SUBJECT SPECIALISTS IN ACADEMIC-LIBRARIES AND SUBJECT SPECIALTY PROGRAMS

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.