Embedded Librarianship in Online Learning
Environments
Elizabeth LieutenantThe Catholic University of AmericaLSC-555: Final Project Presentation
December 4, 2013
What is Embedded
Librarianship?
• The integration of librarians and library services within an organizational unit, department, or team
• Embedded librarians work in hospitals, corporations, higher education institutions, law firms, and public service settings
• Embedded librarians are coequal partners within a team, not just service providers
Embedded Academic
LibrariansEmbedded librarians in higher education institutions work with faculty to support student research and meet stated learning goals.
This can be achieved by librarians teaching multiple information literacy instruction sessions to the same class, and physically locating librarians within departmental confines and campus branch libraries.
Where do academic librarians “meet” online & distance learners?
In their online learning environment!
Online Learning
EnvironmentsCourse Management Systems
• Blackboard, Moodle, Desire2Learn, Sakai
Synchronous Class Sessions• Adobe Connect, Citrix GotoMeeting, Skype
Collaborative Learning Platforms• Wikis, Blogs, Discussion Forums
Embedded librarians can engage their students in so many ways
Need for Embedded
Librarianship in Online
Learning EnvironmentsAssociation of College & Research Libraries Standards for Distance Learning Library Services
• Members of the distance learning community…must therefore be provided effective and appropriate library services & resources
• Library services offered to the distance learning community must be designed to meet a wide range of informational, instructional, and user needs, and should provide some form of direct user access to library personnel
Association of College and University Libraries. (n.d.) Standards for Distance Learning Library Services. (n.d.). Retrieved October 22, 2013, from http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/guidelinesdistancelearning
Online LIS Education Rates
• 2002 Academic Year E-Learning Offerings• 43 ALA-accredited schools• 1,028 distance education courses
• 2010-2011 Academic Year E-Learning Offerings• 49 ALA-accredited schools• 2,180 distance education courses
Course offerings DOUBLED in less than 10 yearsAmerican Library Association. (2013). Library & information studies: Directory of
institutions offering accredited master’s programs [Electronic version]. Chicago: Author. http://www.ala.org/accreditedprograms/sites/ala.org.accreditedprograms/files/content/directory/pdf/LIS_directory_09-2013.pdf.Barron, D. D. (2003) Benchmarks in distance education: The LIS experience. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.
Successfully Embedding
Librarianship in Online Learning
Environments
Three Steps to Success:
1. Partnership
2. Participation
3. Community
Partnership
• Embedded librarians must form strong working relationships with faculty with the aim of facilitating student achievement
• If an embedded librarian lacks a positive co-partner teaching relationship with faculty they will face significant hurdles in achieving strong results
• Embedded librarians can also work with Information Technology departments to incorporate library resources within online learning environments
Participation
• Embedded librarians must take an active, participatory approach within their courses and reach out, support, and engage their students
• Librarians can embed library resources (research guides, information literacy and bibliographic instructional materials, contact information, and electronic library resources), but these cannot serve as substitutes for direct interaction between students and embedded librarians
Community
• The relationships that develop between embedded librarians and students during an online course will hopefully continue throughout a students’ academic career
• Faculty will be able to observe the direct value in embedded librarian services and will see librarians as an integral member of their higher education’s scholarly community
Redefining Librarianship
Librarians will not longer be defined by location.
Instead, we will be defined by:
• The services we provide within our communities,
• Our support of the knowledge creation process,
• Our abilities as information professionals.
Librarians are members of the academic communities they serve
ReferencesAmerican Library Association. (2013). Library & information studies: Directory of institutions offering accredited master’s programs [Electronic version]. Chicago: Author. http://www.ala.org/accreditedprograms/sites/ala.org.accreditedprograms/files/content/directory/pdf/LIS_directory_09-2013.pdfAssociation of College and University Libraries. (n.d.) Standards for Distance Learning Library Services. (n.d.). Retrieved October 22, 2013, from http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/guidelinesdistancelearningBarron, D. D. (2003) Benchmarks in distance education: The LIS experience. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.Cast, M. & Pasco, R. (2006). Digital resources for distance students in a library science and literacy program. In Cook, D. & Cooper, N. (Eds.), Teaching information literacy skills to social sciences students and practitioners: A casebook of applications (165-174). Chicago, IL: Association of College and Research Libraries.Hoffman, S., & Ramin, L. (2010). Best practices for librarians embedded in online courses [Electronic version]. Public Services Quarterly, 6(2/3), 292–305. doi:10.1080/15228959.2010.497743.Islam, M. S., Kunifuji, S., Hayama, T., & Miura, M. (2011). E-learning in LIS education: An analysis and prediction. Library Review, 60(7), 544–559. doi:10.1108/00242531111153579.Kvenild, C., & Calkins, K. (Eds.) (2011). Embedded librarians: Moving beyond one-shot instruction. Chicago, IL: Association of College and Research Libraries.Shumaker, D. (2012). The embedded librarian: Innovative strategies for taking knowledge where it’s needed. Medford, NJ: Information Today, Inc.Thomsett-Scott, B., & May, F. (2009). How may we help you? Online education faculty tell us what they need from libraries and librarians. Journal of Library Administration, 49(1-2), 111–135. doi:10.1080/01930820802312888.Tumbleson, B. E., & Burke, J. J. (2013). Embedding librarianship in learning management systems: A how-to-do-it manual for librarians. Chicago: Neal-Schuman. Wallace, D. P. (Ed.). (2012). Library and Information Science Education Statistical Report 2012. Chicago, IL: Association for Library and Information Science Education.