Social Network Analysis of Liaison Librarian Relationships

Abstract

This study employs social network analysis (SNA) to visualize the relationships
between liaison librarians and faculty at a university library. To enhance targeted
outreach and support library engagement, this research aims to identify strong
and weak departmental ties, liaisons who are central to the network, and strongly
connected faculty. Findings reveal that longer-tenured liaisons generally maintain
stronger connections, while active participation in campus activities enhances
relationship-building. The results underscore the significance of fostering long-term
institutional ties and suggest targeted outreach for departments with weaker connections.
Future research could broaden the scope by including data from other
library staff, exploring undirected networks, and cross-institutional comparisons