Making a Difference: Leadership and Academic Libraries

by Peter Hernon

Leadership is separate from, but integral to, management; and library directors today and for the foreseeable future can be expected to play an institutional role as they lead the library to contribute towards the mission of their college and university. Similarly, new courses in library leadership now accompany more traditional ones on managing organizations and information resources. However, much of the literature on LIS leadership represents a distilled application of principles and practices borrowed from other disciplines, with few reports of research from the library field. Conceived as a companion to The Next Library Leadership (Libraries Unlimited, 2003), Making a Difference includes not only a discussion of effective attributes, but of issues central to the development of leadership qualities, strategies, and dispositions. Essential reading for anyone interested in advancing the quality of leadership within LIS, particularly academic librarians in or aspiring to positions of "managerial leadership."

Genres: Library Science

316 pages, Paperback

First published September 5, 2000

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good mix of theory and practical application for anyone who works in a academic library - not just current administrators.

The articles offer both insight and theory on what makes good leader, how leaders can improve what they do, and how employees in a library can work towards effective leadership themselves.

A worthwhile read.