Welcome to the University Libraries!

As an individual faculty member or graduate student we invite you to contact the Bibliographer from your chosen department should you anticipate the need for information literacy support in your class, want to share or learn about relevant collections, need consultation on your research project, need particular subject assistance, or should you wish to strengthen your research skills with a particular database. We participate in several library services and can act as liaisons for you within The Libraries.

What is a Bibliographer/Subject Specialist?

Bibliographers serve as liaisons for academic departments partnering to support teaching and student research processes by responding to requests for information and services. A Bibliographer is a subject specialist who has in in-depth knowledge and expertise in particular subjects. Bibliographers carefully build, maintain, and promote library collections to support the evolving curriculum and research profiles of each academic department. We offer consultation at the reference desk, by appointment, and through course integrated information literacy instruction. We welcome and respond to your requests and recommendations for specific library resources. Your subject specialists: http://library.albany.edu/subject/leaders/bibs/

We Offer Support To:

• Teach course-specific library instruction sessions and information literacy concepts
• Advise on assignments involving library or Internet research
• Consult on research to refine and focus research topics either in a one-on-one sessions
• Learn search strategies for bibliographic or full text journal databases
• Develop successful search strategies and identify appropriate sources for academic research projects and assignments.
• Locate resources for literature reviews, find government information and statistical, geospatial and other data sets
• Strategize on assignments with a significant library research component. The bibliographer can suggest ways to make the assignment run more smoothly and make it an even more useful experience for your students.
• Share relevant general subject guides or course-specific web pages
• Order course relevant books, films, music, or other media resources
• Foster communication and collaboration between the University Libraries and the University at Albany faculty and students.
• Update developments in scholarly communications and emerging opportunities for better access to scholarly information.
  

Why We Need Your Collaboration

We invite your ideas and suggestions on how to be better informed about your specific research and teaching needs. We strive to build diverse collections, and offer consultation and assistance to find them. Our goals are to collaborate on curriculum and research support; to make available the resources you need; to build confidence in finding the resources we have provided, to know if our users have ease or difficulty in finding resources.

• Let your bibliographer know if there are activities that the Libraries could undertake to address teaching or research needs. Offer ideas to enhance outreach through the University Library Website
• Inform your bibliographer of ways to enhance the Libraries' collections.
• Tell your students about us, so that we can learn about their needs. Students are not always aware of the role that librarians have at a university, and they may have anxiety about approaching the reference desks in the Libraries for assistance with a research assignment.