"Am I a Teacher Because I Teach?": A Qualitative Study of Librarians' Perceptions of Their Role as Teachers

Abstract

Over the past few decades, the demand for academic librarians who can teach information literacy skills to college students has steadily increased. This interview study explores how academic librarians in a mid-Atlantic metro area define the roles of librarians and teachers, value their teaching role as librarians, and view their teacher-librarian identity. While all librarians interviewed highly valued teaching, the sample split between those who identified themselves as teacher-librarians and those who saw themselves as librarians who teach, with one librarian not associating with the teacher role. Discussion includes implications for librarians, librarian educators, and library administrators.