"Librarian for hire": contracting a librarian's services to external departments

In a time of financial constraints, Harvard Medical School's Countway Library has found a way to acquire additional funding to expand its services while integrating librarians further into the medical school organization. This paper describes the contractual arrangement between the library and a medical school department and shows how a professional librarian can be integrated into the institutional environment and take on new roles that are both meaningful and satisfying. As liaison to the curriculum development department of the medical school, the librarian was involved in curriculum planning, software support, and computing facility support. Increased understanding and cooperation has evolved between the contracting departments, and the problems encountered by the liaison have been minor. The contractual arrangement was not only successful but also provided a model for future outreach projects.