The ACRL Framework for Access Services Librarianship - Defining and Shaping our Future

Abstract

Access Services has come to play a critical role in many academic library organizations, with varied areas of responsibility including facilities operations, service delivery, collection maintenance, resource sharing and fulfillment, and space management. Access Services frequently involves both back-end operations and front line services, both of which heavily effect user experiences of the library. The Framework intends to define Access Services as an area of professional practice and promote best practices among practitioners. This panel presentation is a culmination of over 18 months of work within the Access Services Interest Group and broader Access Services community to outline and define a framework of the four broad areas of Access Services Librarianship. The panelists will speak about the origins of the framework, its development, and the attributes of the four specific areas of the framework while it is still in its draft form. The panel is excited to engage with Access Services professionals to help support and define this important and developing area of academic librarianship.