The Indispensable Academic Librarian: Teaching and Collaborating for Change

by Michelle Reale

Overview

Traditionally, academic librarians have delivered "beck and call" service to educators both in and out of the classroom. However, far from being merely auxiliary to the learning cycle, academic librarians are educators in their own right. If the primary challenge before them is to change how they're perceived within their institutions, Reale proposes, the key lies in becoming a proactive teacher and collaborator. Offering strategies applicable to many different areas, this book shows how the academic librarian can be an educator in both structured and unstructured spaces on campuses. Blending practice-based evidence with a warm approach, Reale

• discusses the changing perception of academic librarians, how they are seen and how they see themselves;
• shows how academic librarians can and should assert their rightful place in the learning cycle;
• looks at how to match teaching goals with academic librarians’ mission;
• advocates for the indispensable roles the academic librarian should play, including co-collaborator, one-on-one research consultant, expert-at-large in non-structured spaces such as the dorm or student lounge, and embedded librarian in the classroom;
• offers talking points for self-advocacy, looking at the many ways academic librarians are making a difference; and
• explores activities and programming for engagement and learning.

This book will empower and validate academic librarians by demonstrating their indispensable roles as educators.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780838917091
Publisher:	American Library Association
Publication date:	03/16/2018
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	128
File size:	301 KB

About the Author

Michelle Reale is an associate professor at Arcadia University near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is the author of Mentoring and Managing Students in the Academic Library (2013) and Becoming an Embedded Librarian (2015). Her research interests include embedded librarianship, mentoring, narrative inquiry, and reflective practice.

Table of Contents

The Indispensable Academic Librarian: Teaching and Collaborating for Change Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Contents Introduction 1. Librarians in Academia 2. Teaching at the Reference Desk 3. Teaching and Learning as Conversation 4. Promoting the Spirit of Inquiry in the Classroom 5. Collaboration with Faculty 6. Critical Librarians and Critical Pedagogy in the Classroom 7. Creating a Welcoming Sense of Place in the Academic Library 8. The Librarian and Reflection 9. Librarians as Leaders 10. On Being Indispensable Index