Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Review Of Leading And Managing Archives And Manuscript Programs, Maurice R. Blackson

Journal of Western Archives

Review of Leading and Managing Archives and Manuscript Program.

Reviewing Basic Leadership Competencies--Emotional Intelligence, Jennifer A. Bartlett

Library Faculty and Staff Publications

In this "New and Noteworthy" column, we highlight recent and basic publications pertaining to emotional intelligence, one of the 14 Foundational Competencies identified by LLAMA as being necessary for leaders and managers.

Future And Value: The Library As Strategic Partner, Antje Mays

Library Faculty and Staff Publications

Broader economic trends spawn budget pressures for education and libraries, prompting a plethora of studies on the value and relevance of libraries. Numerous reports on economic decline in libraries and studies with mixed pronouncements on the value of libraries have led to a negative self-image within the library profession. Yet libraries' leadership in connecting learners to knowledge is at the heart of producing many of the key skills sorely needed in robust societies and economies. Librarianship has many untapped opportunities for positioning itself as a prominent strategic partner. This paper outlines current research on the economic and societal context for …

Dangerous Liaisons: Brainstorming The 21st Century Academic Liaison, Antje Mays

Library Faculty and Staff Publications

Academic liaison roles have seen massive changes over time and grown into an ever-broadening range of duties. What began as subject-focused collection involvement has evolved into a mix of instruction, reference, and various forms of course-embedded services, all while also retaining the earlier focus on subject-specific collection management.

This paper outlines current research on academic liaison roles and summarizes the interactive exchanges from the 2018 Charleston Conference Lively Session on academic liaisons. Through live polling and discussion, session participants identified key functions and core competencies for liaisons, as well as factors contributing to success or hindrance for liaison success. Key …

Dealing With Dysfunction, Jennifer A. Bartlett

Library Faculty and Staff Publications

It is the rare library that does not experience some level of dysfunctional behavior among staff. Problems arise when weak leadership, poor communication, and lack of goals result in toxic behaviors including gossiping and bullying. Several recent publications offer tips on identifying and dealing with dysfunctional library workplaces.

Next Generation Skills And Leaders: Future Proofing Uwa Library, Glynis Jones, Jessica Gallagher, Scott Nicholls, Jill Benn

Proceedings of the IATUL Conferences

The shifting sands and rising tides of digital disruption within academic libraries, and the continually evolving demands and expectations of university leaders, academics and students, require innovative solutions and effective leadership. In 2018, the Library at the University of Western Australia (UWA) commenced two initiatives to future proof its workforce, preparing staff to take advantage and innovate within the rapid pace of change.

Leading for Success is a leadership program designed to provide library staff with a contemporary and relevant skill-set to initiate and lead change to develop and deliver new initiatives. This program builds on a strong history of …

Preparing The Academic Library Workforce To Support 21st Century Learners: New Approaches From Canada, Vivian Lewis

Proceedings of the IATUL Conferences

CARL has invested significant energy over the last 20 years in building workforce capacity across Canadian academic libraries. The Association has consistently focused its attention on areas where demand felt greatest and where collective, national action made sense. The “CARL approach” has been strategic, focused on community building and reflective of a peer-to-peer model.

Much progress has been made in recent years to help the nation’s academic library workforce develop their professional expertise and, in doing so, better meet the expectations of 21^st Century learners. Most notably, Canadian research libraries are drafting a contemporary slate of competencies for librarians; …

Kindly Hire Me: The Process And Impact Of Inclusive Hiring, Annie Bélanger, Preethi Gorecki

Presentations

This presentation will explore perspectives on inclusive hiring practices from both sides of the table. Grand Valley State University Libraries conducted its first diversity residency search in the summer of 2018, which integrated recently developed inclusive recruitment and high-empathy hiring practices. The search committee chair, Annie Bélanger, and one of the successful residency candidates, Preethi Gorecki, team up to dissect the hiring process from both of their perspectives. Annie Bélanger discusses the work behind critically examining the existing hiring process, designing an inclusive recruitment plan, and implementing a new structure in order to ensure empathy to applicants going through the …

Leading, Energizing, And Developing Staff Through Times Of Change, Carol A. Watson, June Liebert, Jane Sánchez, Austin Martin Williams

Presentations

The nature of library work is changing. New technology, user preferences, tighter budgets, and new expectations have meant that libraries have altered and adapted the way they provide resources and services. While these changes have brought many benefits to library users, innovations in how libraries provide resources and services often have long-term implications on the skills needed from librarians and staff. Now more than ever, it's important to communicate to staff about the future of their work and their roles in the library, and to provide them with the development and training they need to transition into new roles. "Where …

Organizational Learning In Libraries At For-Profit Colleges And Universities, Julie Evener

Education Collection

Despite successful application of organizational learning to enhance services in academic libraries, little is known about organizational learning in libraries of for-profit colleges and universities (FPCUs). A quantitative online survey, followed by qualitative interviews, served to assess and explore the use of organizational learning in libraries at FPCUs. Data reflected medium to high levels of organizational learning in the libraries studied, as well as a negative relationship between organizational learning and number of students enrolled. Common themes in the interview responses included external pressures from the FPCUs making it more difficult to implement organizational learning, and the importance of communication. …

Future And Value: The Library As Strategic Partner [Ebug 2019], Antje Mays

Library Presentations

This keynote presentation was based on the 2018 Charleston Library Conference. The session outlined broader economic shifts facing higher education and libraries, then facilitated audience participation vis anonymous live poll at the Ex Libris Bluegrass Users Group (eBUG) annual conference focused on library systems.

Broader economic trends spawn budget pressures for education and libraries, prompting a plethora of studies on the value and relevance of libraries. Numerous reports on economic decline in libraries and studies with mixed pronouncements on the value of libraries have led to a negative self-image within the library profession. Yet libraries' leadership in connecting learners to …

Review Of Feminists Among Us: Resistance And Advocacy In Library Leadership, Jenny Gotwals

Journal of Contemporary Archival Studies

The edited volume, Feminists Among Us: Resistance and Advocacy in Library Leadership, sets out to describe the practices of feminist library leaders, as well as to interrogate why library leadership in the United States and Canada is not more explicitly feminist. The volume succeeds by articulating and employing an expansive definition of feminism and feminist leadership.

Listening To What Students Are Asking: The Role Of An Academic Library In Institution-Wide Knowledge Management, Elizabeth Jardine

Publications and Research

Students at our public, urban community college were experiencing difficulties finding correct, consistent answers to their questions about navigating college processes, information students needed to succeed in school. These difficulties were fueled not only by our students’ backgrounds—they are often the first generation in their family to attend college, may require additional academic preparation, or lack support for their higher education dreams—but also by the siloed information environment prevalent in academia. When our college president realized the extent of student challenges in this area, she looked to the college’s librarians, campus experts in knowledge organization and provision, for direction with …

From Temporary To Transformative: Leveraging Externally-Funded Special Collections Projects As Organizational Learning And Development Opportunities, Cory K. Lampert, Marina Georgieva

Library Faculty Presentations

This poster proposes an academic library approach to addressing temporary project staffing in Special Collections and Archives with a focus on organizational transformation, professional development, and mentoring. The strategy includes both managerial perspective and insights from a visiting faculty librarian on key aspects of hiring, supporting, and leveraging temporary professional staff for impactful organizational development. While the focus of temporary projects is often completing deliverables on time, this poster presents three areas of layered learning outcomes that leverage project work as a catalyst for organizational development, managerial development, and new professional mentoring.

Organizational Learning In Libraries At For-Profit Colleges And Universities: A Mixed-Methods Analysis, Julie Evener

Other Topics

Despite successful application of organizational learning to enhance services in academic libraries, little is known about organizational learning in libraries of for-profit colleges and universities (FPCUs). A quantitative online survey, followed by qualitative interviews, served to assess and explore the use of organizational learning in libraries at FPCUs. Data reflected medium to high levels of organizational learning in the libraries studied, as well as a negative relationship between organizational learning and number of students enrolled. Common themes in the interview responses included external pressures from the FPCUs making it more difficult to implement organizational learning, and the importance of communication.

Organizational Learning In Libraries At For-Profit Colleges And Universities, Julie Evener

Other Topics

There is a gap in knowledge about organizational learning in the libraries of for-profit colleges and universities (FPCUs) in the United States. Though for-profit institutions are educating an increasing number of American students, few research studies have focused on the libraries in FPCUs. Academic libraries contribute to student engagement, student learning, and retention; therefore, the effects of improved library services for students at FPCUs may be positive and long lasting.

From Women-Staffed To Women-Led: Gender And Leadership In Academic Libraries, 1974-2018., Marta Bladek

Publications and Research

This article reviews post-1974 scholarly literature on women’s leadership in academic libraries, with the emphasis on the United States. The purpose of this synthesis is to highlight research areas and themes that have significantly expanded the profession’s knowledge about gender and its impact at the top administrative level. The article starts with a brief overview of theories of gender and leadership before tracing scholarship on the gendered career patterns singled out in Schiller’s work (1974). The article then focuses on additional issues related to gender and library administration, including leadership styles, perceptions of differences between male and female leaders, and …

Challenging The "Good Fit" Narrative: Creating Inclusive Recruitment Practices In Academic Libraries, Jennifer Stout, Sojourna Cunningham, Samantha Guss

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

As a profession, we talk the talk of valuing diversity and inclusion, but do we walk the walk with our hiring practices? The profession stresses the importance of “a good fit” when hiring, but we rarely interrogate the fact that “a good fit” can be a reflection of our implicit biases. Academic librarians conducted a survey of hiring policies with a focus on the processes (or lack thereof) of recruiting candidates from underrepresented groups. This session will report on their findings and recommend the implementation of specific practices designed to create an inclusive candidate pool and an equitable search

Unsubstantiated Conclusions: A Scoping Review On Generational Differences Of Leadership In Academic Libraries, Erin R. B. Eldermire, Erla P. Heyns, Heather A. Howard

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

The academic library profession is experiencing a large turnover in leadership. To date, information on differences in the generational expectations about how to lead is scarce and the research is contradictory. This article presents a scoping review of the literature on generational expectations of academic library leaders. Based on predefined eligibility criteria, the authors searched twelve bibliographic databases and performed a broad web search. 5,435 articles were located and considered for inclusion, however, only four eligible articles were identified and included for analysis. There is little empirical evidence that generational differences are evident in the academic library setting or in …

Prologue [To Conversations With Leading Academic And Research Library Directors: International Perspectives On Library Management], Hermina G.B. Anghelescu

School of Information Sciences Faculty Research Publications

No abstract provided.

Academic Libraries And Toxic Leadership, Alma C. Ortega

Dissertations

Toxic leadership has yet to be officially recognized as an area of inquiry in the field of library and information studies. Indeed, the literature on academic libraries is only now beginning to address the topic. None of this should be surprising because leadership, in general, continues to be an under-discussed topic in the library and information studies literature.

The topic of leadership, of course, is the central theoretical construct of the leadership studies field, and, in this field, toxic leadership has been systematically studied and discussed. This literature reveals the negative consequences of having a toxic leader as the head …

Distinction For The Library Profession: Taking A Page From The Business Playbook, Antje Mays

Library Faculty and Staff Publications

Library and information professionals have much to offer the world-at-large, yet are often under-recognized beyond the sphere of librarianship. Looking beyond traditional library advocacy, this second article in the "Mayflower: Ode to New Beginnings" presents theory and practice of recognition-building strategies from the business world -- strategies applicable to librarianship: The article looks to the business playbook for building connections with the broader community and thereby enhancing the profession’s exposure.