In this guest editorial, Dawes shares his view on the changing role of librarians

Dawes, Trevor A

English

Washington University St. Louis: Open Scholarship

Washington University in St. LouisWashington University Open ScholarshipUniversity Libraries Publications University Libraries3-2015Celebrating ACRL's 75th Anniversary: Librarians'Roles in Changing TimesTrevor A. DawesWashington University in St Louis, tad@trevordawes.comFollow this and additional works at: https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/lib_papersPart of the Library and Information Science CommonsThis Column or Essay is brought to you for free and open access by the University Libraries at Washington University Open Scholarship. It has beenaccepted for inclusion in University Libraries Publications by an authorized administrator of Washington University Open Scholarship. For moreinformation, please contact digital@wumail.wustl.edu.Recommended CitationDawes, Trevor A., "Celebrating ACRL's 75th Anniversary: Librarians' Roles in Changing Times" (2015). University LibrariesPublications. 1.https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/lib_papers/1	   1	  TITLE  here      Although  I  have  never  been  a  subject  librarian,  I  am  acutely  aware  of  the  value  Choice    has  brought  to  many  of  us  in  higher  education  over  the  years.    Recently,  the  ACRL  Board  and  the  CHOICE  staff  have  been  discussing  ways  in  which  CHOICE  should-­‐‑-­‐‑and  will-­‐‑-­‐‑change  to  meet  the  evolving    needs  of  our  user  communities,  so  it  seems  fitting  that  I  reflect  on  some  of  the  changing  roles  of  librarians  that  I  have  been  discussing  as  I  have  been  meeting  with  ACRL  members  over  the  past  year,  both  in  person  at  conferences  and    in  virtual  spaces.  It  has  been  such  a  pleasure  for  me  to  travel  around  the  country  indeed  around  the  world  and  learn  about  the  new  ways  in  which  librarians  are  engaging  with  with  each  other,  their  communities,  and  the  wider  profession.  In    this,  the  75thanniversary  year  for  ACRL,    it  is  not  surprising  that  we  are  discussing  changes  for  CHOICE,  or  that  current  ACRL  president  Karen  Williams  has  chosen  a  theme  during  her  presidential  year  that  will  focus  on  the  new  roles  for  librarians.  I’ve  had  occasion  to  speak  with  many  librarians  who  have  described  the  new  or  revised  roles  they,  or  others  in  their  organizations,  are  playing  as  a  result  of  shifting  needs  on  their  campuses.      Although  not  exhaustive,  some  of  these  roles  have  been  described  in  the  recent  report  from  the  Association  of  Research  Libraries  (ARL),  Transforming  Liaison  	   2	  Roles  in  Research  Libraries1.  This  report  is  but  one  in  the  ARL  series,  “New  Roles  for  New  Times.”  The  series  was  developed  to  demonstrate  the  new  and  emerging  ways  in  which  work  in  academic  libraries  is  changing  as  a  result  of  changes  in  the  academic  landscape.    In  this  particular  report,  the  authors  suggest  that  the  liaison  librarian  should  have  expanded-­‐‑or  rather  shifting-­‐‑-­‐‑duties  that  include,  among  other  things:  assisting  with  the  research  process;  engaging  in  digital  scholarship  projects;  enhancing  the  user  experience;  developing  data  management  plans;  and  working  with  research  data.    Faculty  members,  students,  and  researchers  on  our  campuses  are  realizing  they  need  more  assistance  with  their  research.    Several  are  turning  to  the  library,  and  the  library  has  successfully  made  the  case  that  they  can  provide  the  needed  assistance.  The  nature  of  the  relationship  we  have  with  our  community  members  –  the  campus  community  –  and  the  ways  in  which  we  engage  with  them  are  certainly  changing:      • We  have  seen  the  rise  of  more  interdisciplinary  work  on  our  campuses.  In  cases  where  research  crosses  several  subject  disciplines,  one  subject  specialist  librarian  may  not  be  able  to  provide  sufficient    research  assistance  needed  by  a  library  user.  The  librarian,  therefore,  must  also  work  across  disciplines,    not  only  in  his  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  1Jaguszewski,	  Janice	  and	  Karen	  Williams	  (2013).	  Transforming	  Liaison	  Roles	  in	  Research	  Libraries.	  Washington,	  DC:	  Association	  of	  Research	  Libraries.	  Available	  online	  at	  http://www.arl.org/storage/documents/publications/NRNT-­‐Liaison-­‐Roles-­‐final.pdf	  [Accessed	  November	  10	  2014].	  	   3	  or  her  own  silo.      • The  recent  requirements  to  include  data  management  plans  in  some  federal  grant  applications  –  although  not  yet  enforced  universally  –  has  increased  the  need  for  librarians  to  assist  researchers  with  developing  these  data  management  plans.    Beyond  the  data  management  plans,  librarians  are  also  embedding  themselves  in  research  projects.    • Increasing  development  of  digital  scholarship  projects,  including  e-­‐‑science  and  digital  humanities  projects,  has  left  scholars  yearning  for  ways  to  adequately  store,  describe,  preserve,  and  provide  access  to  their  works.    These  are,  of  course,  traditional  librarian  roles,  but  the  objects  that  we  are  describing,  storing,  and  preserving  are  in  formats  much  different  from  those  with  which  we  have  been  familiar  for  so  long.    Being  a  part  of  the  research  team  where  these  functions  are  needed  is  yet  another  role  for  some  librarians.    • In  spite  of  the  seeming  decline  of  university  presses  and  the  fact  that,  as  a  profession,  we  are  advocating  for  more  open  access,  some  libraries  are  embarking  on  publishing  initiatives.    Whether  through  the  traditional  publishing  models,  or  through  digital  publishing  with  faculty  on  projects  like  digital  humanities,  or  through  participating  in  projects  like  Knowledge  Unlatched  (where  libraries  pay  a  set  fee  to  ensure  open  access  to  specific  content),  libraries  are  demonstrating  that  there  are  alternatives  to  the  more  established  modes  of  	   4	  publishing  and  that  we  can  make  research  findings  or  other  created  content  accessible  in  more  open,  and  in  some  cases,  more  affordable  ways.    Not  all  these  activities  will  be  relevant  in  every  setting,  but  there  is  certainly  a  recognition  that  these  are  new,  in  some  cases  perhaps  developing,  areas  in  which  faculty,  students,  and  researchers  need  assistance.  From  writing  data  management  plans  in  grant  applications  to  mapping  information  using  geographic  information  systems  software  to  creating  or  participating  in  the  creation  of  online  or  other  digital  projects,  scholars  are  discovering  that  they  need  help  because  some  of  the  tools  and  resources  needed  to  successfully  execute  these  projects  fall  outside  their  area  of  academic  expertise.    These  are  skills  that  libraries  and  librarians  can  –  and  should  –  bring  to  the  research  and  scholarly  process.  Regardless    of  the  level  to  which  these  new  activities  will  be  practiced  on  each  campus,  they  demonstrate  a  shift  in  the  nature  of  the  library’s  relationship  with  the  campus  community.    Librarians,  once  more  internally  focused,  are  now  being  encouraged  to  engage  more  in  the  academic  environment;  to  develop  and  enhance  their  relationships  with  the  faculty,  students,  and  researchers;  and  to  further  demonstrate  the  value  we  add  to  the  academic  enterprise.    	   5	  These  new  roles,  however,  may  require  a  re-­‐‑tooling    of  our  staffs’  skills.    Some  of  the  skills  needed  to  perform  the  tasks  now  required  include:  project  management;  instructional  design  or  instructional  technology;  digital  information  management;  programming;  data  analytics;  fundraising;  and  communications  and  marketing.  As  librarians  we  are  not  reluctant    to  learn  or  develop  these  skills.  We  have  always  been  flexible  in  determining  and  delivering  the  services  and  programs  that  our  community  members  want  and  need.  It’s  exciting  to  think  about  the  new  roles  for  librarians  in  the  context  of  ACRL’s  75th  anniversary.    The  association  has  a  long  history  of  helping  its  members  succeed    on  their  campuses  by  providing  professional  development  opportunities,  setting  standards  and  guidelines,  and  advocating  for  libraries  and  librarians.    As  we  think  about  our  new  roles,  and  take  on  new  functions  in  our  respective  organizations,  ACRL  will,  naturally,  continue  to  support  its  members.      During  its  strategic  planning  and  orientation  session  this  past  year,  the  ACRL  Board  determined  that  we  need  to  help  our  members  address  issues  of  data  management  –  an  emerging  area  on  our  campuses.    As  we  continue  to  have  national  conversations  about  the  increasing  cost  of  college,  the  financial  literacy  initiative  started  during  my  presidential  term  will  continue  as  a  joint  project  with  several  other  ALA  divisions.    We’re  also  planning  a  workshop  on  Open  Educational  Resources  (OERs)  aimed  at  	   6	  helping  our  members  understand    ways  in  which  we  can  help  stem  the  expenses  associated  with  higher  education  –  in  this  case,  the  cost  of  textbooks.    We  have  charged  a  task  force  with  revising  the  Standards  for  Information  Literacy,  and  their  work  is  well  underway;  and  we  continue  to  find  new  ways  to  demonstrate  our  value  on  campus.    The  Assessment  in  Action  Program,  in  which  my  own  institution  participates  ,  is  designed  to  help  demonstrate  the  impact  use    the  library  has  on  student  success.    These  are  but  some  of  the  new  and  ongoing  ACRL  initiatives  that  are  related  to  the  new  roles  of  librarians.        As  librarians  change  to  keep  up  with  our  communities,  so  too  does  ACRL  evolve  to  keep  up  with  librarians.    As  I  reflect  on  the  conversations  I’ve  had  about  new  responsibilities  and  different  relationships  with  our  students,  faculty,  and  staff  members,  I  see  that  connection  between  the  librarians’  needs  and  the  services  and  programs  that  ACRL  provides.  For  75    years  ACRL  has  been  making  those  connections.    I  have  no  doubt  that  over  the  next  75    years,  as  librarians  continue  to  redefine  the  work  they  do,  they  can  continue  to  rely  on  ACRL  as  a  source  of  innovation,  inspiration,  and  education.  I’m  looking  forward  to  those  times.    

Celebrating ACRL\u27s 75th Anniversary: Librarians\u27 Roles in Changing Times

https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&amp;context=lib_papers

Celebrating ACRL\u27s 75th Anniversary: Librarians\u27 Roles in Changing Times

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Washington University St. Louis: Open Scholarship