How to become an embedded librarian

CHICAGO — Embedded librarianship is “not one size fits all,” yet many books on the subject treat it in a cold, objective manner that doesn’t adequately communicate how becoming an embedded librarian actually works in the real world. But in “Becoming an Embedded Librarian: Making Connections in the Classroom,” published by ALA Editions, Michelle Reale shares her own university classroom experiences to demystify what can sometimes feel intimidating to academic librarians. A step-by-step primer for those contemplating the practice, this down to earth resource:

• defines what embedded librarianship is and isn’t;
• explains why being in the classroom is so important and how it creates communities of learning;
• shows how to clarify the role of the librarian in a classroom by being a “facilitator of process”;
• offers strategies for relationship building, setting goals, and honing a teaching style;
• and discusses embedded librarianship and branding.

Reale is an associate professor at Arcadia University at Glenside, Pennsylvania, where she is a fully embedded librarian. She divides her time between the United States and Sicily, where she does ethnography among African refugees. Also the author of “Mentoring & Managing Students in the Academic Library,” she blogs on immigration, migration, and social justice in the Sicilian context at SEMPRE SICILIA.

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Related Links

"Becoming an Embedded Librarian: Making Connections in the Classroom"

"The Student’s Survival Guide to Research"

"The Personal Librarian: Enhancing the Student Experience"