Embedded Librarians
Are Libraries Dead?
I came across this blog posting by Wendy Reynolds, where she is posting a paper presented at the 2009 Canadian Association of Law Libraries (Judith Siess “Embedded Libraries: Our Future Our Fear”), Judith Siess is based on the following question, “I can envision a future without libraries. Yes, without libraries…but with more librarians. Why?” Given the fact that one of our hospital libraries has already closed its physical space, but retained 2 full time librarian, this future is for many of us here. I have been thinking for a while about this whole concept that in order to save LIBRARIES we might need to sacrifice libraries (LIBRARIES = the concept of libraries, services / libraries = physical space). This is especially true in hospitals where space is at a premium. I worry that if hospital librarians fight too hard to hold onto physical space, they will end up with nothing. Since I manage an entirely digital library (although the vast majority of our member libraries do have a physical space), I’ve long since embraced the concept of a library without walls. I was quite excited to come across this concept of embedded libraries. At the 2009 SLA Conference, there will be a couple of presentations on embedded libraries by David Shumaker (et al). I’m hoping to track down conference blogs or the presentation’s after the conference. This is such an intriguing and important concept that I can’t believe MLA isn’t doing more on this topic. Hospital librarians in many ways had been at the forefront of embedded librarians when they started attending rounds. The UNC Chapel Hill Health Sciences Library has librarians sitting office hours in the different schools. I still have a difficult time convincing library staff that the distinction between onsite and offsite users is entirely blurred. I’m guessing that many libraries are in a situation where they have more users who do NOT come into the library than who do? Why then do we put so much time and effort into meeting the needs of the very small subset of users who happen to find their way into our physical space. At any rate, take the chance to read this paper. Its fascinating.
Read More
The Embedded Librarian Blog
Who Let the Librarians Out: Embedded Librarianship and the Library Manager
The Life & Times of an Embedded Librarian
