Publisher's Synopsis
Ideal for practitioners looking to advance their careers and for use in LIS programs, this "comprehensive overview" (Journal of Access Services) has been thoroughly revised and updated to provide a timely exploration of the characteristics of academic librarianship and its place in the ever-changing environment of higher education. Evans and new coauthor Greenwell guide readers towards understanding what is required to have a successful career in academic librarianship, explaining why academic libraries are distinct from other types of libraries and lending practical insight into their unique political and operational characteristics. The text offers comprehensive coverage of such key issues as
- teaching faculty roles and the status of the academic librarian;
- governance and the growing tension on some campuses between faculty and administration;
- curriculum, with a discussion of the balance between general education requirements and applied courses;
- the student body;
- collections, data management, digitization, and metadata;
- scholarly communication, plus alternative models such as open educational resources (OERs);
- providing quality service, and the role of user experience (UX) in assessment;
- ACRL's Information Literacy Framework;
- funding, including how and where to find detailed higher education expenditure data;
- classrooms, common learning spaces, and other facilities;
- staffing and professional development;
- technology and IT support;
- career development, with advice on preparing a vita and undergoing a successful interview; and
- the future of academic librarianship.
This updated edition enables readers to understand how academic libraries deliver information, offer services, and provide learning spaces in new ways to better meet the needs of today's students, faculty, and other communities of academic library users.
