Library Leadership is an intellectual space to dialogue and think through library leadership and library practice building on two (maybe three) assumptions:
- Most practicing librarians (those with an MLS/MLIS) will likely find themselves in a leadership role (positional or non-positional). For example, librarians may be asked to lead an initiative across the institution or step into a position of leadership.
- Non-positional leadership i.e. one can and needs to learn how to effectively lead from where they are situated.
Library Leadership will be discussion based. I hope to model a praxis of library leadership by applying leadership theory to issues or “trends” that affect/influence library practice. The first part of the course will consider leadership approaches, theory, philosophy. Through a discussion of leadership, I hope students will begin to develop or think about articulating their leadership philosophy or approach. A variety of texts will be used to discuss leadership theories and definitions.
We will then situate leadership in a “library” context(s) and consider institutional structures. Once situated in an institutional context, we will then look at some broad issues that impact libraries, for example, ALA’s Center for the Future of Libraries Trends – https://www.ala.org/tools/future/trends. Considering the situated context, what complex local/global issues are impacting libraries and the communities they serve?
Finally, we/students will apply “leadership” to a locally situated issue toward a desired change. Leading change intersects my personal inclination toward leadership e.g. transformational leadership which leads me into a potential “third” assumption. I do not believe there are enough spaces where theory and practice of librarianship is being openly discussed and applied.
With Library Leadership, it is my hope to open and model dialogic space where theory and practice of library leadership and issues affecting libraries and the communities they serve can be discussed. Please email me with any questions or enroll in Library leadership.
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