Expectations, realities, and perceptions of subject specialist librarians' duties in medium-sized academic libraries

Journal of Academic Librarianship

Volumn 31, Issue 1, 2005, Pages 19-28

  McAbee, Sonja L ^a   Graham, John Bauer ^a  

^a JACKSONVILLE STATE UNIVERSITY   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 13444267355     PISSN: 00991333     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.acalib.2004.09.006     Document Type: Article

References (17)

1. The ALA Glossary of Library and Information Science Ed. Heartsill Young 1983 American Library Association Chicago, IL 220
2. Josephine Z. Kibbee "Organizing, Delivering, and Managing Reference Services" In Richard E. Bopp Linda C. Smith, Reference and Information Services: An Introduction 3rd ed. 2001 Libraries Unlimited Englewood, CO 268-269
3. Ibid 268
4. Ibid 269
5. William L. Whitson "Differentiated Service: A New Reference Model" Journal of Academic Librarianship 21 March 1995 103-110
6. Rodwell, John, "Dinosaur or dynamo?" The Future for the Subject Specialist Reference Librarian. New Library World 102 (2001): 48-52. Whether a reference librarian needs a good subject background to provide a quality service, or can rely upon generic professional skills, is an old debate. However, it is sharpened once again by the emerging changes in reference services in the digital environment, in particular sophisticated end-user access to information resources. Already in recent years subject expertise, which is not the same as subject knowledge, has been somewhat overshadowed in the recruitment and training of librarians by requirements for advanced technological and other, for example, training, skills. However amongst the wide range of skills and knowledge required by current practice in reference, and especially for the future roles envisaged for librarians, are an understanding of specific client needs and information sources, which constitute the traditional strengths of subject specialists.
7. Ibid p.48-49
8. Beverly P. Lynch Kimberley Robles Smith "The Changing Nature of Work in Academic Libraries" College and Research Libraries 61 September 2001 414-415
9. Whitson, 103
10. Marilyn Searson Lary "Academic Reference Staffing for the Twenty-First Century" ed. Elmus E. Williams D. Edward in Advances in Library Administration and Organization vol. 14 1996 JAI Press Garten Greenwich, CT 197
11. Donald G. Frank Elizabeth A. Howell "Information Consulting in Academe" Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science 2003 Marcel Dekker New York 1294-1299
12. Rebecca Schreiner-Robles Malcolm Germann "Workload of Reference-Bibliographers in Medium-sized Academic Libraries" RQ 29 Fall 1989 82-91
13. I b i d.
14. Lary, 202
15. Anthony W. Ferguson John R. Taylor "What Are You Doing?" An Analysis of Activities of Public Services Librarians at a Medium-Sized Research Library Journal of Academic Librarianship 6 March 1980 29
16. National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Home Page, Academic Library Peer Comparison Tool (http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/libraries/academicpeer/)
17. I b i d.