Developing the New Learning Environment: The Changing Role of the Academic Librarian

Citation

Turner, R. (2007), "Developing the New Learning Environment: The Changing Role of the Academic Librarian", New Library World, Vol. 108 No. 3/4, pp. 191-193. https://doi.org/10.1108/03074800710735410

The integration of information literacy and independent learning into all levels of education has both promoted the role of the library and information professional, and also created challenges within a constantly changing learning environment. This book from Facet addresses these developments in higher and further education. It is aimed at practitioners at all levels within the sector, and is also deemed to be a valuable resource for other professionals involved in the delivery of learning support, and for students of education and library and information studies.

Philippa Levy is Academic Director of the Centre for Inquiry‐based Learning in the Arts and Social Sciences (CILASS) and Senior Lecturer in the Department of Information Studies, University of Sheffield. Sue Roberts is Head of Learning Services at Edge Hill College of Higher Education in Lancashire.

Within an increasingly diverse student community, library and information professionals are becoming more involved in developing learning programmes, including e‐learning, and information literacy. In addition, the learner support role in higher education is changing. This valuable work synthesises the work of experienced contributors to the discussion.

The opening section by Peter Brophy attempts to come to grips with the diverse nature of universities. It considers their mission and key issues for higher education (including research standing, funding, widening participation, ICT and learning and teaching styles). Philippa Levy develops some of the themes addressed in the opening chapter by looking at pedagogy in a changing environment.

More specifically, Professor Dorothy Williams contributes a particular pertinent section on information literacy and other relevant literacies. She outlines the major models of, and developments in, information literacy (of which there is a seeming industry). She argues that information literacy also needs to be seen from the learners' perspective in partnership with other teaching, learning and information professionals. Judith Peacock of Queensland University of Technology provides an Australian perspective to the information literacy discussion and urges information literacy to become embedded into the student learning experience by using the practical case study of her University. Peacock urges a new and proactive role for library and information staff in teaching and learning strategies.

The theme of e‐learning and virtual learning environments (VLEs) is developed by Professor Allison Littlejohn, highlighting the learning support contribution of the librarian. E‐learning is explored further in a later chapter by Susannah Quinsee, who uses case studies to consider the practical implications of changes in learning styles for higher and further education, and their library and information staff.

A practical section about professional identities and learner support in this new learning environment is provided by Sue Roberts, one of the editors. Roberts collaborates in a following section about new academic teams with two colleagues from Edge Hill College. They argue that team working and partnerships can overcome territorial demarcation and cultural differences across the learning faculty. A final section by the two editors reflects on the earlier contributions and discusses the emerging broader educational role for library and information staff.

Each chapter of the book has a good list of references and the whole work is made more accessible by an adequate index. Levy and Roberts have opted to divide their work into 3 parts: context and theory; practice; reflection and review. This helps structure the work but perhaps a thematic approach might have been better because, for example, there is a chapter on information literacy by Dorothy Williams in the first part, but the practical chapter on the same subject by Judith Peacock is later in the more practical section of the book, when it might have made more sense to have them grouped together.

This book provides a good overview of the role of the academic librarian in a changing learning environment. It is a good partner to the other 2005 work on this subject, Relationships Between Teaching Faculty and Teaching Librarian, by Judith Kraat, which was only flawed by its US bias, and the more recent 2006 work, Subject Librarians: Engaging with the Learning and Teaching Environment, edited by Penny Dale et al. Developing the New Learning Environment is occasionally a dry and academic work, but is rescued by the practical and obviously impassioned contributors. It is not a comprehensive work but it does address many of the major themes relevant to librarianship in further and higher education. The function of the academic librarian in changing higher and further education has yet to be clearly defined but this work is a significant contribution to the process of formulating the role.