Abstract Academic librarians have begun to take the reference desk services outside their library premises to raise a new level of importance within and beyond their communities. Through embedded librarianship (EL), librarians move from a supporting role into partnership with their clientele, enabling librarians to develop stronger connections and relationship with those they serve. Academic librarians in Nigerian universities are given full faculty status and they have the responsibilities for teaching, research, and academic services, enabling a more natural climate for collaboration. EL in the research context is still an emerging model, the pathways to engagement and the criteria for success in Nigerian universities have not yet fully defined. Realizing this, the objective of this paper is to explore how academic librarians in Nigeria universities practice EL in research. This is a qualitative exploratory study, purposively sampled 12 academic librarians who are (a) embedded with schools or academic departments; and (b) directly involved in collaboration with faculties or partners in relation to research. Semi-structured interview was used for the data collection. Six themes that emerged from the embedding practices are (a) doing research and publishing papers; (b) being editor of a national journal/reviewing manuscripts of publication; (c) managing the life cycle of data; (d) disseminating research output; (e) providing scholarly publication service and bibliometrics analysis; and (f) conducting research method course. These embedded roles offer librarians means to increase their value in their organizations, their communities, and society as a whole. However, with regards to the sources of knowledge needed to foster learning and information sharing in EL, the librarians play an integral role as research partners because they have traditionally excelled in literature search, and very familiar with database content and its search language and features. This paper covers only the role of embedded librarians in research in three selected Nigerian Universities. Obviously, there is demand for further research to be conducted in other context. Further study need to be carried out on the relevance of EL to the library and stakeholders.

This study investigated methods employed by academic librarians for teaching information literacy instruction in Federal Colleges of Education in the North-West Geo-Political Zone of Nigeria. Quantitative research methodology and cross-sectional survey research method were adopted using the total enumeration sampling technique, as the entire population served as the sample and was given closed-ended questionnaires. A self-developed closed ended questionnaire of Association of College and Research Libraries (2015) Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education Standards and Julien et al. (2018, College & Research Libraries, 79(2), 179–200) Survey of Information Literacy Instruction Practices in U.S. Academic Libraries was used to collect data from the respondents who engage in teaching responsibilities. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics of frequency distribution tables, percentage, mean, and standard deviation. The findings revealed that traditional Lecture Instruction in Subject Classes and Curriculum Course Modules were the main methods employed for teaching information Literacy Instruction in the Federal Colleges of Education in the North-West Geo-Political Zone of Nigeria. Based on the findings from the study, it recommends the need for academic librarians to employ individualized instruction (one-on-one) and hands-on instruction, teaching practicum as a methodology for teaching information literacy for the development of critical thinking skills among information users.

Most academic librarians working in the postsecondary sector in Canada and the United States today hold faculty status appointments and are represented by their campus faculty association (i.e., they are unionized). In some settings, librarians and archivists are included in the same collective bargaining unit as teaching and research faculty, while in others, information workers have their own bargaining unit. Still yet, there are campuses where librarians are not recognized as academic staff, and as such, they must actively advocate to win the rights and recognition that most of their peers who are employed at other college and university campuses in North America enjoy. This advocacy work takes place at both the individual and collective levels. The following case study explores the experiences of one Canadian and one American academic librarian who each offer their own, distinct perspectives of having held faculty status librarian appointments with permanence (i.e., tenure or continuing appointment) as well as appointments as academic library administrators, roles where librarians typically relinquish, formally and informally, their active membership in and representation by the faculty association and/or collective bargaining unit. Reflections shared will include: perspectives gained on collective action, having directly participated in labour action (e.g., a librarian and archivist strike) and collective labour advocacy work in the North American context; considerations

The case for faculty status for academic librarians LEWIS C. BRANSCOMB Digitized by the Internet … monograph number 33 The case for faculty status for academic librarians Edited by LEWIS C. BRANSCOMB … believe in professorial status and titles for academic librarians and that a number of head