The specialized reference in university libraries in Argentina in a context of regression of rights

Abstract

The following paper seeks to reflect on the role of specialized reference services in Argentine university settings during the 2023–2026 period. The Universidad Nacional de La Plata (specifically the Faculty of Humanities and Educational Sciences) is taken as a case study. The work is divided into three sections: the first briefly outlines the economic and political context facing higher education institutions in Argentina following the inauguration of Javier Gerardo Milei's administration and La Libertad Avanza, as well as the policies implemented by them that led universities to their current state. Second, it describes the relationship between university library services and their host institutions, specifically highlighting the role of specialized reference as a cog in the educational process. Finally, it reflects on the working conditions of specialized reference librarians in a context where the channels and tools to provide access to scientific and technical information are being reduced, the impact of this on the right of access to information, and the adverse context that challenges us to examine certain dichotomies—and even paradoxes—in reference work.