evolved to support the learning environment, collaboration has emerged as a key element in liaison relationships with faculty. The Business Liaison Team at the University of Louisville Libraries collaborated with College of Business and Public Administration faculty to offer a new series of workshops called Research Refreshers, designed to highlight specific electronic resources and demonstrate how to effectively use them