Virtually Embedded: The Librarian in an Online Environment

Abstract

The rise of online education at institutions of higher learning, together with the increasing cost of higher education, lead some to suggest that online (or distance) education will eventually become the dominant form of higher learning. This has particular significance for librarians. This casebook, a blueprint for embedding academic librarians in online environments, from undergraduate to science-based graduate schools to MOOCs is the first to explore how librarians can play a key role in the virtual academic landscape. The authors, academic librarians representing a broad range of colleges and universities, look at the evolution of the embedded librarian from physical to virtual, suggest how to develop and implement unique programs in and out of the classroom, and explain how to scale programs once they are embedded.