My research explores professional work and practitioner thinking in library and information science – particularly in the area of reference and information service. I am interested in how practitioners’ thoughts, beliefs and values shape their practice. I am also interested in the diffusion of formal theories into practice and the development of practitioners' informal theories. Below are the research questions that are currently capturing my interest.

In this video from several years ago, I talk about some of my research:


How do practitioners conceptualize their work?
Building on my studies of the experience of reference and information service (RIS) for practioners, my current work articulates the varying conceptualizations of RIS across library environments and different cultures. I am currently finishing some projects from my sabbatical research in South Africa and Slovenia. The main paper from that work has just been published in LISR:
  • VanScoy, A. (2021). Using Q methodology to understand conflicting conceptualizations of reference and information service. Library & Information Science Research 43(3).
  • Bossaller, J., Burns, C. S. & VanScoy, A. (2017). Reconceiving time in reference and information services work: A qualitative secondary analysis. Journal of Documentation, 73(1), 2-17.
  • VanScoy, A. (2016). Making sense of professional work: Metaphors for reference and information service. Library & Information Science Research, 38, 243-249.
  • VanScoy, A. (2013). Fully engaged practice and emotional connection: Aspects of the practitioner perspective of reference and information service. Library & Information Science Research, 35(1), 272-278.
  • VanScoy, A. (2012). Inventing the future by examining traditional and emerging roles for reference librarians. In M.L. Radford (Ed.), Leading the Reference Renaissance: Today’s Ideas for Tomorrow’s Cutting-Edge Services (pp. 79-94). New York: Neal-Schuman.
  • VanScoy, A. (2010). Reference librarians’ personal theories of practice: A new approach to studying reference service. In M.L. Radford, & R.D. Lankes (Eds.), Creating the Reference Renaissance: Current & Future Trends (pp. 115-128). New York: Neal-Schuman.

How can we ensure that the profession values and supports BIPOC librarians?
Since my days as a reference librarian, I've been concerned about diversity, equity, and inclusion issues in the profession. Ensuring that librarianship values and supports its BIPOC members is important to me. I am currently working with some colleagues on a project to study retention issues in the profession sponsored by IMLS. Previously, I worked with Kawanna Bright on research sponsored by an ALA Diversity Research Grant. You can read that work here:
  • VanScoy, A. & Bright, K. (2019). Articulating the experience of “uniqueness and difference” for librarians of color. Library Quarterly, 89(4), 285-297.
  • VanScoy, A. & Bright K. (2017). Including the voices of librarians of color in reference and information services research. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 57(2) 104-114.
  • VanScoy, A. & Bright, K. (2016). Racial/ethnic matching in information intermediation. In Proceedings of ISIC, the Information Behaviour Conference, Zadar, Croatia, 20-23 September, 2016: Part 1, Information Research, 21(4).

How do instructors' beliefs about student privacy affect their instructional practices?
I am working with Kyle M. L. Jones to study instructors' thoughts and beliefs about student privacy and how they affect their instructional practices. Our IMLS-funded project, Student Privacy in the Datafied Classroom, is ongoing. Read more about our project here:
  • The Datafied Classroom: A Student Privacy Research Project
  • Jones, K. M. L., VanScoy, A., Bright, K., & Harding, A. (2021). Do they even care? Measuring instructor value of student privacy in the context of learning analytics. Proceedings of the 54th Hawaii International Conference on Systems Sciences (HICSS), 1529–1537. https://hdl.handle.net/10125/70797
  • Jones, K. M. L. & VanScoy, A. (2019). The syllabus as a student privacy document in an age of learning analytics. Journal of Documentation, 75(6), 1333-1355.

How can we encourage the application of formal theories to practice?
LIS practice tends to be driven by best practices, but formal theories and models can provide useful structure for practice. Some of my recent projects explore how theories are being or might be applied. I am currently working with Leslie Thomson and Jenna Hartel on project called "Information and the Lens of Leisure: Needs, Practices, and Resources over the Serious Leisure Career" sponsored by ASIS&T's SIG-USE Elfreda A. Chatman Research Proposal Award. You can read about work in this area here:
  • VanScoy, A., Julien, H., & Harding, A. (in press). “Like putting broccoli in a quiche”: Instructors talk about incorporating theory into reference courses. Journal of Education for Library and Information Science.
  • VanScoy, A., Julien, H., & Harding, A. (in press). Integration of information behavior into reference and information services education: A syllabus study. Journal of Education for Library and Information Science.
  • VanScoy, A., Thomson, L., Hartel, J. (2020). Applying theory in practice: The Serious Leisure Perspective and public library programming. Library & Information Science Research, 42(3).
  • Vanscoy, A., Julien, H., & Harding, A. (September 2020). Diffusion of information behaviour theory into education for reference service. ISIC: The Information Behaviour Conference, online.
  • Vanscoy, A., Julien, H., & Harding, A. (September 2020). Encouraging convergence of information behaviour theory and information services education. 48th Annual Conference of the Canadian Association of Information Science, online.
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Amy VanScoy, MLIS, PhD

Associate Professor
Department of Information Science
Graduate School of Education
University at Buffalo

vanscoy @ buffalo.edu