Lizzie Cope
ORCID: 0000-0003-4800-103X
Assistant Professor and Assessment Projects Librarian
University of Tennessee Knoxville Libraries

Luke McDonald
ORCID: 0009-0009-8832-3296
Assistant Professor and Electronic Resources Librarian
University of Tennessee Knoxville Libraries

Alexander Harriman
ORCID: 0000-0003-3809-1588
Collections Data Analyst
University of Tennessee Knoxville Libraries

Kat Brooks
ORCID: 0000-0003-0568-5179
Assistant Professor and Collections Strategist
University of Tennessee Knoxville Libraries

Abstract

Subject librarians, also called subject liaisons, liaison librarians, and subject specialists, have seen many changes through the years at academic libraries. Subject librarians face a new world of functional expertise and data driven decision making. Twelve subject librarians at an academic library were interviewed to uncover how they perceive themselves in the development and maintenance of library collections. Overall, findings suggest that while they recognize the support and collaboration available from technical services staff, they feel undervalued by the library at large. Misalignment, inconsistent communication and professional isolation are found to contribute toward feelings of distrust in leadership and frame the perception of collaboration between units within the library.

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