Library Leaders Research Articles

“You have my sword.” “You have my bow.” “And my axe.”: Creating a popular reading collection through interdepartmental collaboration

In Spring 2021, the Georgia Tech Library received unexpectedly robust support for the redevelopment of the Library’s previously removed Popular Reading Collection. The project had a strict four-month deadline to encumber funds and to ensure that materials were available before the Fall 2021 return to campus. A cross-functional team was established to create and implement a plan to achieve this goal. The successful project resulted in widespread positive feedback from students, Institute partners and leaders, and Library leadership. This case study demonstrates the importance of context in deciding library projects, the utility of cross-functional teams in establishing new collections, and the psychological value of physical materials to campus communities.

Academic libraries' leaders' decision-making during the COVID-19 crisis

During the COVID-19 crisis, leaders of academic libraries had to make various decisions to retain library relevance and maintain essential services. The COVID-19 crisis raised the question of libraries' value to their universities more than ever. Libraries were facing financial difficulties but also operational challenges due to the services built around physical libraries. This paper uses a mixed methods approach to investigate academic library leaders' decision-making during the first year of the COVID-19 crisis. It combines quantitative and qualitative data from previous studies with primary data collected by the author to determine what kind of decisions university library leaders faced during the crisis and why. These studies show that leaders were concerned about the following main challenges: lack of access to physical services and collections, the safety of staff and patrons, new ways of working, and the library's role during the crisis. The results show that library leaders made decisions in smaller groups or some cases, individually due to the lack of time or information. While there have been numerous studies on libraries' response to the COVID-19 crisis in the past three years, this paper focuses mainly on academic library leaders and their decision-making to solve the crisis for their libraries.

Decision-Making in the Selection, Procurement, and Implementation of Alma/Primo

This case study examines the decision-making process of library leaders and administrators in the selection, procurement, and implementation of Ex Libris Alma/Primo as their library services platform (LSP). The authors conducted a survey of libraries and library consortia in Canada and the United States who have implemented or plan to implement Alma. The results show that most libraries use both request for information (RFI) and request for proposal (RFP) in their system selection process, but the vendor-offered training is insufficient for effective operation. One-third of the libraries surveyed are considering switching to open-source options for their next automation system. These insights can benefit libraries and library consortia in improving their technological readiness and decision-making processes.

E. J. Josey: Transformational Leader of the Modern Library Profession

E. J. Josey: Transformational Leader of the Modern Library Profession

Remembering LHRT

Remembering LHRT

Lowell Martin: The Shaping of a Public Library Leader

ABSTRACT When Dr. Lowell Martin (1912–2003) was interviewed by the author and Dr. Caroline Coughlin in 1997, our initial questions arose from our connections with the Rutgers Graduate School of Library Service, of which he was the founding dean (1953–1959). Taking a fresh look at the interview record now reveals the importance of Martin’s early experiences working in the Chicago Public Library and studying at the University of Chicago’s Graduate Library School. This article examines the influence that Chicago institutions and individuals had on his long career as educator, writer, consultant, and leader. In the interview, Martin gave credit to specific influencers, but the overall nature and impact of his Chicago years are clearly visible in his work across decades.

The University of Wisconsin and the Development of Librarianship in the Philippines

ABSTRACT The Spanish-American War of 1898 ushered in an era of American rule over the Philippines that formally ended in 1946. An expansive colonial government developed with Americans filling most professional positions early on. There was a slow transition to Filipinos holding those positions, and this process can be seen in the field of librarianship. By the middle of 1924 library leadership and the teaching of library science was firmly in the hands of Filipinos. The University of Wisconsin and those associated with the institution, both Americans and Filipinos, played leading roles in the development of Philippine librarianship. This article explores this special relationship, focusing on the pre–World War II era.

The Cornered Office: A Qualitative Study of Low-Morale Experiences in Formal Library Leaders

Low morale studies verify the low-morale experience as one caused by repeated, long-term exposure to workplace abuse and neglect, and that the experience has negative and long-term mental health and physical health outcomes for impacted individuals. This qualitative study centers the low-morale experiences of leaders working in libraries of all types. Data confirm the development and outcomes of low morale, validate impact factors that perpetuate workplace abuse and neglect, and reveal impact factors that manifest in low-morale experiences faced by library employees with formal (organizationally conferred) administrative, managerial, or supervisory duties.

What leadership qualities are necessary for productive librarianship? Explore coaxial traits of academic librarians in the twin cities of Pakistan

Academic libraries are experiencing significant changes, and leadership plays an essential role in successfully implementing those changes. The study analyzed the leadership practices in academic libraries in Pakistan's twin cities (Islamabad and Rawalpindi). Another important purpose of the study was to shed light on the adopted practices in decision-making and motivating staff. The qualitative research approach was used to achieve the objectives. A structured interview method was employed to collect data from twenty chief librarians or directors of university libraries in Rawalpindi and Islamabad (twin cities). A purposive sampling technique was used. Open-ended questions were used to collect the data by considering the research objectives. The consent was taken from the selected LIS professionals as prior permission for the interview. NVivo was used to analyze the data, which was then presented using thematic content analysis. The findings revealed that most university library leaders were practising and following the participatory leadership style, also known as democratic leadership.The study will create awareness among academic professionals about the adopted leadership styles and practices and the benefits that can be obtained by implementing them. It will also attract the attention of associated bodies towards this dilemma and result in a positive initiative to build leadership skills in LIS professionals. To our knowledge, no prior study has been conducted to analyze the leadership practices in academic libraries in the Twin Cities, Pakistan. This study will fill that niche.

Is the Library a Gendered Place?

Libraries as public spaces can perpetuate the gender binary - i.e. male and not-male - that is naturalized into Western culture, which is experienced by transgender and gender nonconforming people as a kind of tyranny. In this column, I explore some of the ways libraries perpetuate the gender binary, and suggest strategies library leadership can follow to ameliorate the harm caused by the tyranny of gendered spaces through gender-inclusive policies, education, and by modeling inclusive practices.

Preliminary Investigation of Sustainability Awareness and Activities among Academic Libraries in the United States

This paper explores sustainability, sustainability awareness, and how it is measured in academic libraries in the United States, and considers how assessment tools or key performance indicators (KPIs) could enhance sustainability efforts in these libraries. The American Library Association core values include sustainability, and several other associations outline the need for sustainability and provide suitable policies and guidelines surrounding sustainability for its successful implementation. However, owing to the complexity of sustainability, often only one of the issues (i.e., social equity, economic feasibility, or environmental stewardship) is addressed, with little consideration for their interactions with the other issues, and most often, is not directly assessed or measured. Therefore, this study assessed sustainability awareness and sustainability efforts and how they are measured in US academic libraries using a survey. Although a limited response was received, the results indicated that few libraries embraced sustainability holistically, with limited assessment of sustainability initiatives, and little direction from leadership. However, for sustainable solutions, it is necessary for library leadership to recommit to their values, promoting a culture of sustainability through continual assessment to benefit their communities in the long term.

Professionalism and Body Modifications: Considerations of Library Leadership

The rise of body modifications among younger generations is bringing about discussions of the norms and appropriateness of tattoos, dyed hair, and facial piercings in the library workplace, particularly among those with leadership positions. This raises concerns about the perception of the role of the librarian and the norms associated with this role. In the spring of 2022, a research team expanded previous literature on the acceptance and professionalism of body modifications in libraries, focusing on the attitudes of those who consider themselves in leadership roles. Utilizing role theory as a theoretical framework, researchers measured the appropriateness of body modifications against the norms associated with librarians from various functions in the library, including back-of-house, front-of-house, and those with managerial functions. The study then discusses the changing attitudes and norms associated with the librarian role and the possible ramifications of librarians with body modifications seeking leadership responsibilities.

Inspiration for Academic Museums: Two Decades of Academic Library Leadership Research

Inspiration for Academic Museums: Two Decades of Academic Library Leadership Research

If not a transformative agreement, then what? Nine questions and answers about an alternative

Librarians are increasingly coming to agree that the scholarly record should be open and available to anyone who seeks it without financial barriers. But the topic gets murkier when we ask the question: how . How do we open the full scholarly record? One of the swiftest ways to get a mass amount of scholarly articles opened up in a short period of time is through Transformative Agreements (TA). TAs can be attractive offerings to institutions with a need or a desire to make their scholarly output open. It is likely someone in your library has been asked by a commercial publisher if they are interested in signing a TA (sometimes called read-and-publish, publish-and-read, or pure publish deals). In these deals, a library pays a publisher to make some agreed upon number of works open access if the corresponding author is affiliated with the institution. Your library leadership holds probably one of three attitudes on this proposition: pragmatically in favor, ideologically opposed, or simply sort of confused about the whole thing.

Transformational Leadership of Higher Education Library

Background. This research is inspired by the results of previous research which stated that transformational leadership is an effective leadership style owned by a leader of a library organization. Therefore, the researcher examined practically related to this matter, especially in the application of the transformational leadership style applied by the leader of the IPDN Library, Jatinangor Campus. Research Methods. The research conducted presented qualitative data and researchers conducted interviews, observations and documentation in data collection. Data Analysis. Data analysis is carried out by reducing data, presenting data and drawing conclusions. Result: The researcher found that the application of the transformational leadership style at the IPDN Library of Jatinangor Campus was supported by the high commitment of the library staff. In addition, the leader of the IPDN Library of the Jatinangor Campus provides an open space for employees to be creative and provide suggestions, criticisms and ideas, especially in the decision-making process. Library leaders also routinely provide motivation and direction to instill the value of commitment to the staff of the IPDN Jatinangor Campus Library. Conclusion and Suggestion. Referring to these 8 indicators, there are 2 (two) indicators that require improvement the indicators of continuous improvement and the indicator of empowering organizational members. Researchers recommend that leaders of the IPDN Library Jatinangor Campus can take part in Leadership Training, especially those related to Higher Education Library Leadership. In addition, it is also hoped that the leader of the IPDN Library, Jatinangor Campus, can compile and carry out the division of duties and work of employees by adjusting to the functions and positions of library employees.

Library Leadership Faced Numerous Challenges During the COVID-19 Pandemic

A Review of:Shaghaei, N., Knowles, C., Morley, F., Eveleigh, A., Casaldàliga, N., Nolin, E., Tatai, A., Cohen, M., Pronk, M., & Ghesquière, E. (2022). Library resilience and leadership in a global crisis. LIBER Quarterly: The Journal of the Association of European Research Libraries, 32(1), 1-21. https://doi.org/10.53377/lq.10930 Objective – To investigate the experiences, perceptions, and principles put into action by library leaders during the COVID-19 crisis. Design – Survey questionnaire. Setting – European organization of research libraries webinar series. Subjects – Webinar attendees and viewers of recorded webinar series. Methods – In November 2020, the authors conducted two webinars titled “How are Research Libraries leading through COVID-19?” and “New challenges and leading into the post- COVID Recovery for Research Libraries” for the fifth cohort of the LIBER Emerging Leaders’ Programme. The authors drew on their own experiences, addressing leadership in a time of crisis, the challenges of remote leadership, and how to create clarity, build resilience, and catalyze positive change. The webinars were shared with previous cohorts of the LIBER Emerging Leaders’ Programme. Following the webinars, a link to an online survey was emailed to attendees and previous Emerging Leaders, as well as shared on social media. The survey was anonymous, open for a total of 21 days, and included a cover letter that stated its purpose. There were nine survey questions, eight of which were open-ended. The survey questions were grouped into four webinar themes; communication, strategy, values, and changes made during the Covid-19 pandemic that library leaders would like to keep. Main Results – The total number of respondents was 24; 84% were in leadership roles and 16% were employed as professional librarians. Respondents were asked if their library’s strategic goals were still broadly relevant and asked to provide examples for how their existing strategies influenced their research library’s responses to the coronavirus crisis. Of the respondents, 91% felt that their library’s strategic goals remained relevant during the coronavirus crisis. This was mainly due to the transformation to digitization (30%) and user-centered services (28%) that had occurred prior to the pandemic: digital resources, virtual training, the promotion of open access materials, more electronic books, digital services, and scan and deliver. Respondents reported more user-centered strategies such as new reservation systems for study places, computer loans, click-and-collect, and postal loan. Library values that were challenged during the pandemic were reported in the following categories: user-based (32%), collaboration (21%), social responsibility (21%), openness (16%), and collections or access (10%). Within the theme of communication, 41% described it as negative which was defined as difficult, challenging, insufficient, overwhelming, chaotic, bad, or erratic. Challenges of using online tools to communicate were described in categories of quality (24%), informal exchange (19%), time (21%), skills (17%), technical issues (9%), and leadership and personal issues (10%). The main challenges in communication related to not being able to interpret body language and non-verbal communication, lack of informal conversations or spontaneous interactions, increased time invested working, being permanently connected, difficulty acquiring the skills needed to use various tools, and the technological problems that exist when the network is interrupted. Advantages noted with online communication tools were efficiency and accessibility. When asked for examples of techniques or methods used to communicate with staff, most reported communication as formal (70%) using tools such as Slack, Microsoft Teams Planner, Jamboard, and whiteboards, while 22% of respondents reported informal communication strategies such as coffee via zoom, video lunches, informal mails, and a reading club. Conclusion – The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in many challenges for research libraries that included maintaining strategic goals and values, communication, hybrid working, and flexible work schedules.

Approaches to Negotiating Change Through Evolving Library Management Styles in Australian University Libraries

A Review of:Gunapala, M., Montague, A., Reynolds, S., & Vo-Tran, H. (2020). Managing change in university libraries in the 21st century: An Australian perspective. Journal of the Australian Library and Information Association, 69(2), 191-214. https://doi.org/10.1080/24750158.2020.1756598 Objective – Investigating current change management practices to create a conceptual management framework for the 21st century. Design – Interviews using a qualitative constructivist approach. Setting – Australian university libraries. Subjects – Chief university librarians of 18 public universities out of 37 in Australia. Methods – Chief university librarians in more than half of the public university libraries in Australia were interviewed. The interviews were completed face-to-face using a semi-structured questioning approach, based on themes and concepts derived from the literature review. Observation data were also gathered through physical visits to the libraries. The data analysis was conducted using two Microsoft Excel matrices, one grouped thematically and the other populated with relevant literature review commentary when it aligned with interviewee commentary. The conceptual framework used to guide the research is made up of six fundamentals of performance improvements to effectively manage change: resources, relevance, stakeholders, strategy, government policy, and university infrastructure. The research focused on current change management practices of chief librarians as they address these issues. Main Results – The research revealed that the influence of, or the relationship between, the factors affecting changing university library environments creates a complex administrative environment where decision making addressing one of the fundamentals can have negative unintended consequences in one or more of the other key areas. The authors note that the literature and views of the informants show a change in the objectives of the future academic library characterized by, but not limited to, initiatives that are designed to meet changing needs of a diverse group of stakeholders. These objectives must be “innovative” and “add value to the university business rather than continue to do what was traditionally done” (Gunapala et al., 2020, p. 203). Conclusion – The authors profess that the study provides theoretical insight to help library leaders address the many challenges currently in place and emerging across the Australian university library landscape. They assert that the research reveals the need to shift focus from a more traditional transactional oriented model to an engagement orientated model, due to the introduction of market forces coupled with declining public funding. They conclude by claiming to provide a theoretical framework that when practically implemented will allow library leaders to successfully navigate and negotiate emerging changes across the spectrum of higher education.

Editorial: Embracing an Open Future

As alluded to in our last few editorials, there are some exciting changes on the horizon for Library Resources & Technical Services, beginning with our move to being fully open access starting in 2023. A good deal of work has been happening behind the scenes to bring this move to fruition, both among the LRTS editors as well as in conjunction with the editors at our Core sister publications (Information Technology and Libraries and Library Leadership & Management) and the Core Executive Board. While there is still much work to be done at this stage, we hope to be able to share more information with our readers soon, so watch this space as well as other Core information channels such as ALA Connect. In anticipation of kicking off the next year as a fully open access publication, we are happy to devote this editorial to a call for papers devoted to the impacts of open access on technical services work.

Flexible Work Agreements: Here to Stay but Uneven in Equity and Promoting Success

A Review of:Hosoi, M., Reiter, L., & Zabel, D. (2021). Reshaping Perspectives on Flexible Work: The Impact of COVID-19 on Academic Library Management. portal: Libraries and the Academy 21(4), 695-713. doi:10.1353/pla.2021.0038 Objective – The article seeks to assess the current state and the future of flexible work agreements (FWAs) in research libraries. Design – The authors held semi-structured interviews with 31 individuals in library leadership roles. Setting – Large American or Canadian research libraries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Subjects – 31 individuals in senior leadership roles (ex: associate dean, director) at the top 50 research libraries in North America (based on the Association of Research Libraries Investment Index). Methods – Interviews were conducted and recorded over Zoom with participant, investigator, and note taker. Investigators developed a quantitative coding instrument based on a selection of the interviews, then coded all interviews independently. Coded data were evaluated for broader themes in a collaborative fashion. Main Results – All participants had employees working partially or fully remotely at the time of the interviews. Half of participants observed gains in productivity during the pandemic, although even more commented on technology challenges. Other positives included remote project success and more inclusive meetings; other negatives included caregiving and job duties that did not allow for remote work. Conclusion – While FWAs were widely available pre-pandemic, they were not normative. The majority of participants think flexible work will only increase in libraries and will influence recruitment and retention of employees, as well as utilization of library space.

Designing the Diversity of Canadian Libraries: Excerpts from the CARL Inclusion Perspectives Webinar by Racialized Library Colleagues

Five academic librarians from libraries that represent the Canadian Academic Research Libraries (CARL) were invited to share their experiences as racialized librarians. In 2021, the Canadian Academic Research Libraries (CARL) hosted an Inclusion Perspectives Webinar Series, organized by CARL’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Working Group (EDIWG) and the contents of this paper are presentations by these librarians who were invited to speak on systems, structures, and policies needed to dismantle racism; practical strategies to attract and retain racialized library employees; accreditation issues; and provide advice for what Canadian library leaders can start doing immediately.