Pragmatic implications of embedded librarianship in academics: a review of eminent literatures
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/LHTN-08-2018-0052 |
| Published date | 01 April 2019 |
| Pages | 11-16 |
| Date | 01 April 2019 |
| Author | Bharati Pati,Sabitri Majhi |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Librarianship/library management,Library technology,Library & information services |
Pragmatic implications of embedded librarianship
in academics: a review of eminent literatures
Bharati Pati and Sabitri Majhi
Introduction
Due to the emergence, quantification
and quality practice of automation,
digitisation, e-learning systems and new
modes of communication between
learners and instructors have declined.
The library as a system has not been left
out or suffered. An extensive
metamorphosis has occurred in the
service delivery schema of an academic
library. The technological growth has put
a question mark on the efficiency of a
librarian. Many predictions have emerged
that the digital age will wipe out the need
for a physical presence of a library
building and permanently end the
centuries-old era of libraries. Instead, the
library is a growing profession with many
opportunities for renovation and
expansion. Abrizah et al. (2016) describe
how “the developments of new digital
information resources and related
economic and administrative changes
have made embedded librarianship
critically important” to academic LIS
professionals. “Reference and user
services librarians are embarking on an
exciting and challenging journey. They’re
getting out of the library and heading for
classrooms, labs, and even tour buses.
They’re embedding themselves with
research groups, faculty members, and
courses” writes Shumaker (2012) in one
of his research articles.
Defining embedded librarianship
The phrase embedded librarianship is
more than just a conceptual term. It
focusses on proactive service delivery
including aspects of librarians as
knowledge managers, information
consultants, blended learning, and new
liaison roles. “Embedding implies that the
group seeking to integrate is experiencing
and observing, as near as possible, the
daily life of the primary group’’ (Dewey,
2005). “A librarian’s physical and
metaphorical location is often what
defines them as embedded” (Drewes and
Hoffman, 2010). Edward, in her doctoral
dissertation mentions, “embedded
librarianship is thoroughly integrated into
the college, department, and courses he/
she serves and provides contextualised
support and instruction”. Embedded
librarianship can be collectively defined
as taking librarians out of the library
building and thus creates a new
operational environment that encourages
a strong collaboration between librarians
and researchers/teaching faculty who
need the involvement of an expert
information provider. In 2012, at the
California Conference on Library
Instruction, Kvenild very nicely depicted
the idea of embedding as “one of the
ways to work outside of traditional
boundaries and to engage with students
and patrons in an authentic way while
gaining understanding of their
information needs”. Shumaker and Talley
(2009) defines embedded librarian as a
“librarian focussed on the needs of one or
more specific groups, building
relationships with these groups,
developing a deep understanding of their
work, and providing information services
that are highly customised and targeted to
their greatest needs”. Isuster et al. (2015)
states embedded librarianship as “the act
of embedding oneself in the population
being served, acting as to achieve a
deeper level of integration within the
group, which requires more direct and
purposeful interaction than acting in
parallel with them”.
Apart from providing a meaningful
definition of Embedded Librarianship, it
becomes essential to identify and
recognise the actions performed library
professionals. “The shared goals can be
collapsed into three major areas,
increased interaction, collaboration, and
integration with the target community”
(O’Toole et al., 2016). Carlson and
Kneale (2011) advocates the deeper
impact of an embedded librarianship
model on research and teaching. Though
there is a huge scope for this model in
special libraries, an academic librarian
may well-explore certain possibilities,
especially in teaching, research and
information literacy. The basic purpose is
to serve the questing user with the right
piece of information precisely and
promptly at the time of need. Wherever
an information need gets fulfilled
proactively by a librarian, there exists the
notion of embedded librarianship. “An
embedded librarian uses a variety of
methods to teach information literacy,
including posting to discussions boards,
linking to course guides and courseware
or other library websites, answering e-
mail questions, providing library
instruction through webinars and chat
sessions, and linking or embedding
tutorials” (Skaggs, 2013). Below is a
summary listing of activities that are
undertaken by embedded librarians:
course/syllabus management
(Kvenild, 2012);
working as liaison librarians in
departments, canteens and
dormitories (Shumaker, 2012);
content management in the Web and
in the intranet of the organisation
(Shumaker and Talley, 2009);
providing information literacy to
users (Hall, 2008);
serving as the core research and
development wing as a reliable
source of information (Carlson and
Kneale, 2011);
providing aid (information) to the
core research groups (Shumaker
and Talley, 2009);
involvement in instructional based
classroom teaching (Andrews, 2015);
conducting seminars and
conferences for various user
groups (O’Toole et al., 2016);
promoting community information
services (Shumaker, 2012);
LIBRARY HITECH NEWS Number 2 2019, pp. 11-16, V
CEmerald Publishing Limited, 0741-9058, DOI 10.1108/LHTN-08-2018-0052 11
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