Here are some examples of what is being taught by U.S. academic librarians:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Developing skills in library research<\/li>\n
- Strategies for information management<\/li>\n
- Mastering a particular computer application, like Zotero<\/a> or LaTeX<\/a><\/li>\n
- Collaboration tools<\/li>\n
- Contributing to Wikipedia<\/li>\n
- Newspapers and Newspaper Indexes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
In addition to topics like these \u2013 which are properly aligned with a larger conversation on scholarly communication \u2013 subject matter experts are often available for lectures specific to a program or department. Sign up for a class on your library\u2019s website or ask your professors to schedule a library methods class.<\/p>\n
Library Liaisons<\/h2>\n
Many libraries designate liaisons to serve as the primary point of contact for students, faculty and staff so that they can build and maintain strong relationships with academic departments. Some liaisons serve multiple departments while others serve only specific subdisciplines relative to what is called their \u201csubject master\u2019s.\u201d In addition to their library master\u2019s degree, academic librarians hold at least a second master\u2019s degree and many have the doctorate, so as to better understand the reference, instruction, and collection development needs of their community. This is not to say that the liaisons are always in control of the institution\u2019s materials budget, but in some cases they are. Formal library liaison programs are an emerging phenomenon, with programs now in place at Harvard, Cornell, the University of Connecticut, and the University of North Carolina Greensboro, to name only a few. Find out who your department\u2019s liaison is and schedule an appointment.<\/p>\n
Research Guides<\/h2>\n
In their role as managers of the data repository, librarians are continuously producing and revising research guides. Guides range in length from a simple 8 \u00bd X 11 sheet of paper or short web page to an entire published volume. They are available in both print and electronic formats. Research guides fall into three broad document classes:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Skill guides \u2014 e.g.: Critically Analyzing Information Sources<\/li>\n
- Course Guides \u2014 e.g.: Technical\/Professional Writing for Mechanical Engineers<\/li>\n
- Subject Guides \u2014 e.g.: Botany<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
I am using the Cornell University Library\u2019s breakdown here, but the terminology itself is fluid. What Cornell calls a \u201cSkill Guide,\u201d Harvard calls a \u201cHow To Guide.\u201d What Cornell calls a \u201cSubject,\u201d Stanford calls a \u201cTopic,\u201d and so forth. Librarians budget in the time they need to stay abreast of current research as well as potentially shifting assessments of the canon. They receive and read copies of new works so that they can review them for bibliographic and other scholarly journals. See what guides are available in your library.<\/p>\n
Because anyone can search Google and because the real estate occupied by millions of bound volumes is overwhelming, sometimes the perception is that academic research libraries and the services they offer are at worst superfluous and at best clunky. Nothing could be further from the truth. Your success depends upon your information literacy, which libraries are designed to advance.<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.enago.com\/academy\/wp-content\/plugins\/pdf-generator-for-wp\/admin\/src\/images\/PDF_Tray.svg\" "\\"Generate")
<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"