Liaising in the 21st Century: The Shifting Role of the Education Librarian

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26443/el.v45i1.370

Abstract

This paper will examine the findings of a survey on the job roles and responsibilities of Education librarians (academic librarians with liaison responsibilities for the field of Education). Existing literature on Education librarianship has focused on particular facets of the job role, including the unique instructional needs of Education students and specific instruction and outreach initiatives. However, the literature lacks a comprehensive picture of the full spectrum of contemporary Education librarianship. This article provides a snapshot of the diverse educational backgrounds and varied responsibilities of Education librarians related to instruction and instructional design, reference, embedded librarianship, outreach, collaboration, and collection development.

Author Biographies

Katherine Donaldson, University of Oregon

Katherine S. Donaldson, MLIS, is a Social Sciences/Education Librarian at the University of Oregon
Libraries. She provides research consultations, information literacy instruction, and collection development
services for the departments in the College of Education.

Laura Bonella, Kansas State University

Laura Bonella, MA, MLS, is an Associate Professor and the Academic Services Department Head at
Kansas State University, providing leadership in promoting, advocating, and assessing services and
resources. She serves as the liaison to the College of Education’s graduate program where she provides
research consultations and information literacy instruction online and in person.

Lisa Becksford, Virginia Tech

Lisa Becksford, MA, MSLS, is an Online and Graduate Engagement Librarian at the University
Libraries at Virginia Tech, where she facilitates face-to-face and online learning experiences. She serves as
the librarian for the School of Education and the Engineering Education program, and she collaborates with
others in the library on online learning and instructional design initiatives, including the Odyssey learning
object repository.

Josette Kubicki, Augusta University


Josette Kubicki, MA, MLIS, is a Reference and Instruction Librarian at Augusta University, Reese
Library, in Georgia. Serving as the liaison to the College of Education’s Department of Teaching &
Leading, and the Department of Psychological Sciences, she provides research consultations, information
literacy instruction, and citation management workshops online and in person. She participates in shared
library instruction to lower-division English and Communications classes and the Ask a Librarian service.

Sarah Parramore, California State University, Fullerton


Sarah Parramore, MLS, MSIDT, is a Library Instruction Coordinator and Education Librarian at
California State University, Fullerton. She guides information literacy initiatives for the program and
provides research support and instruction for doctoral and graduate students in the College of Education.

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Published

2022-02-21

Issue

Vol. 45 (2022)

Section

Articles

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Copyright (c) 2022 Katherine Donaldson, Laura Bonella, Lisa Becksford, Josette Kubicki, Sarah Parramore

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