SUBJECT SPECIALIZATION IN THE SCIENTIFIC SPECIAL-LIBRARY

This paper was prepared as a master's thesis for the School of Information and Library Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, March 1992. The study describes a set of interviews conducted with special librarians serving scientific organizations. Twelve special librarians from various sites in the North Carolina Research Triangle area were interviewed. Six subjects held an M.L.S. plus an advanced degree in the field in which they practice librarianship; the other six subjects had an M.L.S. but no formal science education. The researcher examined the differences in approach used by those who possess subject knowledge and those who do not. Facets explored include but were not limited to the ability to answer reference questions, provide special services, and the levels of personal power maintained by librarians in both groups. The researcher determined that although subject specialization is helpful in many areas, it is not necessary to provide good service in a scientific special library.