Learning Environment (VLE); authentical tools);
l library resources, acquisitions and financial management;
l financial constraints and the opportuni- ties to access Open Educational;
l resources, Open Access and Openly licensed materials;
l classification and cataloguing; l archives and records management; l accessibility;
l intellectual property, copyright and licensing;
l marketing, communications and pro- motion;
l networking – building a position with the wider Library and Information Science sector – how to build a support network and how to maintain current awareness, benchmarking against others and sharing/learning from good prac- tice(s);
l library developments and the future of libraries (topics such as data management and curation, digital scholarship, learn- ing objects, as well as Open Education Resources (OERs) that are becoming increasingly important in today’s librar- ianship and are representative of future trends);
l advocacy skills (getting your voice heard at a strategic level);
l where to access further Information, Advice, and Guidance (IAG) (that includes identifying key organisations for library, information and related disciplines);
l helpful glossaries of terms;
l bibliography and further reading, and more.
Note: where legislation is covered within this publication, designated sections will provide an International perspective.
Delphi Study and Case Studies
As part of the research for the publication, a Delphi study and obtaining case studies from other libraries around the world was undertaken to:
1. gauge further opinion, and gain feed- back from others working as solo librar- ians or librarians in small teams with limited or little help;
2. show different perspectives concerning top tips for successful solo librarianship for consideration and;
3. promote some of the great work (through impact case studies) happening around us within knowledge, information, libraries and related disciplines.
“Delphi is a qualitative method of fore- casting by developing expert consensus about a topic through a series of anony-
40 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL References
Baker, D., (2004) The Strategic Management of Technology: a guide for library and Information services. Oxford: Chandos.
CILIP (2025) ‘The Professional Knowledge and Skills Base (PKSB)’, London: CILIP: Library and Information Association [online]. Available at:
www.cilip.org.uk/page/PKSB [accessed 16 January 2025]
Engledow, Brown, S. (no date) ‘Tips for a solo librarian’ [online], © 1996-2022 ALA – American Library Association. Available at:
www.ala.org/rt/nmrt/news/footnotes/august2012/tips-solo-li- brarian [accessed 16 January 2025]
Lacey Bryant, S. L. (1995) Library training guides: personal professional development and the solo librarian. London, Library Association Pub.
Robinson, K. (2022) Insight: ‘President’s View – Workforce development’, Information Professional, January – February 2022, p16.
Roper, L. (2024) The Solo Librarian: A Practical Hand- book [print book], Cambridge, MA: Chandos Publishing. Chandos Publishing is an imprint of Elsevier Ltd. ISBN – 9780443157950 The Solo Librarian – 1st Edition (
elsevier.com)
Summer 2025
mous mailed questionnaires… The Delphi method has been employed in technolog- ical forecasting, planning, and a variety of other areas.” – Baker 2004, p.82
Sue Lacey Bryant, CILIP’s new Presi- dent, supported me in writing this book, kindly writing the Foreword, and intro- duced me to the CLSIG – Commercial Legal and Scientific Information Group at a CILIP National Conference. This CILIP Special Interest Group (SIG) contains a lot of small and specialist libraries, similar to UCEM, and it includes solo librarians who were instrumental in participating in the Delphi Study and Case Study contri- bution. In addition to CLSIG, I also sent the Delphi study to further solo librarian colleagues and members of the GuildHE Librarian Network and Association of British Theological and Philosophical Libraries (ABTAPL).
Companion online supporting documentation and time-saving templates
A Unique Selling Point (USP) for this publication is the supplementary and sup- porting information, advice and guidance, which include the time-saving templates, which, in turn, can be downloaded and easily adapted to other work practices. Examples and outline templates that cover the key areas for consideration have been provided.
The examples and templates provided within the publication (and available via the appendices) will also be available as electronic versions (including an online workbook) to accompany and support the publication.
These outline and time-saving templates can then be easily accessed, downloaded, applied and adapted to reflect individual
working practices (within information, knowledge, libraries and related disci- plines, whether based in the UK or around the world).
Future developments
A collaborative project with Elsevier, the publisher of The Solo Librarian, is focusing attention on ongoing initia- tives, training, and resource provision for early career research librarians and demonstrating how the work and research undertaken for the book provide insights and practical guidance for librarians working alone or in small teams. To contextualise this project, despite the global prevalence of research librar- ians, there is a notable absence of formal educational programs specifically designed for this profession in many countries. This deficiency poses significant challenges to the formation of our professional identity: The absence of shared theories, methods, and ethical standards hinders the devel- opment of a unified professional identity. As the scholarly communication eco- system undergoes rapid transformation due to technological advances, changing research practices, and evolving publish- ing models, the need for specialized skills among research librarians is growing. Further discussion aims to foster a collective understanding of our current professional identity, and identify steps needed to shape its future. It emphasizes the critical need for ongoing networking and education to support the next gener- ation of research librarians, solo librari- ans within small and specialist libraries, information professionals, and knowledge creators. IP
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