Personal Identifier
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7178-8438
Keywords
embedded librarianship; cognitive metaphor theory; metaphors; professional discourse
Abstract
In the wake of the COVID pandemic, many academic libraries sought virtual instruction options, like the embedded librarian model, bringing renewed interest to the topic. Debates defining embedded librarianship are plentiful and varied, but a review of the professional literature reveals a commonly used metaphor comparing embedded librarians to embedded journalists. This paper analyses the prevalence of that metaphor in the professional discourse through the lens of cognitive metaphor theory (CMT) to reveal the semantic and pragmatic implications of its use. CMT highlights the power of figurative language to reflect and define professional identities. The metaphor’s militaristic rhetoric counters negative stereotypes of librarians as passive or meek, while the metaphor’s combative rhetoric discloses complex power dynamics between academic librarians and faculty. However, the etymology of ‘embed’ reveals more productive definitions related to geology, computer science, and linguistics. Embracing these multiple definitions will help librarians shape that role in the future.
Publication Date
9-2022
Document Type
Paper
Language
English
Source Title
New Review of Academic Librarianship
Copyright Status
Author retained
Publication Version
Post-print
Rights
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
College
Academic Affairs
Location
Orlando (Main) Campus
Department
UCF Libraries
STARS Citation
Edford, Rachel L., "Figuring Embedded Librarianship: An Analysis of the Embedded Journalist Metaphor in the Professional Discourse" (2022). Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works. 1141.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/ucfscholar/1141