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The embedded librarian
- 1. The Embedded Librarian David D. Oberhelman Research & Learning Services Oklahoma State University Library
- 2. From guardians at the gate… Source: Michael Harry Lyndberg, History of the New York Public Library, 1916, public domain, http://en.Wikipedia.org
- 3. To strange (or perfect) bedfellows Public domain under Creative Commons CC0 license
- 4. Why did librarians become embedded? • “Embedded journalists” of Iraq War • In libraries, the special librarian (or branch librarian) model • Changes in patron use – fewer coming to reference desk with resarch questions, more remote/virtual users • Greater emphasis on reference librarians as subject specialists and partners with faculty in teaching
- 5. What is an “embedded librarian”? • “Embedded librarian programs often locate librarians involved in the spaces of their users and colleagues, either physically or through technology, in order to become a part of their users’ culture. A librarian’s physical and metaphorical location is often what defines them as embedded.” (Drewes & Hoffman, 2010) • Embedded librarian “becomes a member of the customer community rather than a service provider standing apart” (Shumaker, 2009)
- 6. What embedded librarians do: • Change in the “old” model of reference librarian to embedded liaison librarian • Go to patrons rather than have patrons come to them • Consultation time/office hours for research assistance • Alternate means of consultation (email, chat, Skype, etc.) • Integrate more into the life of the academic department • Market the library and its services to patrons (in-person, email, blogs, newsletters, etc.) • Participate in departmental events, serve on committees, etc.
- 7. More of what embedded librarians do • Enhanced instruction/embed in courses (flipped instruction, collaborative teaching, etc.) • Embed in research process (work on grants, co-investigator, etc.) • Prepare research guides (LibGuides), support pages, etc. • Offer support in new areas such as data management, altmetrics, scholarly communication, OERs, etc. • Personalized library service • Move out of comfort zone… and move out of the library
- 8. What we no longer do • Reference desk staffing • Graduate assistants staff desk • Some on-call shifts with librarians • Make referrals to subject liaisons • Collection development (or do less collection development) • Smaller book budgets • Still take requests • Patron Driven Acquisitions (PDA)—just in time vs. just in case • Expand approval plan • First-year instruction (comp, orientation courses) • Undergraduate Services Librarian, First-Year Experience Librarian, GAs • Liaisons do upper-division and graduate classes • Expect patrons to come to us
- 9. Embedding with OSU English Department
- 10. Becoming a part of your department • Departmental meetings • One-on-one faculty visits (esp. targeting new faculty) • Meet with the students/student organizations • Making self a presence in the department/building • Work on in-depth research questions beyond simple reference questions • Database support, research guides, etc. • Build personal relationships
- 11. Consultation space in English building Morrill Hall Office. Photo by David Oberhelman
- 12. History consultation space (new) Murray Hall Office. Photo by David Oberhelman
- 13. OSU Writing Center consultation time OSU Writing Center. Photo used with permission
- 14. Writing Center publicity OSU Writing Center librarian ad. Photo by David Oberhelman
- 15. Writing Center patrons I serve • Students receiving tutoring (tutor referrals for research assistance with databases, citation help, etc.) • Writing Center tutors (i.e., English graduate students) with their own research needs • Other patrons from English or different departments with which I work (using appointment scheduler)
- 16. Graduate Research & Writing Lab (GRWL) • Joint venture between OSU Library and Writing Center pairing writing tutors and subject librarians aimed at graduate students • Evenings 5-8pm • Different subject focus nights; I work the humanities or social sciences/humanities nights • Marketed to graduate students via liaisons and our Graduate Services Director • Mixed traffic, not as much for librarian, but good way to promote library and services to graduate students
- 17. Gather stats and data on consultations • Document all consultation sessions (location, duration, format, patron type, general info on topic, resources consulted) • Quantitative and qualitative (feedback, evaluations, etc.) • Compile in format easy for you to consult (Excel, LibAnalytics, etc.) • Data on other embedded activities (instruction, workshops, faculty meetings, etc.) • Gather data on whole RLS Division to measure individual and group impact
- 18. LibAnalytics report on consultation
- 19. Course embedding
- 20. Course projects (digital humanities projects) • ENGL 4723 Shakespeare and History course, Fall 2014 – Student groups create online guide to Holinshed’s Chronicles, source of Shakespeare’s history plays, which we have in OSU Special Collections/University Archives • Co-authoring book chapter for ACRL volume on subject librarian/special collections collaborations • ENGL 4120 17th Century Poetry, Fall 2015 – Student groups create online guide to a commonplace book compiled by Elizabeth Newell in Yale’s Beineke Library • Students discovered Newell had transcribed poetry by other authors • Professor has journal article forthcoming in The Library (Oxford UP)
- 21. OkstateShakespeare project on Shakespeare & Holinshed’s Chronicles ENGL 4723 site, Fall 2014. Photo by David Oberhelman
- 22. Newell Poems project site ENGL 4120 site, Fall 2015. Photo by David Oberhelman
- 23. Showcase for the Shakespeare class project ENGL 4723 digital showcase ad. Photo by David Oberhelman
- 24. Showcase – Holinshed volumes ENGL 4723 showcase. Photo by David Oberhelman
- 25. Showcase – students showing their webpages ENGL 4120 showcase. Photo by David Oberhelman
- 26. Other courses: ENGL 4320 Contemporary African American Fiction print history projects Source: AbeBooks, fair use, http://en.wikipedia.org
- 27. Other considerations and impact
- 28. Other embedded activities as assigned • Help organize English Dept. book readings/lectures in the library • Serve as moderator for English graduate student conference • Invite faculty to speak at meetings/conferences • Assist faculty with special projects: • Collection of 17th century books needing preservation • Working with TESL professor/graduate students creating OER for international composition class • Dissertation reading and feedback • Help soothe “sore spots” and catch problems early
- 29. Embedding in multiple departments • Triage: what are their needs (research, materials, services, programs)? • Spreading out time • Music: Noon Concert Series • History: • Great War and Its Legacy lecture series • Earlier grant-funded programming series • Starting embedded consultation time in History building
- 30. Benefits of embedding • Facilitates communication between library and patrons/departments • Library more up-to-date on research and teaching needs in departments • Enhances role of the library as in research and learning across campus • Builds sense of collegiality between librarian and faculty • Makes future partnerships with campus units possible • Demonstrates the value of the academic library (people & collections)
- 31. Other library settings • Public libraries • Community engagement • Librarians embed in community groups and centers for remote services • Collaborate on projects, programs, etc. • School libraries • Work with teachers/classes • Projects and other collaborative efforts
- 32. Bibliography Blake, Lindsay, Kim Mears, Kathy Davies, Darra Ballance, Peter Shipman, Maryska Connolly-Brown, and Julie K. Gaines. ‘Adapting an Embedded Model of Librarianship, College by College’. Medical Reference Services Quarterly 33, no. 3 (July 2014): 264–77. doi:10.1080/02763869.2014.925668. Campbell, Lisa, Diana Matthews, and Nance Lempinen-Leedy. ‘Wake up Information Literacy Instruction: Ideas for Student Engagement’. Journal of Library Administration 55, no. 7 (September 21, 2015): 577–86. doi:10.1080/01930826.2015.1076313. Coltrain, Mark. ‘Growing Embedded Librarians like Kudzu: How the Embedded Extension Service Creates More Embedded Librarians without Creating New Positions’. Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning 8, no. 3-4 (October 2, 2014): 204–15. doi:10.1080/1533290x.2014.945835. Drewes, Kathy and Nadine Hoffman. ‘Academic Embedded Librarianship: An Introduction’. Public Services Quarterly 6, no. 2-3 (September 14, 2010): 75–82. doi:10.1080/15228959.2010.498773. L. Hall, Susan and Derek Hunter Marshall. ‘Embedded Librarianship in Branch Settings: Customizing Liaison Services’. New Library World 115, no. 11/12 (November 5, 2014): 508–14. doi:10.1108/nlw-04-2014-0045. Leonard, Elizabeth and Erin McCaffrey, eds. Virtually Embedded: The Librarian in an Online Environment. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2013. Morrow, Debbie. ‘Becoming a Liaison Librarian.’ College & Research Libraries News 77, no. 1 (January 2016): 38–39. Shumaker, David. ‘Who Let the Librarians out? Embedded Librarianship and the Library Manager’. Reference & User Services Quarterly 43, no. 2 (2009): 239–42,257.
- 33. Changes are occurring, but remember… KEEP CALM AND EMBED ON!