18 November 201018 November 2010Informationist or Embedded Librarian? A Case in PointInformationist or Embedded Librarian? A Case in PointEileen Boswell, Community Transportation Association Eileen Boswell, Community Transportation Association of America of America

Informationist or Informationist or Embedded Librarian?Embedded Librarian?

A Case in Point from the Transportation DivisionA Case in Point from the Transportation Division

Eileen BoswellEileen BoswellCommunity Transportation Association of AmericaCommunity Transportation Association of America

Presentation to the Transportation Librarians RoundtablePresentation to the Transportation Librarians Roundtable

November 18, 2010November 18, 2010

Ove

rvie

wO

verv

iew

DisclaimersDisclaimers

My traditional library dutiesMy traditional library duties

My non-traditional library My non-traditional library dutiesduties

Embedded? Informationist?Embedded? Informationist?

A S

eri

es

of

Fort

unate

A S

eri

es

of

Fort

unate

Eve

nts

Eve

nts

CUACUA

TRBTRB

““Embedded Librarian”Embedded Librarian”

TLRTLR

Com

munit

y Tr

ansp

ort

ati

on

Com

munit

y Tr

ansp

ort

ati

on

Ass

oci

ati

on o

f A

meri

ca

Ass

oci

ati

on o

f A

meri

ca MembershipMembership

Technical AssistanceTechnical Assistance RuralRural

TribalTribal

SeniorSenior

VeteransVeterans

MedicalMedical

EmploymentEmployment

ParatransitParatransit

Volunteer drivers/insuranceVolunteer drivers/insurance

““Coordination”Coordination”

MagazinesMagazines

““ Info

rmati

on S

peci

alis

t”

Info

rmati

on S

peci

alis

t”

Grant-fundedGrant-funded

Web developmentWeb development

Tappy GramsTappy Grams

Tradit

ional R

efe

rence

Tradit

ional R

efe

rence

““How many bus fleets in the How many bus fleets in the US have fewer than 100 US have fewer than 100 vehicles?”vehicles?”

““I heard Exxon is getting out I heard Exxon is getting out of the retail business. What of the retail business. What can you tell me about this?”can you tell me about this?”

““How many paratransit rides How many paratransit rides in Florida last year were in Florida last year were rural?”rural?”

““Don’t Catalog”

Don’t Catalog”

To C

ata

log o

r N

ot

To C

ata

log o

r N

ot

Tracking incoming printTracking incoming print

Tagging electronic resourcesTagging electronic resources

EmailEmail

Chara

cteri

stic

s of

Chara

cteri

stic

s of

Info

rmati

onis

ts

Info

rmati

onis

ts

““Linking literature directly to practice ”Linking literature directly to practice ”

Originated in medical settings: “The Originated in medical settings: “The medical profession falls far short in its medical profession falls far short in its efforts to make the critical link between efforts to make the critical link between the huge body of information hidden the huge body of information hidden away in the medical literature and the away in the medical literature and the information needed at the point of information needed at the point of care.”care.”

“…“…Over time [the informationists] even Over time [the informationists] even began to infer questions from the began to infer questions from the discussion and bring literature forward discussion and bring literature forward on their own.”on their own.”

““Clinicians need concise, synthesized Clinicians need concise, synthesized review of literature that is readily review of literature that is readily available.”available.”

““Education and teaching skills, Political Education and teaching skills, Political and negotiation skills”and negotiation skills”

Sources:Davidoff F, and Florance V. The informationist: a new health profession? Annals of Internal Medicine 2000; 132:996–998 http://bit.ly/b1GkAY

Giuse N B, Sathe N, Jerome R. Envisioning the Information Specialist in Context (ISIC) : a multi-center study to articulate roles and training models. Task Force on the Information Specialist In Context (ISIC) Final Report. Chicago, IL: Medical Library Association, 2006. http://www.mlanet.org/members/pdf/isic_final_report_feb06.pdf

Chara

cteri

stic

of

Chara

cteri

stic

of

Em

beddedness

Em

beddedness

Embedded Librarians…Embedded Librarians…

Collaborate on their customer groups’ workCollaborate on their customer groups’ work

Meet with regular customers to discuss Meet with regular customers to discuss information needs and resultsinformation needs and results

Provide training away from library facilitiesProvide training away from library facilities

Meet with customer executives, managers, Meet with customer executives, managers, supervisors to discuss information needs supervisors to discuss information needs and servicesand services

Attend meetings, class, or conferences Attend meetings, class, or conferences devoted to their customers' area of devoted to their customers' area of expertise expertise

  Attend customer groups' meetings to learn Attend customer groups' meetings to learn about their work and information needsabout their work and information needs

Contribute to their customer groups’ Contribute to their customer groups’ electronic communicationselectronic communications

Source: Shumaker, D., & Talley, M. (2009). Models of embedded librarianship: Final report. Alexandria, VA: Special Libraries Association.http://www.sla.org/pdfs/EmbeddedLibrarianshipFinalRptRev.pdf

““Not Service…Not Service…

Collaboration!”

Collaboration!”

Nati

onal R

eso

urc

e C

ente

r fo

r

Nati

onal R

eso

urc

e C

ente

r fo

r

Hum

an S

erv

ice T

ransp

ort

ati

on

Hum

an S

erv

ice T

ransp

ort

ati

on

Coord

inati

on

Coord

inati

on Attend weekly team meetingsAttend weekly team meetings

Anticipate information and web Anticipate information and web development needsdevelopment needs

Layout/edit Layout/edit Myths and Realities Myths and Realities seriesseries

Produce online resource Produce online resource collectionscollections

Report on emerging researchReport on emerging research

Maintain events calendarsMaintain events calendars

UnitedWeRide.gov web contentUnitedWeRide.gov web content

Collaborative workspace Collaborative workspace projectproject

Marketing and promotional Marketing and promotional itemsitems

www.NRCtransportation.org

NRC

Am

bass

adors

NRC

Am

bass

adors

Occasional researchOccasional research

Document managementDocument management

Clearinghouse Clearinghouse shipping/trackingshipping/tracking

Tech trainingTech training

Blog editingBlog editing

News alertsNews alerts

Joblin

ks E

mplo

yment

Joblin

ks E

mplo

yment

Transp

ort

ati

on C

ente

r

Transp

ort

ati

on C

ente

r

Attend weekly team Attend weekly team meetingsmeetings

Advise on information Advise on information organization (internal files, organization (internal files, web)web)

Advise on social media Advise on social media projectsprojects

Marketing*Marketing*

Oth

er

Sta

ffO

ther

Sta

ff

Tech Team (software Tech Team (software training, file management, training, file management, social media)social media)

Research for magazinesResearch for magazines

Print libraryPrint library

EXPOEXPO

Notary PublicNotary Public

““Oth

er

Duti

es

as

Ass

igned”

Oth

er

Duti

es

as

Ass

igned”

Myths & Realities Myths & Realities paperpaper

Web developmentWeb development

Tech trainingTech training

S.M.U.G.S.M.U.G.

Accessibility statementAccessibility statement

Book review for Book review for magazinemagazine

Present at annual Present at annual conferenceconference

Roadeo!Roadeo!

ROADEO!

The P

enguin

Thin

g

The P

enguin

Thin

g

c. 1990

www.ctaa.org/tappygrams

2010

Happily M

arrie

d

Happily M

arrie

dInformationistInformationist

Be where Be where they are.they are.

Anticipate Anticipate info needs.info needs.

Teach.Teach.

Embedded LibrarianEmbedded Librarian

““Information Information literacy” in our literacy” in our specialtyspecialty

In-depth topical In-depth topical researchresearch

Relationship-Relationship-buildingbuilding

““Working in the Working in the white spaces”white spaces”

Eile

en O

nlin

e

Eile

en O

nlin

e boswell@ctaa.orgboswell@ctaa.org

NRCtransportation.orgNRCtransportation.org

embeddedlibrarian.blogspot.coembeddedlibrarian.blogspot.comm