Developing Research-Relevant Information Literacy Skills: The Role of the “Embedded Librarian” in a First-Year Undergraduate Academic Writing Course

In this reflection paper, we describe how an academic writing course leverages the resource of the “embedded librarian” within the context of a blended learning approach. While the concept of the “embedded librarian” can be variously defined depending on factors like the range of work taken on, level of integration into the course and the specifics of the role adopted, in this paper, we conceptualize the “embedded librarian” as one who collaborates with the course lecturer to develop material appropriate to the learning of research-relevant information literacy skills required in the course. Using the example of an online library guide (“LibGuide”) developed by the librarian assigned to an academic writing course, we show how collaboration between the “embedded librarian” and course lecturer can be leveraged to facilitate online, asynchronous learning of research-relevant information literacy skills that harnesses the specific expertise of the university librarian for a learning environment that is becoming increasingly technologized and less restrained by the constraints of space and time.