Purpose: To consider changing roles of academic librarians in particular the role of subject liaison librarians in the 21 st century education. The aim is to stimulate debate on changing roles of librarians, to suggest possibilities and encourage others to envisage librarians and the change process in multiple ways. Design/methodology/approach: Self-review to the researcher is a process through which library roles and services evaluate the effectiveness of what they do, with the aim of improving the quality of their library practice. “Self-review as a form of ‘practical philosophy’ whereby the philosophical values that underpin the practice of both the individuals and the teaching team as a collective, are examined through a process of reflection and dialogue” (Grey, 2010). Findings: The researcher does not wish to form any fixed generalisations about librarians’ roles, instead seek to problematize and discuss an approach that was completed in a context to make visible the understandings and interpretations of those immediately involved in the process. Practical Implications: It is presumed to be significant as the article is a form of self-review; based on the philosophical and values of those directly involved in the service, and so reviews the implementation of philosophy, rather than measuring behaviour against a set of externally defined criteria. Originality/value: This approach contends that evaluation of self- review should consist of a process of meaning making, rather than just the assessment of practice, whereby external behaviour is modified by first examining the underlying values on which it is based.