Evolving Academic Library Specialties

The purpose of this review is to examine the shaping of librarianship in the academic context through the litera- ture of career specialties, with Abbott’s (1988) system of professions providing an analytic framework. The spe- cialties investigated are systems librarian, electronic resource librarian, digital librarian, institutional reposi- tory manager, clinical librarian and informationist, digital curator/research data manager, teaching librarian/ information literacy educator, and information and knowledge manager. Piecemeal literature based on job advertisements, surveys, and individual case studies is consolidated to offer a novel perspective on the evolu- tion of the profession. The resilience of the profession’s core jurisdiction is apparent despite pressures to erode it. Forays into teaching, and more recently into open access and data management, can be understood as responses to such pressure. The attractions but also the risks of embedded roles and overextended claims become apparent when comparing past and prospective specialties.