Abstract

Kansas State University’s K-State Libraries recently adopted a new organizational structure that allows librarians to better meet the needs of interdisciplinary fields of study, such as sustainability. Our librarians are transitioning from a traditional model in which subject librarians were assigned to individual colleges/departments based on subject knowledge to a more flexible approach that enables librarians to move freely across the disciplines. Additionally, we, along with many of our colleagues, practice “embedded librarianship,” a growing movement that encourages librarians to proactively collaborate with faculty and instructors to advance teaching and research goals as well as campus and community initiatives. Academic librarians are in a unique position to support sustainability efforts as both advocates and partners. In addition to a librarian’s traditional role of providing access to resources that support educational goals (collection development, information literacy expertise, etc.), librarians increasingly seek opportunities to leave the library and become more visible partners in classrooms and campus-wide. In this presentation we will outline our involvement in sustainability efforts at Kansas State University as “embedded” librarians, describe our future goals, and provide suggestions for how members of a university community can partner with librarians to further sustainability initiatives.