
Author Archive

Embedded Librarianship News Updates

May 29, 2015

I have two exciting news items to report:

First, I’ll be presenting a webinar for the Library Leadership and Management Association (LLAMA) next Wednesday, June 3, at 2:30 p.m. US Eastern time. It’s entitled “Embedded Librarianship: Connecting the Dots, and Avoiding the Pitfalls.” For more details on the agenda and registration, please visit http://tinyurl.com/3zhtecm ,

Second, the Special Libraries Association Board of Directors approved the formation of an Embedded Librarians Caucus at its May meeting. Over 100 SLA members signed the petition to form the caucus! We’ll hold a kickoff meeting at the upcoming SLA Annual Conference on Tuesday, June 16 at 9:45 a.m. All members and prospective members are invited to attend!

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Solo Librarians and Embedded Librarians

April 4, 2015

A quick check indicates I’ve never blogged about solo librarians — an omission I’m now about to rectify.

Solo librarians, of course, are the only librarians in their organization. It might be a small law firm with just one librarian, or a small corporation, or even a unit — perhaps an R&D lab — in a large organization with no centralized library and no mechanism of communication and collaboration among librarians who are dispersed around the enterprise.

The question arises, what’s the difference between a solo librarian and an embedded librarian. It’s a great question, and it came up again last week in the context of the petition drive to start an embedded librarians caucus in SLA, which already has a Solo Librarians Division.

Here’s my answer:

Think of a Venn diagram with two partially intersecting sets. Some solos are embedded (more and more these days, I estimate) and some embedded librarians are solos.

That is, many solos function in close, collaborative working relationships with others in their organizations, and they have the characteristics of embedded librarianship that I’ve written and spoken about. But, although declining, there are still people who are the only librarian in the organization, who still function primarily as custodians of resources and answerers of ready reference questions; they are equally accessible to everyone and they are not closely collaborating with anyone. These solos do not fit the definition of embeddedness.

Take the other case. Many embedded librarians are organizationally attached to centralized library organizations, though they may spend their days away from the library and other librarians. They may have offices with the groups they are embedded with; they spend most of their time in collaboration with the teams whose work they are participating in. This matrixed organization is the model at MITRE, where I used to work; it’s written up in a couple of the case studies from my SLA-funded research; and it’s the predominant model in higher education. So, these librarians are embedded but they are not solos.

I think these will continue to be two distinct categories of librarians, though I’m personally not so optimistic about the prospects of solos who don’t develop the collaborative working relationships that characterize the embedded model. I think what we will see is more solos who are embedded and more networks of librarians who are embedded with units and work groups but also maintain connections with their peers across the enterprise.

By the way, we’ll be closing the SLA petition drive on April 10. SLA members, sign up now at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/embeddedlibrarianscaucus to become a founding member!

Petition Drive Underway

March 20, 2015

It has just been announced that there’s a petition drive underway to form an Embedded Librarians Caucus in the Special Libraries Association (SLA). If approved, the Caucus will provide an ongoing forum for those interested in embedded librarianship to share knowledge and questions, advance the theory and practice of embedded librarianship, and keep members apprised of new knowledge.

The petition is available at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/embeddedlibrarianscaucus . Please note that you must be a member of SLA in order to sign the petition. I hope readers who are SLA members will sign up, and that readers who aren’t SLA members will give serious consideration to joining SLA and the Caucus.

As a special note, I’d like to add that one of the things that has surprised and delighted me in maintaining this blog is the number of readers it has attracted from all over the world. In that same vein, SLA is an international organization — not just an American or North American one. So I especially hope that readers from all regions will participate in the Caucus. Our aim is to develop a truly international community of those who believe that the embedded model offers librarians a means to increase their value in their organizations, their communities, and society as a whole.

So, please join me in the new Caucus.

 

Caught in the Middle

February 26, 2015

I’ve just posted the presentation I gave at the NFAIS Conference on Sunday, Feb. 23. It’s entitled “Caught in the Middle: Librarians, Scholars, and Information Revolutions Today and Tomorrow”. I present a view based on personal experience that greater collaboration between librarians, scholars, and vendors is needed to improve personal information management and the research process. It’s true for me, and I think it’s true for others. That’s not to minimize the obstacles — which would be the topic of a whole ‘nother presentation…

http://www.slideshare.net/davidshumaker/shumaker-caught-in-the-middlefinal

Thank You, ACRL!

January 31, 2015

A question that always comes up in discussions of embedded librarianship is, does it work? That is, does it result in improved learning outcomes for students, and / or other improvements in achieving the institution’s mission and goals. Some small-scale assessments and a fair number of positive anecdotes have been published before, but we’ve lacked a large-scale, authoritative study.

Until now.

The Association of College & Research Libraries has just released a report that helps a lot in answering that question. “Academic Library Contributions to Student Success: Documented Practices from the Field”, by Karen Brown and Kara J. Malenfant, is the report of a massive study in which over 70 North American academic libraries participated. If you’re interested in academic libraries, assessment of library services, or both, it’s a must-read.

Here are three of eight project findings listed in the Executive Summary, p. 1-2:

“(3) Students who receive library instruction as part of their courses achieve higher grades and demonstrate better information literacy competencies than students who do not receive course-related library instruction.

(7) Multiple library instruction session or activities in connection with a course are more effective than one-shot instruction sessions.

(8) Collaborative instructional activities and services between the library and other campus units … promote student learning and success.”

These findings beg the question, how do you achieve the ability to integrate instruction into courses, break out of the superficial one-shot approach, and build collaborations across campus?

While there are various options and approaches, my suggestion would be to adopt the embedded service model. It’s by enabling librarians to get out of the library, build relationships, and adopt common tactics with others to achieve institutional goals, that we open up these opportunities for ourselves.

So thank you ACRL, Drs. Brown and Malenfant, for this study!

Embedded Who?

January 27, 2015

Some say librarians got the “embedding” idea from journalists. Maybe, maybe not. But in any case, the principle appears to be spreading. Witness this “Hachette Book Group CIO Ralph Munsen wants to move IT to the front office. Early this month, he plans to start embedding IT analysts throughout the firm …”. This comes from the Wall Street Journal’s CIO blog, “Publisher Hachette Plans to Embed IT Across the Business”, by Steven Norton, Jan. 6,  http://blogs.wsj.com/cio/ .

To be sure, there are some differences between the Hachette program and what I advocate for librarians, like their plan to force a 6-month rotation cycle.  However, the general idea and the goal are very similar: to supersede transactional processes with strong, collaborative working relationships, shared understanding, and commitment to organizational goals.

It’s another sign that smart organizational leaders are recognizing the value of cognitively diverse, cross-functional teams. It also reminds us that embedding is not just for librarians; it represents a fundamental shift in organizational structure. Embedded librarians should take heart that what they’re doing is consistent with the larger trend.

The River of Information

December 22, 2014

The metaphor of information as a flowing stream has been with us for a long time and seems as powerful as ever.

The other day I read this, by Steven Levy in the May 2014 issue of Wired magazine (p. 104 for my fellow printoholics):

“Ever since Twitter and Facebook debuted their feeds in 2006, the model of continually streaming updates has come to define how we consume information. We’ve grown accustomed to a world in which data flows by us, letting us dip into the stream whenever, wherever, and however we want.”

Levy’s words put me in mind of another passage, written exactly 100 years before by John Cotton Dana (Special Libraries, May 1914, p. 73):

“The proper view of printed things is, that the stream thereof need not be anywhere completely stored behind the dykes and dams formed by the shelves of any library or of any group of libraries: but that from that stream as it rushes by expert observers should select what is pertinent each to his own constituency, hold it as long as it continues to have value to those for whom he selects it, make it easily accessible by some simple process, and then let it go.”

The more things change, the more they stay the same. And the river keeps on flowing.

The New Net-Centric Librarian

November 25, 2014

I’ve posted the presentation I gave last month for the Long Island Library Resources Council. It’s entitled “The New Net-Centric Librarian” and you can see it at http://www.slideshare.net/davidshumaker/lilrc-new-netcentriclibrarianabridgednarration .

Let me know if you have comments or questions!

Persuading the Faculty

November 6, 2014

A question was posted on the emlibs list (Emlibs@listserv.miamioh.edu) recently asking how to persuade faculty and administrators that embedded librarian involvement in online classes is “important and effective.”

It’s a good question — but it may not be the right question. Instead of adopting the idea that we are going to “convince” or “persuade”, I advocate taking a more consultative approach. (See my post from July 3, 2014, “Selling and Embedded Librarians”.) Here are a few key points that I would emphasize:

1. Don’t over-sell. There’s no guarantee that librarian involvement will be “important and effective.” It depends on what the nature of the involvement is, the instructional skills of the librarian, the level of collaboration and integration of information skills into the course learning goals and assignments.

2. Start by understanding the audience. What are their perceptions and pain points? Is the term “information literacy” familiar to the audience? Should another term be used? Is it viewed favorably — is there a history (positive or negative) of discussion and implementation of efforts to improve student information skills? Has the institution established learning outcomes that include some form of information skills? Are there faculty who already perceive a problem with student achievement, or is this not on anyone’s radar? And what’s the attitude towards the library? Are librarians seen as credible academic partners, or as second-class support staff? Pushing a message without understanding the audience is a high-risk adventure.

3. Know what you want to accomplish , specifically. “Embedded librarianship” is not specific enough as a goal, and you will need various forms of collaboration and support depending on what the desired outcome is. Do you need to start by establishing program learning objectives? Or by identifying key courses where an embedded librarian would have a lot to contribute to course goals? Or do you already have a list of courses that would be appropriate?

4. Know what you will need from your audience as well. Remember that embedded librarianship is a partnership and that means resources, time, and commitment from all involved. Don’t pretend that it’s cost-free to the faculty. Rather, it’s worth the cost if done well.

5. Examples — models — help a lot. The best ones are from your own institution — which is one of the reasons why I recommend pilot projects. There are many in the literature as well, including a number in my book “The Embedded Librarian” and my report (see addendum and appendices) on the SLA.org website, also the books edited by Cass Kvenild and Kaijsa Calkins; and by Elizabeth Leonard and Erin McCaffrey.

Fundamentally, all this goes back to assessing readiness (as a library and as a university) and knowing where you are. You can’t map your route until you know both your destination and your starting point.

 

Process and Timing

October 29, 2014

Process and timing — such boring concepts … and it’s essential to know them if you want to be successful in engaging with your community.

I was reminded of this last week at the Long Island Library Resources Council’s 23rd Annual Conference on Libraries and the Future, in Bethpage, NY. Our dinner speaker on Thursday evening was Michaelle Solages, New York State Assemblywoman and former access services supervisor at the Axinn Library of Hofstra University.

Ms. Solages’ talk was a review of the New York state budget process, with advice for librarians about the timing and process for effective advocacy. Afterward, one of the attendees who has been involved in library advocacy with the state legislature told me that the presentation contained important new insights that the library group could use to strengthen its advocacy program. … So, even when you think you know “the system” — it’s not a bad idea to check your knowledge and be open to new information at any time!

Thus reminded of the importance of timing and process, I returned home Friday night and began to catch up over the weekend with things I had missed while I was away. One of them was a notice about a series of meetings coming up soon to discuss a revised land use plan for the suburban community where I live.  Now, we have a nice little community library that is within the boundaries of this land use plan, and it’s in a building that’s pretty much the same as it was 30 — maybe 50 — years ago. But as I read through the planning documents, I found not one mention of the library! There was lots of talk about livable communities and community spaces and so on, but not one word about the library’s role in the re-envisioned community! How can that be? If the planning board doesn’t understand the community role of the public library (they should), then the county library board, and the Friends of the Library (I’m a member) should be telling them. This is the critical time for the library in our community. It can either be our hub for the next 50 years, or get stuck in the 50-years-ago past. Understanding and working with the process will be essential. Timing is “everything”.

Well, I’ve started some inquiries. I don’t think it’s too late … yet. We’ll see what happens.

 
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