Making a Positive Impact as a Library Leader: A Qualitative Study of Past and Future Library Leaders

 

Session Description:
This study analyzed responses from 318 academic librarians in order to understand what leadership traits had a positive effect on their work lives and what traits future library leaders need. Their responses were grouped into seven leadership themes for past positive leaders: emotional intelligence, empowering, visionary thinker, communicator, librarian/manager, trustworthy, and a catalyst for change; and six themes for future library leaders: people first, visionary, change agent, experienced librarian, role model, and communicator. The leadership themes of past positive and future library leaders overlap on five themes: inter and intrapersonal skills, visioning, communicating, change agent, and competent and experienced librarian.

 

Posted in 2019 Contributed Paper.