Beyond the subject-based liaison model: Reimagining academic librarianship through mission-based functional specialisation

The changing landscape of higher education, characterised by interdisciplinary research, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, open science, evolving scholarly communication practices, and increasing demands for strategic institutional support, is challenging traditional models of liaison librarianship. The conventional subject-based liaison model, while valuable for disciplinary engagement and relationship building, may be insufficient for addressing emerging information, research, teaching, and technology-related needs that transcend academic subject boundaries. This opinion paper reimagines liaison librarianship by advancing a transition from predominantly subject-based specialisation toward mission-based functional specialisation in academic libraries. Drawing on recent literature on the evolving roles and competencies of academic librarians, the paper argues that specialist expertise should increasingly be organised around strategic institutional and scholarly functions such as research data management, scholarly communication, artificial intelligence, digital scholarship, research impact, open science, and information literacy. The paper proposes a hybrid model that retains the relationship-building strengths of subject liaison librarianship while integrating cross-disciplinary functional specialists aligned with institutional missions and emerging scholarly needs. The proposed approach has the potential to enhance institutional alignment, optimise professional expertise, strengthen research and teaching support, and improve the strategic visibility of academic libraries. However, challenges relating to disciplinary knowledge, role ambiguity, organisational resistance, and resource limitations must be addressed. The paper concludes that mission-based functional specialisation should not be viewed as the replacement of subject liaison librarianship, but as its strategic renewal for a more interdisciplinary, technology-driven, and research-intensive academic environment.