Library and Information Science Commons^™

In an effort to address ever-shifting staffing levels and evolving service demands, staff in the Research & Instructional Services department of The D.B. Weldon Library at Western University developed and implemented a new and strategic approach to structuring their work. The ‘Portfolio Model’ provides a framework for organizing the primary functions of the department - collections, instruction and reference - while at the same time preserving liaison at its core. Through a close examination of this grassroots effort and in particular, the achievements realized and challenges faced by the team of librarians and library assistants who together comprise the ‘Instruction …

Libraries have been moving traditional services to the digital environment for some time now; first, with a measure of reluctance and now with enthusiasm (Anderson 2011, 290). But is the act of migrating library services to online platforms, in and of itself, enough? Have we sufficiently addressed the challenges and fully realized the opportunities that technology affords? Using virtual reference as a case study, we will explore the pedagogical role of academic librarians in higher education. In particular, we will attempt to address the following questions: What can virtual reference teach us about our role as teachers? Is it possible …