I begin with a caveat. I am not an academic librarian. In fact, I have never worked in a library. However, as a former instructor of online courses, I have seen first-hand the power of introducing a librarian to a group of online students and how such exposure can lead to curiosity on a topic and deepen student learning. I have also heard online students praise library services as the most valuable support service they experienced during their programs. Furthermore, I watched while an institution changed the role of library services specialist from a one-person position with its own office including “stacks” of books and materials that could be sent to off-campus sites where instruction was held, to a role integrated within several information specialists throughout the campus’ libraries due to the growth of online programs and the ubiquitous nature of online learning.
