Research Guides: Embedded Librarians: Home

What Is Embedded Librarianship?

Embedded librarianship is a strategic, equity-minded tool for creating partnerships between classroom faculty, librarians, and students. Think of an embedded librarian as your class librarian, providing an extra level of support to your students as they acquire, practice, and begin to master the core information literacy skills crucial to their academic success. A librarian can be embedded in online, hybrid, or face-to-face classes.

How Does Embedded Librarianship Work?

Embedded librarians tailor their work to facilitate your course themes, your syllabus, and the successful completion of your assignments. A librarian joining your course can support student retention and success in a myriad of ways, with the level and nature of involvement determined collaboratively between you and the librarian.

Common Librarian Contributions

Introductory announcements and/or emails to students. The embedded librarian introduces themselves and explains purpose and limitations of a class librarian. Librarian emphasizes contact information, office hours, and appointment availability.
Introductory video. This can be embedded in your Canvas course(s).
Assignment-related announcements and/or emails to students. Targeted service/resource reminders sent when assignments are announced and/or due dates are approaching.
Tailored instructional materials (including Research Guides). Written instructions and/or video demonstrations of research strategies and methods targeted to your course theme and specific assignments.
Dedicated Canvas content: Librarians granted “Librarian+” status can create and maintain their own instructional content (handouts, videos, and useful links) and make it available in a dedicated Canvas module or place it strategically throughout your instructional content.
Zoom Research Instruction. Librarians can provide group instruction focusing on skills and strategies needed to successfully complete course research assignments.
Research-centered discussion thread (Canvas). This provides a space where classroom faculty and librarians can facilitate meaningful discussion with and between students on research skills and strategies.
Individual assistance. Librarians are ready to support students outside the (virtual or physical) classroom via appointments, email, and/or chat.
Meaningful feedback. Sharing challenges and successes facilitates continuous improvement in the program!