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CDL Resource Liaison Program FAQ For Vendors

What is a CDL Resource Liaison?

The California Digital Library (CDL) licenses many databases and e-journal collections on behalf of the 10 campuses of the University of California. Following our highly collaborative tradition and because we have such a large collection of licensed resources which are used by the entire UC community, we take a distributed approach to the task of keeping abreast of content coverage, technical changes, and other developments related to each resource. Thus, the UC library community appoints, and CDL manages the work of a librarian on one of our ten UC campuses to be the “expert” on each of our resources. These campus experts, called Resource Liaisons, are responsible for a number of ongoing assignments:

  • Monitoring their assigned resource for technical and content performance, including reliability of access, updating of content, and removal and addition of features
  • Identifying desirable enhancements and features
  • Gathering input from other colleagues and end users on all the UC campuses
  • Reviewing online help and educational material and recommending educational activities for the assigned resource
  • Reporting problems to both the vendor and CDL
  • Disseminating information from the vendor to colleagues
  • Making sure usage data is available and current, and is presented in UC’s desired format

As a resource vendor, what can I do to work effectively with my Resource Liaison?

Think of your Resource Liaison as your connection to all the librarians of the University of California who use, teach, and recommend your product. Since Resource Liaisons are responsible for gathering feedback from their colleagues across all our UC campuses, you can expect that the opinions they offer represent the opinions of many knowledgeable librarians. Also keep in mind that the relationship works both ways; your Resource Liaison can be your ally in communicating back to a large number of users.

Make sure your Resource Liaison is aware, ahead of time, of any changes to your product. Make sure they receive all your current product literature and educational materials. Make sure your Resource Liaison is aware of any scheduled maintenance or downtime. Include the Resource Liaison in any user surveys or beta tests.

What response is the Resource Liaison expecting from me?

Resource Liaisons expect that you will respond to them as representatives of the entire University of California. They are empowered to work through problems with you. They expect to be kept up to date on your products and services, and especially on assigned customer representative changes. Include them in all correspondence regarding changes to the resource and/or company.

How can I find out who my Resource Liaison is?

A complete roster of current Resource Liaisons is available at: https://www.cdlib.org/services/collections/licensed/rl/cdl-resource-liaison-roster/. You can also contact the CDL Resource Liaison Coordinator, Holly Eggleston, at holly.eggleston@ucop.edu.

How can I find out more about the Resource Liaison Program?

More information about the CDL Resource Liaison program is available on our web site at https://www.cdlib.org/services/collections/licensed/rl/.

How can I find out more about the California Digital Library and its relationship to the University of California?

More information about CDL is available on our website.