Embedded librarianship - the way to go

Embedded Library Services: An Initial Inquiry into Practices for Their Development, Management, and
Delivery [pdf]
A Contributed Paper for the Special Libraries Association Annual Conference

David Shumaker, Clinical Associate Professor
School of Library and Information Science, Catholic University of America
-and-
Laura Ann Tyler, Research Librarian
LMI Government Consulting

Shumaker and Tyler's new paper, recently presented at the SLA conference in Denver, is a great read for any information professional, but it's of particular importance to new information professionals and students as well as seasoned info pros looking for a change.  I only recently realized that I have never been anything but an embedded librarian my entire career.  Strangely, I always wondered why there was huge disconnect in what I was being told by other info pros, what I was reading in library literature and what I experienced at work.  Most of what I heard and read was about working in libraries with other librarians and info pros.  Even the SOLO environment didn't quite fit because many of my colleagues who are solos work in a one-person library.  Realizing my embedded status has made me look at my career very differently, in terms of the skills I need to hone and the professional development opportunities I choose to learn from.  For me, Shumaker and Tyler's work was a breathe of fresh air.

Comments

[yankeeincanada]

Absolutely! I have added you to my Peeps list.

[Embedded Librarian]

i would like to post a link to your blog on my blog. Would you do the same? I blog anonymously to protect the identity of my employer, but Dave Shumaker will vouch for me, and he has a link to my blog on his at www.embeddedlibrarian.wordpress.com.

thank you