Maybe revenge is a strong word, but I have been waiting to talk more about librarian-academic integration all semester. Matos and his team brought forward the idea of the "embedded librarian in their article, "The Embedded Librarian Online or Face-to Face." In this article, two librarians shared their first-hand experience as librarians embedded within academic departments, to varying degrees of success and using various methods to reach the communities. The article also referenced an embedded history librarian who ultimately did not succeed in becoming effectively embedded in the community. The article emphasized the need for good relationships in the department; the music librarian had an excellent rapport with faculty and staff, and was able to build collaborative relationships and host successful office hours and presentations. The history librarian's failure was attributed to an inability to effectively build collaborative relationships or reach out to the student community.
While this article nicely illustrated anecdotal evidence that embedded librarians can be effective, I was disappointed that it didn't push back more on the story of the history librarian. What could they have done differently? How can librarians facing a "tough crowd" overcome the obstacles and build a place for themselves in the community? Certainly history students need embedded librarians as much as music students do, even if they don't realize the full advantages one will bring to them.
This reminds me of the struggle many school librarians have faced building collaborative relationships with teachers. I see a parallel in a lot of non "classroom teachers"-- one of my best friends is an absolutely fantastic special education teacher who struggles to lure her colleagues to collaborate with her to help students. It's why many school librarians have worked relentlessly to emphasize the fact that they are credentialed teachers.
What can "classroom-less" teacher/academic-librarians do to represent their collaborative relationship as a foundational need?
Online representation can help, especially when there isn't enough space in the department (or the teaching schedule). But I think it's essential to use that online space effectively. Professors might feel more comfortable assigning interactive webinars as supplemental course material rather than having a library session during class time, or planning a full class themselves. And when librarians have that opportunity, I think they have an obligation to sell their services as much as possible.
Many librarians may feel uncomfortable as salespeople, but if we are really serious about fighting for relevancy, making our services as comfortable as possible for users is important. It is a huge obstacle for many users, teachers and professors included, to ask for help. To open themselves up to not being in control. To trust another person to do a good job helping them represent themselves. Academia in general makes everyone feel vulnerable. Librarians have great opportunities to truly serve and invite people into a world of information.
This is why I want to become a librarian, and why I had such a fun time last week co-leading our one-shot workshop. I really enjoyed being able to bring new information to participants, to hopefully build on their professional skills to help them represent themselves with a wide set of skills.
I was a little disappointed with the webinar I viewed; the librarians weren't selling it. They used the technology ineffectively, grew uncomfortable with the interactive elements, and ultimately didn't tell me much.
I know this is a little preachy and one-sided, and that people are bringing a lot of different skill sets to libraries, and certainly we shouldn't make the library seem like a used car lot. But I do think that public engagement is one of the things that is going to cement librarian's role in the future. We could do well to learn from people who are able to catch people's attention. In a non comb-over, sleazy way. Unless you're into that kind of thing.
I think it is interesting that one of the biggest factors that influenced the relevancy of an embedded librarian had nothing to do with the number databases he had mastered but had everything to do with social skills. That is such an ENORMOUS part of our job, but there are very few classes that I have taken at SI which really try to hone those social sensibilities. We are working with the public and for the public, and I relish those classroom opportunities, like the one-shot-workshops, which allow us to practice those important skills in a safe environment and get feedback from our peers.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about librarians selling their services and that public engagement is central to the librarian's role. I recommend the webinar that I watched called Marketing: Librarians as Search Experts (found here: https://sites.google.com/site/gwebsearcheducation/webinars) It talked about a workshop that these librarians had put on called Google Like a Librarian. The talked a lot about marketing librarians in a new light. They had a number of really thoughtful points to make about the role of librarians in web searching.
ReplyDeleteMarketing, marketing, marketing! That's perhaps the topic that I've spent the most unexpected time thinking about in library school. It's absolutely true that we have to do a better job of showing what libraries can offer if we want to retain public support, which is vital in these economic times. Poor marketing and lack of public awareness is maybe even a bigger problem in archives than it is in libraries, which really distresses me as I want to start a career as an archivist. I think librarians and archivists have always been people-centered, but it's always been about the people coming to us and serving them then. We really have to shift to a perspective of how to get involved with "the people" (whoever our audience is); a proactive rather than reactive approach. If we show what we have to offer, and do it carefully, people will come.
ReplyDeleteA lot of libraries and archives could really use a good PR or communications director, but can't afford hiring one or justify that hiring to funding authorities. So librarians are going to have to step up and fill that void.