This book offers a fresh perspective on understanding university library work with international users in North America. It investigates what librarians, international students, and international scholars perceive the role of the university library to be in internationalization in higher education. It also explores the phenomenon of internationalization itself as it is lived and experienced by both librarians and international users. Personal definitions and experiences of internationalization offered by librarians and international users include viewing internationalization as the broadening of knowledge on multiple levels, the idea of seeing oneself as part of a greater whole, and the building of international research connections. Both librarians and international users describe elements of internationalization such as exposure, awareness, engagement, empathy, and transcending boundaries. Inherent contradictions are present as well, such as the stronger emphasis on defining differences rather than similarities and the disconnect between inward and outward looking aspects of internationalization. Finally, this book connects theoretical perspectives concerning the phenomenon of internationalization to the practice of academic librarianship in North America. It does this by presenting what librarians in both the United States and Canada think about working with international users in terms of benefits, challenges, and best practices. Practical lessons learned include the need to move beyond focusing solely on the linguistic and cultural challenges of working with international users to also consider the positive aspects of working with them, such as widening worldviews and expanding personal knowledge.

International Librarianship at Home and Abroad examines both the concept and reality of international librarianship. The intent of this book is not to glorify international librarianship, but to instead explore different ways that international librarianship might be understood and practiced. The book seeks to enrich and improve the everyday work done by librarians both at home and abroad in areas such as collection management, library services, and learning styles and techniques.

Language learning and library learning in a university setting are closely related endeavors that intersect at various times and locations, and with various teachers and learners. This book is an examination of how these intersections are experienced by language learners. Its aim is to explore the two types of learning to help sustain and develop the learning in both areas. The Intersection of Library Learning and Second-Language Learning: Theory and Practice is aimed at practitioners, both librarians and language instructors, and describes everyday scenarios which will resonate with academic librarians and language instructors. It presents practical experiences and accompanies them with a consideration of the literature of both librarianship and language education. It reviews and evaluates professional practices employed by working librarians and language instructors in their dealings with international students. Considerations of the intersections between language learning and library learning are placed within a theoretical framework of learner autonomy. This framework offers librarians and language instructors methods and practices that enable students to take control of their learning in the areas of both language learning and library learning. A concluding chapter offers ways to connect the framework of learner autonomy to settings outside that of a university context.