Library Leadership & Management (Texas Digital Library - TDL E-Journals)
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Educational Background of ARL Directors
No full textStrong leadership is needed to provide vision and focus in academic libraries during this rapidly changing environment. While leadership skills can be acquired in many ways, this study examines formal education. Graduate degrees of Association of Research Library (ARL) directors were identified to determine whether they have earned library and information science degrees as well as other graduate degrees. Results indicate that 90% of the ARL directors have library degrees but the remaining 10% have graduate degrees in a variety of disciplines though not solely in management or leadership. Additionally, the percentage of ARL directors with doctorates has increased slightly in the past 20 years, while the percentage of those with MLIS degrees has decreased
Communicating Library Values, Mission, Vision, and Strategic Plans through Social Media
No full textSocial media communication needs to be aligned with your library’s broader communication plan so that user experience is consistent with messaging from other library venues. Ideally, social media along with all library communication points include language from your library’s values, mission, and vision statements and strategic plan. This article will outline two critical pieces to forming your social media communication strategy: Making a social media plan and applying social media optimization (SMO) to your library’s Web pages. Once set up, your plan and SMO can easily become part of your library’s routine when posting to social networks and creating and editing Web pages
Welcome Aboard: A Program for Improving the New Hire Experience for Academic Librarians
No full textNew hire orientation often consists of a checklist of tasks but does little to integrate a new employee to the organization. Previous research indicates that organizational socialization is key to successful onboarding, but few models exist for libraries to support this aspect of a new hire’s experience. This article shares an onboarding program adopted by one academic library and discusses the results of an assessment of the new program for newly hired librarians. Findings indicate that a structured onboarding program can improve organizational socialization during a librarian’s first months on the job
New and Noteworthy: Dealing with Dysfunction
No full textIt 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
Good People, Bad Jobs Situations: A Middle Manager’s Dilemma
No full textMiddle managers play a critical role in successful library operations in both public and academic settings. Their alignment with and their ability to carry out the vision of upper management is critical to moving the organization forward at all levels. The authors offer practical strategies for any middle manager who finds herself in a position where she is not in sync with her boss, situations that can range from uncomfortable to disastrous. They examine a variety of issues and circumstances such as misunderstandings, unanticipated changes in the organization, lack of fit with the organizational culture, different work expectations, and incompatible work styles that lead to conflicts and challenges between the middle manager and her boss. Because the library management literature does not address this area well, the authors suggest approaches for coping, determining possible exit strategies as well as behaviors to avoid based on reading management literature from a range of other sources and from personal experiences
A Change of Pace: Successfully Transitioning to Tenure-Track Librarianship
No full textThis article explores the experiences of librarians who have transitioned from working in non-tenured track positions in any type of library to a tenure-track positions in academic libraries. The author conducted a survey of librarians who have attempted the career change and shares their motivations for accepting a tenure-track position, the reasons why some librarians disliked tenure, their scholarship experiences, and their advice to others to help them successfully navigate the stressful tenure process
Zero-Based Budgeting In a Cutback Scenario For A Small Academic Library
No full textThis white paper will model zero-based budgeting in a cutback scenario. The paper will open with a literature review of organizational decline, fiscal retrenchment, and zero-based budgeting, “a method of budgeting which requires you to justify all planned expenditures for each of your new business periods” (Small Business Accounting Guide, 2014). The bulk of this white paper will model zero-based budgeting in a cutback scenario using an organizational persona based on the actual budget of a small private academic library. The budget narrative will describe the sequencing of this budget model. A brief discussion of the pros and cons of zero-based budgeting will follow. The paper will conclude with an annotated list of key readings followed by a more extensive list of references
Critical Views of Leadership and the Academic Library
No full textCritical leadership studies (CLS) is a recent branch of leadership studies that examines assumptions and issues with mainstream approaches to leadership development and research. This paper reviews three areas of criticism from CLS. First, leadership is a poorly defined and ambiguous concept. Second, mainstream approaches to leadership can be harmful to followers. And third, there is little evidence demonstrating that leadership development is effective. Next, a recent attempt at library leadership development, the Nexus Project, is examined against the three CLS leadership criticisms. And finally, suggestions from the CLS literature are offered on how to pursue organizational improvements outside the context and shadow of leadership