Fieldlibrarianship

Fieldlibrarianship is a term used to describe professional librarianship that centers information services and resource access in field settings rather than traditional library buildings. Practitioners support research, education, and community information needs by delivering collections, reference services, and information literacy instruction in locations such as field stations, mobile libraries, disaster sites, schools, and community organizations.

Fieldlibrarians operate across a range of environments including universities, government agencies, museums, NGOs, healthcare facilities, and rural communities. They may perform in situ reference interviews, curate relevant materials, manage field data and archival records, assist with data management plans, and help researchers or clients locate grey literature and datasets. They often design outreach programs, collaborate with local partners, and facilitate access to digital resources through portable devices or offline repositories when connectivity is limited.

Core competencies include information literacy instruction, research support, data stewardship, metadata practices, cataloging, privacy and ethics, safety and risk management, and cross-cultural communication. Familiarity with field-specific workflows, standards such as Dublin Core or EAD, and adaptable, mobile service models is common.

Education typically requires an MLIS or equivalent, with specialization or experience in fieldwork, outreach, or community engagement.

Challenges include variable connectivity, safety concerns, funding constraints, and the need to balance on-site service with remote access. Emerging trends emphasize mobile and remote-enabled libraries, partnerships with field researchers, and scalable digital infrastructures that support data-intensive work in dynamic settings.