Becoming a renaissance reference librarian in academe Attitudes toward generalist and subjectspecific reference and related professiondevelopment

摘要

Purpose — This article aims to explore the attitudes of academic reference librarians towardgeneralist and subject specialist reference service, and to present an examination of the ways thatthese librarians obtain training to handle a range of research queries that fall outside their areas ofexpertise. Design/methodology/approach — A literature search was conducted to explore the current bestpractices for ongoing professional training. A follow up survey was conducted among referencelibrarians to gain insights into their attitudes toward generalist and subject specialist referenceactivities, and their participation in, and attitudes toward, related professional education and training. Findings — The results suggest that the reference librarians who responded have a high comfort levelfor answering queries in a range of subject areas, and that while some librarians may defer to a readilyavailable subject expert this is not a reflection of their confidence in their own ability to have assistedthe patron. Practical implications — Based on the insights garnered from this survey, the authors did anadditional review of the literature and incorporated the additional research for their conclusions andrecommendations as to how reference librarians, regardless of whether they regard themselves asgeneralists or specialists, can best expand their knowledge of reference sources in additional fields andanswer queries outside their areas of expertise. Originality/value — Other libraries and reference librarians can use the results of the paper todevelop their own training/professional development programs and activities.