In the Field

An innovative role puts academic librarians right in the departments they serve

By Brenda L. Johnson & Laurie A. Alexander -- Library Journal, 2/1/2007

Imagine traveling to Angouleme, France, with a faculty member to attend an international comic book festival; spending the night at the villa of R. Crumb (the proclaimed founder of the underground comics movement); and purchasing hard-to-find comics at the first annual convention for small press and minicomics. These are some of the recent adventures of Annette Haines, one of three field librarians at the University of Michigan (UM). As the field librarian in the School of Art and Design, Haines was able to learn firsthand what materials professor Phoebe Gloeckner, a well-known graphic novelist, needed to support her teaching and research. This collaboration, a direct outcome of the unique opportunities created by the Field Librarian Program (FLP), opened up possibilities for student contact that otherwise would have been unlikely.

A couple of years ago, the concept for a field librarian emerged at UM. As the broader academic environment began to experience change, negotiate competing needs, and budget with limited economic resources, we began to search for ways to improve our approach to library services. These changes prompted discussions about how to provide core services without being limited by traditional frameworks. Through a series of focused discussions, we explored how subject specialists might establish more in-depth partnerships with the campus community of scholars.

Immersion creates collegiality

Building on the models provided by Virginia Tech, Stanford, and Washington State, Michigan’s FLP was originally designed to combine subject domain expertise and technology skills with onsite consultation and support for faculty and graduate students within their departments. The idea was to move subject selector activities into the physical space that is home to the faculty and their departments. This model was presented to the Provost’s Office and several academic units as a pilot for better integrating research, learning, and library subject specialists. With funding support from the Provost’s Office, the library approached the School of Art and Design, Women’s Studies Program, and Department of Classical Studies to see if they would participate. All three were intrigued by the idea and signed on. As a result, the library recruited and hired one field librarian for each department. The library hires and pays the field librarians, and the schools provide their space, furniture, computers, and travel support.

In close consultation with the three departments and schools, the library drafted a basic job description that included traditional collection development, participation on library committees, reference service, and instructional initiatives. We put a strong focus on individual faculty needs in the specific context of their disciplines.

Within months of being hired, each field librarian was able to articulate their role within the individual context of their discipline, departmental culture, politics, and academic directions. Their ability to do so was directly linked to their “immersion” in the department. The following was critical to their success: participation of each department in hiring the field librarian, their physical location in the academic unit, and the early work of the field librarians in shaping their role.

As a result, the field librarian was viewed as a colleague rather than as an external liaison. Over time, these position descriptions have evolved and broadened in positive ways that we never conceived or anticipated at the beginning of this initiative. After two years, two of the three field librarians hold faculty titles, and one teaches a “for credit” subject-specific course. In the past, it would have taken years to achieve these departmental inroads. For instance, Beau Case, the field librarian for classical studies, reconceptualized a one-hour seminar introducing first-year graduate students to the subject. This course incorporates training in the use of e-resources and has been well received by the students. Each field librarian has taken a different but equally effective role in their department. The differences reflect the unique needs of each discipline and demonstrate that as we begin to think about service in new ways, we have become more responsive.

Tuned in

How is this program different from a traditional subject specialist, a departmental librarian, or a librarian’s desk located within a department? One of the most interesting observations is that this program confirms the importance of being tuned into and a direct part of the academic community. By shedding “building-bound” behaviors and becoming more connected within academia, the librarian (and library) naturally becomes an active partner. Being in the department has made the field librarians accessible, greatly enhancing lines of communication with faculty. In the natural course of bumping into faculty in the hall, informal relationships ultimately develop into new collegial patterns. Instead of being viewed as collection-bound, the field librarians are regarded as resources and active partners in the department. Unlike departmental librarians, field librarians do not have administrative responsibility for a building or staff. Therefore, they have more time to focus on research, which in turn means more opportunity to interact directly with faculty and graduate students.

The field librarians have demonstrated their commitment to departmental needs by providing a broad array of services, collections, and instruction to the campus in this new capacity. They are not just information providers but rather collaborators in the advancement of scholarship, teaching, and research. The program has captured the imagination and excitement of the departments and schools involved and enabled the library to increase its visibility to the campus in ways we never imagined.

Shared purpose

The FLP has the potential to transform our collective approach to service. It capitalizes on our current strengths while it enables the creation of a climate where faculty and students view librarians in totally new ways. They have become valued colleagues as a result of being seen as an extension of the schools or departments. They are sought out at all stages of the research process and are actively involved. For example, Haines was at her office at the School of Art and Design when an adventurous graduate student with a penchant for the unusual popped in to tell her he wanted to make paper out of chitosan, an element of insect exoskeletons. He needed to find a supplier for this chemical. Haines immediately got on the phone and connected him to the chemical engineering librarian. Together, they located several businesses that could fulfill his artistic needs.

In many ways, the FLP has become one of our most effective public relations tools. It is the library in action. When faculty from other disciplines learn about the program, they inquire as to how they can get a field librarian. We could not have predicted such a positive response.

Next steps

Our traditional approach to outreach has changed dramatically over the past few years, and we expect this pattern to continue. Faculty and students use our services and interact with librarians in new and innovative ways. We are much more aggressive about providing a diverse set of options for users—physical, virtual, and a blending of the two. The FLP has transformed the role of the subject specialist and has encouraged us to move more deliberately toward perpetuating this model across the organization. We are currently exploring whether to add additional field librarians, shift current subject selectors to have more field librarian–esque responsibilities, or add something altogether new. The program has redefined the relationship between subject specialists and academic departments. The library’s role as a partner in the advancement of scholarship, teaching, and research will continue to develop, and this program serves as an inspiration for this ongoing growth.