<div>Bell and Shank (2011) have made succinct claims
that the blended librarian concept is different from learning commons, where
the latter refers to the partnership between the academic librarians and staff
with specific skills. The blended librarian should be seen as a T-shaped
professional because they have a traditional skill (the vertical leg of the T)
and are expected to branch out into other skills (the top of the T).&nbsp; Blended librarians do not need to be experts
in instructional design and technology but must be knowledgeable enough to
adapt, practice and converse with instructional design and technology
staff.&nbsp; The term “blended professional”
has its origins in the institutional work of school librarians because they are
part teacher, part administrator, and part support staff (Sitter et al. 2009).
While the concept of blended librarianship was first introduced by Bell and Shank (2004)
in their seminal work where they argued that academic libraries are at a
critical professional juncture that is threatening their very existence. Bell and Shank (2004: 372-374)
identified the following threats to the academic library’s existence:<br></div>