Before demonstrating the overlap in expertise between the three roles, let’s loosely define the roles. Remember: Each institution will have more specific roles, titles, and responsibilities. These are general characteristics of the roles.

Librarians

The role of a librarian in a university is multifaceted, focusing on supporting the academic research and personal development needs of students, faculty, and staff. In many cases, these responsibilities are shared among a few or several librarians. Key responsibilities often include, but are not limited to:

Instructional Designers

Instructional designers play a crucial role in developing, enhancing, and supporting the educational experiences of faculty and students. Their primary focus is to create effective, engaging, and pedagogically sound learning experiences, whether in-person, online, or hybrid.

Instructional Technologist

An instructional technologist plays a pivotal role in integrating and using technology in teaching and learning. Their focus is on the application, support, and maintenance of educational technologies so that everyone can use them effectively.

Overlap

As you review the responsibilities of the different roles, consider which aspects are like your role.

• How are all these roles similar?
• How are these roles different?
• How can the roles collaborate to leverage expertise in new areas?

Below is a graphic that highlights each role’s key features and how the different roles overlap. In the middle, there are some things that all three roles have in common. These are consulting with faculty, conducting workshops, and providing invaluable support to the campus community.