Librarians: on the case
Article Type: Editorial From: Reference Services Review, Volume 40, Issue 1
Fortunately for my psychic tranquility, the librarians are ahead of me, they are on the case, they are transforming our world of information with creativity and imagination (Lombardi, 2011.
Dr John V. Lombardi, historian, president of the Louisiana State University System, and son and sibling of librarians, reflects in this blog posting on the challenges of the “digitally confused world” to libraries and librarians, and on his confidence in their endurance. What Lombardi so aptly describes is well known to librarians and library directors, but perhaps not as familiar to our campus decision makers and budget officers: the role of the librarian in this modern age calls for constantly reinvented skills and approaches, facility with the digital and the physical (and the interfaces between), and technological mediation between source and scholar.
Librarians share a unique experience of transformational change in the information landscape. They know firsthand the benefits of search, discovery,access, synthesis and communication offered by emerging systems and services. They know, as well, the challenge of mastery of a fluid and complex technical environment. Almost every librarian can reflect on a recent implementation of any new or upgraded library system – from an integrated library system(ILS) to a discovery layer to enhanced interlibrary loan (ILL) to mobile applications to ebooks. These changes are constant and required just to keep afloat, much less forge ahead, and remain not only competitive, but also relevant on our campuses. Every new system or service, from concept to realization, involves myriad decisions, much gathering and analysis of information and opinion, and consultations with upon multiple players each of who brings different perspectives to the table. The demands on librarians to refresh and renew deserve the attention, and support, of their campus administrations.
Reference Services Review strives to facilitate this process of renewal and revision for librarians, by providing a venue for the description and discussion of change in our institutions. Our authors consistently appreciate that change involves redefining our traditional core, which is key to demonstrating our cultural, educational and scholarly impact. They appreciate that rethinking public service design and delivery is a critical component of redefining our traditional core. As co-editors, we suggest that rethinking public service design and delivery leads, inevitably, to redeploying library staff. Pushing the envelope is required of both library staff and leadership. The result? Some traditional activities and services may be discontinued. Better use may be made of staff time and expertise. As staff begin to migrate to higher-value responsibilities, they may feel less pulled in as many conflicting directions. And, that Is just the beginning.
In this issue, Carlson’s work on the data interview, and Langan’s work on training today’s student reference assistants provide insight and examples of alternatives. Other articles push the envelope insofar as rethinking the design and delivery of information literacy instruction. See for example,Hahn’s article on the use of video lectures to enhance online information literacy courses, or Stagg’s article on research skills development through collaborative virtual learning environments. Other articles focus on integration of technology. See Broussard’s manuscript on digital games in academic libraries; Germek’s on library e-learning; or Wong’s on platform options. Mendelsohn introduces readers to the University of Central Florida’s Campus Connections Program, a program of outreach which is sure to capture value to UCF’s academic mission. For readers who are interested in how our users are faring in this milieu, consider Watson’s study of first-year composition students’ internet citations at the University of Mississippi. Concluding the issue, Rod-Welch’s manuscript on the integration of reference and social networking tools on ARL member libraries’ web sites explores the extent to which academic research libraries are redefining their public service core.
Eleanor Mitchell, Sarah Barbara Watstein
