Librarianship and Types of Librarian

by Dr. Muhammad Yousuf Ali

Librarianship is one of the emerging professions. Librarians are working in the different types of libraries. Most of young librarians and students are unaware about the important specialization in the librarianship. This special piece described about the Librarianship and different types of librarianship. Here we discussed following main points.  

What is Librarianship?

What are the main different types of Librarianship?

What is librarianship?

A profession concerned with acquiring and organizing collections of books and related materials in libraries and servicing readers and others with these resources.

What are the main different types of Librarianship?

There are six important types of Librarianship.

1. Embedded Librarian
2. Liaison Librarian
3. Medical Librarian
4. Reference Librarian
5. Research Librarian
6. Technical Librarian

Embedded Librarian

Embedded librarians are integrated information experts that offer more direct research assistance to groups of faculty and students than the typical one-shot instruction session, often over the course of an entire semester.

Liaison Librarian

A liaison is a Libraries faculty designated as the formal contact person between the library and a particular academic unit (school, department, or centre). In keeping with the library’s mission, the primary responsibility of a liaison is to meet the unit’s information needs through instruction, collection development, research assistance to faculty and students, and the fulfillment of other unit needs related to the library such as support for accreditation reviews.

Medical Librarian

Medical librarians, also known as health information professionals, medical information specialists, or multiple variations thereof, find, analyse, provide access to and present critical information that improves patient care and supports health and medical education, research, and publication.

Reference Librarian

Reference librarians recommend, interpret, evaluate, and/or use information resources to help patrons with specific information needs. Requests for assistance often occur in person at the library, reference is increasingly conducted by phone, chat and email.

Research Librarian

A research librarian is responsible for organizing and maintaining research support service and information for an organization university or research-based institutions. Research Librarian is always ready to support researchers and research support.

Technical Librarian

A technical services librarian specializes in acquiring, organizing cataloguing classification and technical all kinds of library materials.

How to cite this Article :-

Ali, M.Y. (13 Aug 2023). Librarianship and Types of Librarian. https://profileusuf.wordpress.com/2023/08/14/librarianship-and-types-of-librarian/

Reference Sources, Its Important Types, usage format and functions by Muhammad Yousuf Ali

1. Reference Services

Reference and information services is one of the core important and user service of the any modern library

According to Samuel Rothstein

The personal assistance given by the libraries/librarian to individual readers in pursuit the information.

According to S.R Rangnathan

Reference service is a service establishing connection a reader and his document in personal way.

2. Reference Sources

Reference sources are authoritative works that help you locate information about people, facts, and ideas. These sources can help you find the date of an important event, major achievements of an individual or organisation or a country, or a definition of a term or concept.

3. Types and Usage of Reference Sources  

Reference Sources Name	Definition	Usage
Dictionaries	A reference book on a particular subject, the items of which are typically arranged in alphabetical order.	1. Look up the meaning of any Language word you see or hear. 2. Find the translation of a word in your language. 3. Check the spelling of a word. 4. Check the plural of a noun or past tense of a verb. 5. Find out other grammatical information about a word. 6. Find the synonym or antonym of a word.
Encyclopedias	A book or set of books giving information on many subjects or on many aspects of one subject and typically arranged alphabetically.	1. Academic Research 2. Personal Research 3.Professional Research 4.Broad outlines 5. History
Handbooks/Manual	A book giving information such as facts on a particular subject or instructions for operating a machine	1.Rules and regulations and procedure 2.To support the experts 3.To run a device How to operate the devices
Directories	A book or website listing individuals or organizations alphabetically or thematically with details such as names, addresses, and phone numbers.	1. To know the business address. 2. To locate the name of the person. 3. To find the concern professional giant
Atlases	A bound collection of maps often including illustrations, informative tables, or textual matter.	1.To find the Climate 2. To find the information about Geographical information 3. To update natural resources i.e., water, agricultural land and etc. 4. Longitudinal and Altitude location 5. Sea Level
Almanac	An annual calendar containing important dates and statistical information such as astronomical data and tide tables.	1. To know as Fact Books 2. To know Important date 3. To know about important event 4. To stars and planets movements
Abstract	An abstract is a short summary of a longer work (such as a dissertation or research paper). The abstract concisely reports the aims and outcomes of your research so that readers know exactly what the paper is about.	1. To decide weather read full paper. 2. Source of the Articles 3. Citation and source the Abstract.
Maps	A diagrammatic representation of an area of land or sea showing physical features, cities, roads, etc.	1. To know about the distance 2. To know direction 3. To know travel guide 4. To location
Indexes	Indexes are compilations on information, generally arranged either alphabetically or numerically, that indicate the location of related information either within or outside of the same resource.	1. To know as the words 2. To know about the word location in document 3. To search the terms 4. To search relations
Government Documents	Government documents are information resources produced by local, state, and federal governments. They can include the texts of laws, regulations, statistics, scientific and technical information, maps, and detailed analyses of exceptionally wide and sophisticated topics ranging from Agriculture to business.	1. To run the state smooth 2. To maintain the law order 3. To protect the general public right 4. To welfare of the general public
Year Books	An annual publication giving current information and listing events or aspects of the previous year, especially in a particular field.	1. To find the record. 2. To verify the information 3. To find the fact the information

4. Format of Reference Sources

There are three of formats of Reference Sources

1) Printed Format

2) Online or E-content format

3) Hybrid format both Printed and online.

5. What are functions of Reference Source?

1. To help out in instant information

2. To find the reliable information

3. To help the remove confusion

4. To save the time of users

5. Less use but effectively use.

How to cite this Article

Ali. MY ( 20 Mar 2021). Reference Sources, Its Important Types, usage format and functions by Muhammad Yousuf Ali.

References :

Ranasinghe, W. M. T. D. (2012). New trends of library reference services. In Prof. Jayasiri Lankage Felicitation Volume (pp. 189-197). Colombo: Godage.

Rothstein, S. (1990). The development of the concept of reference service in American libraries, 1850-1900. The Reference Librarian, 11(25-26), 7-31.