Perceptions of the role of research librarian: A phenomenological study

The focus on higher education has led to the emerging demands for new roles among librarians, including supporting research and publication productivity. One specific role that has emerged is that of a research librarian. This study employed a qualitative method of the phenomenology of perception. This study was conducted in four state university libraries and four private university libraries in Surabaya and Malang, East Java, Indonesia. This study revealed that librarians’ perceptions and interpretations of the role of a research librarian vary, depending on and influenced by the level of support they receive from their respective organizations. The research findings show that in private universities, the role of librarians is mostly centered on delivering services to students and lecturers. Meanwhile, state university libraries perceive research librarians as doing more than supporting research. They are also seen as researchers with responsibilities that include more research.