Dinosaur or dynamo?
The future for the
subject specialist
reference librarian
John Rodwell
Introduction
The title ``Dinosaur or dynamo?'' in regard to
the future for subject reference librarians
requires no explanation; it merely contrasts
``no future'' with a possible bright and
significant role. Having almost completed a
survey of recent writing relevant to the future
of reference librarians, the author came across
a reference to a paper, published in 1979,
entitled ``Subject specialists in academic
libraries: the once and future dinosaurs''.
This paper, by Dennis W. Dickinson, serves
two useful purposes. Dickinson specifically
dealt with the role of subject specialists and
bibliographers in regard to collection
development in North American academic
libraries. While the contribution of reference
librarians to collection development is
relevant, it is not a major concern for this
paper. What Dickinson's paper shows is the
need to clarify the terminology, or taxonomy,
of subject specialisation in libraries. There
isn't time here to consider all the variations in
position descriptions which involve some
subject specialisation. This paper is
concerned with the role and future of staff
often described as ``Subject Librarians'' in
Australian libraries and whose primary
responsibilities have been specialist reference
assistance, including advice, database
searching, user instruction and some elements
of collection development, in particular in
regard to reference resources. Another
common responsibility in this role is ``faculty
liaison'' which may be a minor or dominant
part of the role, so that the ``Subject
Librarian'' becomes the ``Liaison Librarian''.
This paper will not deal with any specific
position or local job description but with a
broad range of positions which still have
much in common, in that a major
qualification for the position is some subject
reference expertise.
The second useful purpose of Dickinson's
paper is his list of why subject specialists are
dinosaurs, or, as he says, their ``future is
uncertain'': lack of substantive training, the
necessity to cover multiple subject areas, lack
of compatibility with library organisations, the
The author
John Rodwell is Information Services Librarian at Fisher
Library, University of Sydney, Australia.
Keywords
Reference libraries, Librarians, Service quality, Skills,
Information technology
Abstract
Whether a reference librarian needs a good subject
background to provide a quality service, or can rely upon
generic professional skills, is an old debate. However it is
sharpened once again by the emerging changes in
reference services in the digital environment, in particular
sophisticated end-user access to information resources.
Already in recent years subject expertise, which is not the
same as subject knowledge, has been somewhat
overshadowed in the recruitment and training of
librarians by requirements for advanced technological and
other, for example training, skills. However amongst the
wide range of skills and knowledge required by current
practice in reference, and especially for the future roles
envisaged for librarians, are an understanding of specific
client needs and information sources, which constitute the
traditional strengths of subject specialists.
Electronic access
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Feature article
This article was originally presented as a paper at
the panel session on the Reference Librarian as
Subject Specialist or Generalist of RAISS 1999 and
Beyond: Partnerships and Paradigms, 8 September
1999.
48
New Library World
Volume 102
.
Number 1160/1161
.
2001
.
pp. 48±52
# MCB University Press
.
ISSN 0307-4803