by Barrett Jones with commentary by Jean Graef (in blue text)

March, 2006

Business units in most organizations are dependent, at least in part, on a centralized IT staff to provide and maintain the electronic tools they use every day. For some, the relationship is so important that a full-time staff member in the business unit is assigned as an IT liaison. This person typically helps select new software, writes functional specifications for new features, supervises user testing, conducts training sessions, and troubleshoots problems. He or she may also participate in a policy-setting group that makes decisions about security, data quality, compliance, editorial standards, and other information-related issues.

A good IT liaison person can help to increase productivity, leverage the organization's investment in computer hardware and software, and spearhead innovations that make the organization more competitive. In this article, Barrett Jones, a library systems analyst from the IMF-World Bank Library, shares tips from his experience in four areas:

• communication;
• education;
• vendor support;
• strategy.

About the IMF-World Bank Library
The IMF-World Bank Library is a network of 11 libraries and resource centers serving the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund. It offers research services, consulting, procurement of information products, content organization, and document delivery that spans the full spectrum of Bank and Fund business. It has 43 professional librarians, 53 support staff and about 20 vendor staff.

All of our libraries depend on the work of IT help desk professionals, developers, programmers, and systems administrators. If we have a poor relationship with the IT department, the whole library network organization suffers. Sometimes finances, distance, or organizational hierarchies can block progress. But in any situation where human beings are involved, there is the opportunity for change. I have used the techniques below with some success.

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Created on April 5, 2006 l Updated on November 3, 2006