Bringing the Library to the Students: CCCOnline’s Embedded Librarian Project

Mary Cash, Instructional Online Librarian

Definition:

Shumaker & Talley say: [Embedded Librarianship involves] “. . . focusing on the need of one or more groups, building relationships with these groups, developing a deep understanding of their work, and providing information services that are highly customized and targeted their greatest needs. It involves shifting the model from transactional to high trust, close collaboration, and shared responsibility of outcomes” (Brower in Embedded Librarians: Moving Beyond One-Shot Instruction, Kvenild, C. & Calkins, K. eds., 2011, p. 3)

What Is an Embedded Librarian?

Factors that define embedded librarianship:

• Ongoing working relationships• Knowledge of and commitment to information user-group goals and objectives• Highly customized and value-added contributions to the group

These define and set embedded librarianship apart from traditional reference work and other initiatives to reach out and liberate the librarian from the library. (Shumaker, The Embedded Librarian, 2012, p.5)

Characteristics of Embedded Librarianship:

Embedded Librarians do the following:• Collaborate with their Users• Form Partnerships on the Department and Campus Level• Provide Needs Based Services• Offer Convenient and User-Friendly Services Outside of Library Settings• Become Immersed in the Culture and Spaces of the Users• Understand the Discipline Including the Culture and Research Habits of their Users

History of Embedded Librarianship• First practiced by medical libraries in the late 1960s and early 1970s – medical

librarians accompanied doctors on their rounds and moved librarians into the medical school

• Some universities started putting librarians in faculty offices in the early 1990s• In the late 1990s/early 2000s, as research became more accessible, reference and

instruction librarians started to place emphasis on teaching information literacy skills to researchers

• At the same time, librarians and faculty started collaborating to include information literacy into research assignments

• Now, librarians are able to participate in online courses in the discussions and in their own info lit courses

History of CCCOnline Library Services• Didn’t have any to start with; students used the library at their home college or their public

library (sometimes this didn’t work as well as we wanted it to)• For several years, we had an agreement/partnership with FRCC Westminster where students

could access databases through FRCC• Eventually, we decided to purchase our own database subscription. At the time, I was

working as an Instructional Designer. I maintained the library resources pages on the wiki, but we only had databases/web resources and no librarian

• I became the Instructional Online Librarian in August 2011• Started the embedded librarian project with HIS 101 & 102 in January 2012.• Been going strong ever since!

What does “Embedded” at CCCOnline mean?

Being “embedded” can mean several different things:• Information about library resources and the librarian is

included directly in the online course• The students can ask the librarian direct questions

through course email or a Talk to the Librarian open discussion topic

• The librarian directly participates in a specific discussion where students have an assignment and are required to ask questions about the assignment

• And other options we haven’t thought of yet!

HIS101 &102 Embedded Librarian DiscussionThe Assignment:To help you get acquainted with the course expectations, this assignment is designed for you to explore the research materials available at the CCCOnline Library. Additionally, in this assignment you will be working on two course competencies: applying contemporary forms of technology to compile information (which you will do with the librarian), and using different resources for historical research.Tasks:• Access CCCOnline Library Resources - CCCOnline Library Resources. (link opens in new window). Explore the types of resources and tools available via the

CCCOnline Library. In particular look at the History Research and Subject Guides, the Doing Research from a Distance Tutorial and the Library Article Database Tutorial. In addition to the Research and Subject Guide, go to the article databases and check out the History Reference Center as well.

• Access the Embedded Librarian Discussion and post a brief summary (at least a paragraph) of the research tools available which might help you in a history class. Ask our Librarian at least two questions about resources and research methods.

• Respond to at least two of your peer posts and summarize what you learned from the experience by the scheduled due date.• Choose one of the following topics and find two resources through the CCCOnline Library on that topic:

• population growth in early Modern Europe• Columbus’ voyages• Anne Boleyn’s execution• Julius Caesar’s assassination• Leonardo DaVinci and the DaVinci Code• Cardinal Richelieu• Peter the Great• Charles I’s execution• The Black Death (black plague)• The Spanish Inquisition• Witchcraft persecution in Europe

• Provide a brief summary of each of your selected resources as well as citation information for each of your selected resources. Submit this information as a Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) or in Rich Text Format (.rtf) to the Dropbox by the scheduled due date.

HIS 101 & 102 cont’d

HIS 101 & 102 cont’d.

HIS101 & 102 cont’d.

Just What Kinds of Questions Do the Students Ask?

• Questions about the eBook• Questions about the Library Resources themselves• How long has this been around• Can I search the Library Resources/Western Civ Research & Subject Guides• What are Open Access Journals and how can I use them• Do you have any information to help me with writing or plagiarism

• Questions about help from the librarian• When are you available and what’s the best way to get in touch with you• What is AskAcademic, how does it work and when is it available• Can you help me find resources on this topic

• Questions about citation• What citation style do I use• How do I paraphrase or quote something

Student Questions, cont’d.• Questions about the article databases• Do I have to be enrolled in courses to use the databases• Which is the best database to use for history• How do I print, email, use the folder feature, what’s image view, and what are Lexile

scores• How reliable are the articles in the databases and how often are they updated• What’s the best way to search for articles in the databases

• Questions about doing research• How can I make sure the information I’m finding on the web is reliable• How do I find primary sources

• Questions about my preferences• What resource do you like best• What’s your favorite time period in history

What do the History Instructors think?• I really like the librarian assignment. The students also seem to enjoy it very much, and

participation is high. If Mary can do this, keep it in the courses.• I like the concept and I have a few students who have taken advantage of it.• I do think it is a beneficial tool that should always be available for students. Many

struggle with the concept of primary v. secondary sources, for example, and any extra resources made available for them are welcomed.

• I love having Mary (the Embedded Librarian) in my courses. I will say that this seems to be utilized more in the HIS 101 and HIS 102 courses where an assignment revolves around the use of the CCCOnline library. Mary herself is a treasure. She is friendly, responsive and patient with the students and this makes them feel very comfortable approaching her with questions.

• I think the concept is excellent and some of the students commented on how they thought it would be great to have the librarian available.

Other Projects• Open Talk to Your Librarian Discussion for Cultural and Social Science classes• ENG122 – Discussion assignment requiring students to search Academic Search

Premier to find answers to questions on Human Trafficking• POS205 – discussion – assist students with finding information on a country, and help

with Annotated Bibliography• WST240 – open discussion for questions on research for Women’s Studies; created a

Research & Subject Guide for them• HUM 122 – open Talk to your librarian (looking to add in more assistance next

semester)• Coming up – ENG121 – literary analysis discussion• AST 101 & 102 – open Talk to your librarian discussion (other science courses also)

Summing it up: Library Resources for you and your students

• Library Resources on ccconline.org website• EBSCO article databases• Embedded Librarian and virtual reference via email• AskAcademic – 24/7 virtual reference chat• Home college libraries and all the services they offer

Students can use all of these resources to meet their research needs.

Questions?

Contact me:• Mary Cash – mary.cash@cccs.edu

Learn more about Embedded Librarians:

• Kvenild, Cassandra and Kaijsa Calkins (editors). Embedded Librarians: Moving Beyond One-Shot Instruction. Chicago: American Library Assocation, 2011.

• Shumaker, David. The Embedded Librarian: Innovative Strategies for Taking Knowledge Where It’s Needed. Medford, NJ: Information Today, Inc. 2012.

• David Shumaker’s blog: The Embedded Librarian: http://embeddedlibrarian.com/