This paper reviews the subject specialists in academic libraries and s
ubject specialty programs. The issue of the subject specialists in aca
demic libraries has been discussed with the issue of the types of libr
ary organization such as subject divisionalism in American academic li
braries and subject specialization in British academic libraries. Base
d on their historical background, the author clarifies the expected ro
le of the subject specialists in recent years through the change of ac
ademic libraries and their environment. After then, subject specialty
programs are discussed, namely, the education for the subject speciali
sts. Based on their historical background, the author reports the rece
nt subject specialty programs, focuses on one of them; the joint-degre
e program, and clarifies its possibility as the subject specialty prog
rams. Finally, the subject specialists and the subject specialty progr
ams in the recent information society and the recent trend of the educ
ation for library and information science are evaluated, and their fut
ures are examined.