Academic reference librarians Getting by with a little help from our (special, public, school, law and medical librarian) friends

摘要

Purpose - The purpose of this viewpoint paper is to consider how academic reference librariansrnmight be guided by non-academic librarians as their roles shift and/or expand in a many differentrndirections.rnDesign/methodology/approach - Connections between the work of academic reference librariansrnand the work of public, special, school, law and medical librarians are drawn. Areas where expertiserncan be garnered are identified.rnFindings - Several relevant areas of expertise from non-academic library fields are identified asrnbeing potentially useful to academic reference librarians, depending on the priorities of their individualrninstitutions. As an example, the public library "service response" framework is applied to the academicrnlibrary setting.rnPractical implications - As academic reference librarians are being asked to take on a wider rangernof roles on their campuses, this paper offers a possible framework for professional development.rnOriginality/value - The future of academic reference librarians has not been viewed in the light ofrnadopting expertise from colleagues in other types of libraries on such a broad scale, and with a view torncreating a suite of services best suited to individual environments.