Prairie Liaison Institute

The Prairie Liaison Institute is a two-day multi-institutional workshop bringing together subject and functional liaisons from the libraries at the University of Illinois, University of Minnesota, and University of Wisconsin. In a highly interactive, discussion-based program, participants will grapple with the impact of rapid technological and societal change on libraries, and the challenge of achieving balance in this critical and dynamic library role. As a result of attending the Institute, participants will:

• Understand the changing nature of higher education and the resulting needs of students, faculty, and researchers.
• Learn how to evaluate and demonstrate their impact on teaching, learning, and research.
• Apply a framework for rebalancing portfolios towards the most high-value and high-impact activities.
• Develop ideas for evolving the liaison job description, ongoing professional development programs, and user engagement strategies to meet campus needs in this changing environment.

Participants will have ample opportunity to network with colleagues performing similar work at other institutions. The Prairie Liaison Institute is modeled on the inaugural Liaison Institute held in summer 2015 at Cornell University, and is part of the ARL Academy’s Reimagining the Library Liaison program.