The post of Academic Librarian for Art and Design was established at Leicester Polytechnic in 1973, as part of a team of tutor librarians having no library duties other than reader instruction. Several kinds and degrees of instruction have been attempted, ranging from formal lectures to the ‘point-of-need’ method, and most have been found to have both advantages and disadvantages. Interest can be aroused by drawing attention to the variety of materials, access to which is gained through familiarity with bibliographic tools. The tutor librarian’s role implies involvement in the presentation of the library by means of guiding and publications; but when the tutor librarian’s is a separate post, additional to those professional library staff who are responsible for running the library, difficulties and conflict may be unavoidable.