What is the Personal Librarian Program?

The Personal Librarian Program provides enhanced personal library support to Merrimack College's Higher Education and Community Engagement School of Education Masters' students.  Each student is matched to an instruction/liaison librarian:                                                          

The program's goals are three-fold:  1) to increase awareness of library resources and services; 2) to foster connection; 3) to save students' time. 

See next tab for program goals and desired outcomes.

How does the program work?

McQuade Library's Personal Librarian (PL) program matches incoming HE and CE Master's students with a librarian who will communicate and establish a relationship with them over their time in the program.  New students will meet  their personal librarian in July during orientation.  Your PL will email you a few times throughout the year, keeping you posted about relevant library services and resources available to you. 

You are strongly encouraged to email your PL with any questions you may have about McQuade Library, research strategies, interlibrary loan, and more.

How often you contact your PL is entirely up to you. 

How can my personal librarian help me?

We are here to offer friendly guidance, and we want to help you feel comfortable and confident during your time at Merrimack College.  We can: 

• Answer your questions about how to use McQuade Library services, such as finding course reserves, making research appointments, requesting material from other libraries, and  much more 
   
• Assist you with assignments and papers (including but not limited to your capstone experience) by helping you to find books and articles on your topic, and helping you develop effective search strategies and practices
   
• Save you time by showing you how to efficiently and effectively navigate the wealth of resources provided by McQuade Library and beyond
   
• Increase your academic confidence by demystifying research skills, and decoding library jargon
   
• Share our own on-the-job experiences as information professionals in an academic library.

How can you help us?  

We welcome your feedback to help us improve the program.  Email Lyena Chavez with your comments and suggestions.  We look forward to working with you!

We acknowledge the fabulous work of librarians at Yale University Library and University of Toronto Libraries whose materials have helped to inform McQuade's PL Program.

*This program directly supports the Agenda for Distinction by providing specialized information literacy training to specific groups in order to provide support and individualized attention that is signature to the Merrimack experience. (Goal #1, obj. 6, goal #4, obj. 5).