Becoming a renaissance reference librarian in academe

Abstract

If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractPurpose -This article aims to explore the attitudes of academic reference librarians toward generalist and subject specialist reference service, and to present an examination of the ways that these librarians obtain training to handle a range of research queries that fall outside their areas of expertise. Design/methodology/approach -A literature search was conducted to explore the current best practices for ongoing professional training. A follow up survey was conducted among reference librarians to gain insights into their attitudes toward generalist and subject specialist reference activities, and their participation in, and attitudes toward, related professional education and training. Findings -The results suggest that the reference librarians who responded have a high comfort level for answering queries in a range of subject areas, and that while some librarians may defer to a readily available subject expert this is not a reflection of their confidence in their own ability to have assisted the patron. Practical implications -Based on the insights garnered from this survey, the authors did an additional review of the literature and incorporated the additional research for their conclusions and recommendations as to how reference librarians, regardless of whether they regard themselves as generalists or specialists, can best expand their knowledge of reference sources in additional fields and answer queries outside their areas of expertise. Originality/value -Other libraries and reference librarians can use the results of the paper to develop their own training/professional development programs and activities.

The Continuing Education of The University Librarians in Hebei Province

“…Smith and Oliva (2010) [5] explored the transformation of librarians into renaissance reference librarians in academe. This study has focused on the evolving role of librarians and the need for continuous learning to adapt to changing academic and technological landscapes.…”

Identifikasi Peran Subject Specialist pada Perpustakaan Perguruan Tinggi: Sebuah Systematic Literature Review

“…Hal ini diperkuat dengan jurnal yang berjudul "Becoming a renaissance reference librarian in academic: Attitudes Toward Generalist and Subject Specific Reference and Related Profession Development." yang menyatakan bahwa pustakawan referensi umum dan subject specialist adalah kedua hal yang berbeda (Smith & Oliva, 2010).…”

“…Jadi kesimpulan yang dapat diperoleh dari artikel ini adalah subject specialist tidak hanya bertugas sebagai pembimbing informasi pemustaka. Terlebih profesi ini juga mencakup pengajaran subyek tertentu, sehingga membutuhkan kemampuan pedagogik yang mumpuni.. Jurnal yang ditulis oleh Debbi A. Smith dan Olivia T. Victor menjurus pada dua jenis pustakawan referensi, yaitu pustakawan referensi generalis dan pustakawan referensi subjek (Smith & Oliva, 2010). Pustakawan referensi generalis bertanggungjawab pada layanan referensi umum yang sifatnya multi-disiplin.…”

“…Jurnal yang berjudul "Becoming a Renaissance Reference Librarian in Academic: Attitudes toward Generalist and Subject Specific Reference and Related Profession Development" yang ditulis oleh Debbi A. Smith dan Olivia T. Victor menjelaskan bahwa terdapat dua jenis pustakawan referensi, yaitu pustakawan referensi generalis dan pustakawan referensi subjek (Smith & Oliva, 2010).…”

Relating library user education to business students’ information needs and learning practices: a comparative study

“…In comparison to the other two student groups, the Economics and Finance majors gave the lowest ratings toward relevance between the overall contents of LUE programs and the students' research and assignments. One of the crucial duties of subject librarians is to integrate the contents of LUE with students' research as a reflection of their professionalism (Smith and Oliva, 2010). Therefore, the library can consider to further customize related library courses for the Economics and Finance major.…”