Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/87421
Embedding librarians should be seen as a strategy for strengthening and refocusing the library's presence. Each of these steps is important individually, but they are also interrelated and need to be addressed in precisely that order; skip one or leave it undeveloped, and embedded librarianship cannot flourish. One step not included on this list, but critical for success, is support from the organization's leadership. Embedding librarians should be seen as a strategy for strengthening and refocusing the library's presence within an organization and demonstrating librarians' added value. One way to do this is to frame and promote embedded librarianship as a method for championing the library's role as the sole provider of information resources and services. As demands increase on law firms to be more efficient and provide increased value to clients, why wouldn't firm leadership want to have embedded librarians who have the knowledge and understanding of the specific needs of a practice group? It Comes Down to Relationships As it is with any new initiative or program, embedded librarianship all starts with building relationships and developing trust. Librarians have the advantage of having already developed strong working relationships and trust with their individual users, so in implementing an embedded librarianship initiative, librarians just need to translate these qualities to the team, group or department level. 10 AALL/ILTA White Paper In organizations where library services are decentralized, there could be some initial tension between the newly embedded librarian and other librarians. For instance, what happens when a traditional librarian wants to take a reference request that should go to the embedded librarian instead? If an embedded librarianship initiative is to succeed, the library director needs to take responsibility for communicating the details surrounding individual duties and workflow procedures to make sure everyone in the library is informed of and committed to them. In most situations where one or a few librarians have been successfully embedded, there will be a subsequent increase in demand for their contributions or for an increase in the embedded librarian staff. To effectively address any increased demand, it is important for the library as a whole to continue to function as one cohesive unit. One of the ways to continue to foster collaboration within the context of an embedded librarianship is for library directors to focus on developing bench strength, ensuring that other librarians have the training and skills to step in and take on embedded assignments as needed. Also, as one embedded librarian's role or duties change, this might require the passing off of work and transferring of relationships to new staff. No matter how successful the initiative, embedded librarians need to function under the umbrella of the library, and their