Library Leadership & Management (LL&M) (E-Journal)
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Communities of Practice as a Professional Development Tool for Management and Leadership Skills in Libraries
No full textIn 2012, the University of Wisconsin-Madison's General Libraries developed a community of practice to improve management and leadership skills in staff. This article examines the theories behind communities of practice, the process used by UW-Madison to establish the communities of practice and the results
Library Leadership Lessons Gleaned from WWII Submariners
No full textMany aspects of good leadership have not changed over time. This article uses examples from World War II submarining, particularly Capt. Eugene Fluckey’s experiences, as a launching point for discussing modern academic library leadership. There are six points of leadership discussed which alternate between submarining and libraries: selecting team members, cross-training, respecting the individual, developing esprit de corps, communicating hard truths, and thinking big thoughts
Technology, Collaboration, and Learning: Perceptions and Effectiveness of US Public Library Staff Professional Development
No full textThe primary purpose of this study was to investigate the preferences and perceptions of professional development (PD) activities for public library staff. The survey instrument was distributed to public librarians and paraprofessionals throughout the United States. Beyond the challenges of time and money, a picture emerged from the data of what might best serve the needs of librarians and paraprofessionals for PD. Staff want to feel encouraged and supported about learning for their jobs. The chance to network and meet in groups is preferred by most respondents with short webinars and online learning filling in the gaps, especially if content goes beyond the usual introductory level. From these findings, it is possible to suggest three “action plans” for improving PD for public library professionals and paraprofessionals. These plans include: developing structured and supported PD programs as part of public library administration, promoting a culture of learning throughout the institution, and participating in and contributing to state and regional opportunities for PD of public library staff
New and Noteworthy: Reviewing Basic Leadership Competencies – Emotional Intelli
No full textIn 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
How Can We Serve You Better: Customers’ Perceptions of Services and Facilities Offered in a Community Library
No full textThe purpose of this study is to understand residents’ perceptions of the Big Rapids Community Library (BRCL). The study uses a quantitative online survey to investigate the perceptions of local residents who use this community library. The survey focuses on questions directly related to the services and facilities offered to BRCL customers. The results of the survey indicate that residents’ income levels affect their visits to the library. In addition, female residents view access to a community library as more important than their male counterparts do. This project has important policy implications for BRCL and other community libraries because data on customers’ perceptions and satisfaction are increasingly being used to motivate service reforms, budget allocations, and management accountability. In addition, this intention by BRCL can be treated as a “best practice” model for other community libraries trying to build better relationships with their customers
Are you being served? Embracing servant leadership, trusting library staff, and engendering change
No full textIt is self-evident that academic libraries and librarianship are changing in substantive ways, ranging from the types of material we collect, the way we approach information literacy instruction, to our positions within college and university organizational charts. In response to a rapidly changing environment, library administrators may try to quickly bring about changes in library policies, structure, and more. However, in the process, library administrators may inadvertently adopt rigid top-down approaches that can disenfranchise and disengage library workers, resulting in outcomes that serve neither students or workers. A servant leadership approach to authority and influence may be a means to reverse this frustrating trajectory. Servant leadership requires that administrators focus on the existing expertise and the development potential of library workers as the means for ensuring fulfillment of the library’s mission in an environment of constant change. Furthermore, this approach requires administrators to begin by accepting library workers’ perspectives as their reality, instead of dismissing those perspectives. This approach shares the same foundations of two central practices of librarianship: reference and instruction. Librarians must believe users’ information needs, listen to their experiences and with this information, consider ways to aid the user in progressing toward their goal. A challenge to this approach is that it requires more work for library administrators and library workers through consideration of different types of information and looking closely at voices of disagreement and resistance. While servant leadership appears more complex with slower progress, the end result of sincere engagement and effort by everyone in the library has the potential to aid in achieving the changes needed to keep academic libraries thriving
Reaching Shared Goals in Higher Education: A Collaboration of the Library and Disability Support Services
No full textHow do departments in higher education partner and collaborate to support student academic success? Is collaboration a result of only intentional work, or can unintentional conversations, interactions, and dialogue produce significant impact? Disability Support Services (DSS) and the Library uncovered some common goals as a result of ongoing yet informal dialogue and interactions. As common goals and shared vision emerged in conversations and activities, new opportunities for collaborative work between DSS and the Library became evident. This case study may provide new stepping stones and innovative thoughts for your collaborative work possibilities in higher education
Bullying in the Library Workplace
No full textThe primary purposes of the study were to investigate how often bullying occurs in libraries and whether bullying policies exist in libraries. The first survey questionnaire was sent to library personnel in the six New England states through statewide email distribution lists. Altogether 571 library staff members completed the survey. The second survey questionnaire was sent to large public and academic libraries in New England to see if they have anti-bullying policies in the workplace. The results of the study clearly showed there were significant reports of workplace bullying in all kinds of libraries. Nonetheless, not many libraries have policies that deal with this workplace challenge
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