IFLA WLIC 2026
How Librarians Think Matters: Practitioner Conceptualizations as a Driver of Service Transformation
Library transformation is often framed in terms of new services, technologies, and strategic initiatives. Yet these visible changes are shaped by a less examined factor: how librarians conceptualize their work. This poster argues that meaningful and sustainable transformation depends on understanding the professional perspectives that guide practice across diverse contexts.
Drawing on several Q methodology studies of reference service conducted in multiple countries, this work identifies distinct practitioner orientations, such as prioritizing information provision, instruction, or user empowerment. These orientations reflect differing understandings of the librarian's role and of user needs, leading to fundamentally different approaches to service design and delivery. The findings reveal both shared patterns and context-specific variations, highlighting the influence of cultural and institutional contexts on professional thinking. Aligned with IFLA's emphasis on inclusive, user-centered, and globally responsive libraries, this research positions practitioner conceptualization as a critical but often overlooked dimension of transformation. It demonstrates that variation in professional perspectives can shape services in ways that either support or constrain responsiveness to community needs.
By making these perspectives visible, the poster supports more reflective and strategically aligned approaches to service design, offering a foundation for sustained transformation across diverse library environments.
How Librarians Think Matters: Practitioner Conceptualizations as a Driver of Service Transformation
Library transformation is often framed in terms of new services, technologies, and strategic initiatives. Yet these visible changes are shaped by a less examined factor: how librarians conceptualize their work. This poster argues that meaningful and sustainable transformation depends on understanding the professional perspectives that guide practice across diverse contexts.
Drawing on several Q methodology studies of reference service conducted in multiple countries, this work identifies distinct practitioner orientations, such as prioritizing information provision, instruction, or user empowerment. These orientations reflect differing understandings of the librarian's role and of user needs, leading to fundamentally different approaches to service design and delivery. The findings reveal both shared patterns and context-specific variations, highlighting the influence of cultural and institutional contexts on professional thinking. Aligned with IFLA's emphasis on inclusive, user-centered, and globally responsive libraries, this research positions practitioner conceptualization as a critical but often overlooked dimension of transformation. It demonstrates that variation in professional perspectives can shape services in ways that either support or constrain responsiveness to community needs.
By making these perspectives visible, the poster supports more reflective and strategically aligned approaches to service design, offering a foundation for sustained transformation across diverse library environments.
Read more about the project in these papers. Email [email protected] for copies of the papers.
VanScoy, A. (2021). Using Q methodology to understand conflicting conceptualizations of reference and information service. Library & Information Science Research 43(3). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lisr.2021.101107
VanScoy, A. (2023). “We bring change to the people” or not: Librarians’ views on reference and information service as social change work. Library Quarterly 93(2), 127-140.
VanScoy, A., & Rafiq, M. (2025). Strong service orientations and fostering self-sufficiency: How librarians approach reference work in Lahore, Pakistan. Journal of Librarianship & Information Science, 57(4), 1130-1140. https://doi.org/10.1177/09610006241269158
VanScoy, A., Adzobu-Armah, N. Y., & Baidoo, D. K. (2026). Welcoming caretakers, solution providers, and expert communicators: Ghanaian librarians’ approaches to reference service. Reference Services Review, 54(2), 109-120. https://doi.org/10.1108/RSR-06-2025-0033
Choemprayong, S. & VanScoy, A. (May 2026). Communicators and providers: Thai librarians’ orientations to reference practice. Qualitative & Quantitative Methods in Librarianship, Bucharest, Romania.
VanScoy, A. (2021). Using Q methodology to understand conflicting conceptualizations of reference and information service. Library & Information Science Research 43(3). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lisr.2021.101107
VanScoy, A. (2023). “We bring change to the people” or not: Librarians’ views on reference and information service as social change work. Library Quarterly 93(2), 127-140.
VanScoy, A., & Rafiq, M. (2025). Strong service orientations and fostering self-sufficiency: How librarians approach reference work in Lahore, Pakistan. Journal of Librarianship & Information Science, 57(4), 1130-1140. https://doi.org/10.1177/09610006241269158
VanScoy, A., Adzobu-Armah, N. Y., & Baidoo, D. K. (2026). Welcoming caretakers, solution providers, and expert communicators: Ghanaian librarians’ approaches to reference service. Reference Services Review, 54(2), 109-120. https://doi.org/10.1108/RSR-06-2025-0033
Choemprayong, S. & VanScoy, A. (May 2026). Communicators and providers: Thai librarians’ orientations to reference practice. Qualitative & Quantitative Methods in Librarianship, Bucharest, Romania.