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Two Yale Librarians Bringing Support Closer to Faculty, Students & Researchers

Ellen Ovenden, MSc | Jun 15, 2026
Ellen Ovenden, MSc | Jun 15 2026

A Yale faculty member recently went to the library looking for books and journals that did not exist. AI had generated the citations.

This story opened the recent JoVE webinar Engaging the Modern Academic Library User, and it exemplifies today’s library-goers: under pressure, short on time, and often turning to tools that promise speed but create new problems instead.

Rather than replacing library expertise, AI is increasing demand for it. Faculty, students, and researchers still need trusted experts who can help evaluate sources, verify information, and navigate complex research workflows.

For library leaders like Yale University’s Janene Batten (Associate Director of Research Engagement) and Gavi Levy Haskell (Associate Director for Computational Methods and Data), this reality has significant practical implications: support needs to be easier to find, easier to understand, and easier to use.

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How Yale Makes Support Easier to Reach

Modern librarians need a realistic view of what faculty, students, and researchers are dealing with. People want efficiency. They don’t have time to figure out which team does what. They work across departments, across tools, and often away from campus.

Some need video calls. Some need email. Some need help in their own building. Some need a trusted person who can help them make sense of the question before solving it.

  • ▪️ Treat old skills and resources as current solutions.
    The speakers made a strong point here. Many newer needs still call for familiar library skills: clarifying conversations, information literacy, literature searching, evidence synthesis, and field knowledge that helps users get past weak AI results. The tools may have changed, but the need for expert guidance has not.
  • ▪️ Go to people where they already work.
    Yale places support where demand is highest instead of expecting people to come find it. Statistical consultants work at the Yale Medical Campus. Science and social science librarians spend time in academic buildings, reducing the distance between researchers and support services. Consultations are also available on Zoom.
  • ▪️ Reduce friction behind the scenes.
    People should not have to decode the library’s structure to get help. Yale uses partnerships, warm handoffs, and a centralized consultation form to connect users with the right expertise faster and with less repetition. This approach saves time, lowers frustration, and makes the library feel easier to navigate.
  • ▪️ Keep support human.
    One of the clearest messages in the session was that people want “a comfortable conversation” with someone who can help. That matters more now, not less. When faculty, students, and researchers feel comfortable asking for help early, the library can prevent wasted time, weak sources, and avoidable research mistakes.
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Key Takeaway

The Yale webinar session positions librarians as more than resource stewards. They are connectors, translators, and trusted guides who help faculty, students, and researchers move through complex academic workflows with less confusion and less wasted time.

As research workflows become more complex and AI reshapes information seeking, libraries that make expertise easy to find may be better positioned to support their communities.

Learn how JoVE helps libraries extend this support through visual learning and research resources.

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