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Mid-Career Library and Information Professionals: A leadership primer

Edited by Dawn Lowe-Wincentsen, Oregon Institute of Technology and Linda Crook, Washington State University, USA

Chandos Information Professional Series

…a very current, topical and easy-to-read book that is perfect for the busy librarian.
Australian Library Journal

…a valuable addition to a professional library for a librarian seeking career advancement or looking for new work challenges.
Australian Library Journal

One of the book's strengths is that it is written by librarians with a wide breadth of experiences. They provide useful references for further reading, and many of them make effective use of tables to convey key points. The book's format, length and price are reasonable.
Journal of the Canadian Health Libraries Association

 - perspectives on leadership from mid-career information professionals
 - tips and tools on how to become a leader from the middle of your career
 - a how-to guide on making changes from the middle
 - learn how to make your own career development plan

As librarians move into the middle of their careers, they are more ready than ever to take on new leadership opportunities. Literature on leadership is expanding in the field of library and information sciences, and more and more seminars and workshops are being offered for new and seasoned leaders. This book asks the questions: ‘What about us?’ and, ‘Where is the leadership advice and training for those who are no longer new librarians, but are also not yet seasoned leaders?’ The title illustrates how to work the middle, from being in the sophomore slump progressing to the next leaders in the field, to look for perspectives from others who are in the middle of their career, and how they have developed into leaders, ways to develop one’s own style of leadership and grow one’s career and future as a librarian and information professional.

Readership: Those who are in the grey area between new professional and established leader. If you have more than 5 years experience and are not quite ready for retirement then read this book.

£49.50 / US$85.00 / €60.00

An e-book version of this title is available to purchase as part of a Collection or Pick n Mix. Visit Chandos Publishing Online

About the editors

Dawn Lowe-Wincentsen is the Portland Operations librarian at the Oregon Institute of Technology. She graduated with her MLIS from Louisiana State University in 2003, though she has been in libraries in various forms since her first job as a student assistant in the library at Linfield College in 1996. Dawn has written other various works including co-authoring A Leadership Primer for New Librarians: Tools for Helping Today's Early Career Librarians Become Tomorrow's Library Leaders (2009).

Linda Crook is Science Librarian and Assistant Professor at Washington State University, where she is the liaison to the College of Pharmacy. She received her MLIS from the University of Washington iSchool in 2000. She has been working in libraries since 1991, including time as student assistant, paraprofessional, and librarian; in a public library, a special library, and academic libraries; as lead, supervisor, division head, and branch library head. Linda is active in the American Library Association where she participated in the 2008 Emerging Leaders program. Her other works include a contribution to A Leadership Primer for New Librarians: Tools for Helping Today's Early Career Librarians Become Tomorrow's Library Leaders (2009).

Contents

Saying yes, again: an introduction to leadership for mid-career librarians
Linda Crook
 - Notes

What to do when you can’t do it all
Samantha Schmehl Hines
 - Time management in a hurry
 - Communication strategies
 - Planning for the present
 - Knowing when to quit
 - Conclusion
 - References

Empowering the reluctant new library manager
Kenneth Schlesinger
 - How librarianship prepares us for management
 - Effective tips for successful management
 - Tales from the dark side
 - Keeping a light touch

Stuck in the middle and loving it! Why middle managers have the ability to lead from the heart and the power to persuade
Melissa Aho and Erika Bennett
 - At the beginning
 - Crafting an engaging message
 - Resistance
 - Nimbleness
 - Information sharing
 - Attitude
 - Ethics
 - Skills
 - References

Making it work: leading without a pedestal
Mary Jo Orzech
 - Building a culture of shared leadership
 - Utilizing consensus decision-making
 - Handling constructive confl ict
 - Nurturing and sustaining a leadership climate
 - Partnering for professional development
 - The view from above and below
 - Prescriptive tactics
 - Observations, tips and techniques
 - Connection to participatory librarianship
 - Summary
 - References

Leading without authority: maintaining balance and relationships
Robin Ewing and Melissa Prescott
 - The library at St Cloud State University
 - Challenges in representing your department
 - Tips for representing your department
 - Challenges in working on committees and task forces
 - Tips for working on committees and task forces
 - Challenges in reaching consensus
 - Tips for reaching consensus
 - Challenges in balancing personalities
 - Tips for balancing personalities
 - Conclusion
 - References
 - Appendix 6.1: Tips for leading without authority

Career progression: mentoring to the rescue
Benedict Oladele and Adetoun Oyelude
 - Of mythology and conceptualization
 - Theoretical framework
 - Methodology
 - Data collection instruments
 - Data analysis
 - Discussion
 - Conclusion
 - References

When life and leadership collide
Kathryn Munson
 - Life’s little curveballs
 - Stay organized
 - Take care of yourself
 - Set achievable goals
 - Make time to worry
 - Know your rights
 - When things are going well, don’t procrastinate
 - Final thoughts: leading the way for others
 - References

Avoiding the Peter Principle: ‘Every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence’
Nancy Faget
 - The Peter Principle explained
 - The Principle in action
 - Fortieth anniversary of the Peter Principle
 - Avoiding a dead end
 - Know thyself
 - Final tips for refl ection
 - References

Work envy, workhorses and the mid-career librarian
Doreen Sullivan
 - What is mid-career?
 - What is envy?
 - Why we envy
 - Leadership and envy
 - Signs of envy
 - How and why envy thrives in the workplace
 - Generational envy
 - Envy and the library workplace
 - Costs of workplace envy
 - Coping with envy
 - Coping with being envied
 - Managing envy as a leader
 - Conclusion
 - References

Don’t get stuck in a rut!
Richard Moniz
 - Trust the staff
 - Assess the environment
 - Grow one’s self and one’s staff
 - Bring in outside ideas
 - Selected resources
 - References

Out of bounds: developing a library outreach program using the ‘Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership’ model
Lisa Forrest
 - Get involved: Modeling the way
 - Look into the crystal ball: Inspiring a shared vision
 - Did you say what I think you said? Challenging the process
 - Do you want to collaborate? Enabling others to act
 - Awesome job! Encouraging the heart
 - Conclusion
 - Note
 - References

Technologically indispensable: leading when you’r technically competent but seen merely as a useful tool to get other folks’ ideas implemented
Aaron Dobbs
 - Culture shock
 - Thinking strategically
 - Summary
 - References

Same song, different verse: critical followership as an act of resilience for second-career librarians
Ruth Mirtz
 - The nature of second-career librarians
 - Critical followership
 - Resilience as characteristic of critical followership
 - Conclusions: building on natural tendencies
 - References

New in town: leadership betwixt and between
Herman A. Peterson
 - First steps
 - Liaisons
 - Reference
 - Instruction
 - Listening as a tool

Making your mark: scholarship, ‘niche-building,’ and other ways of defining and marketing
Jacob Hill and Sarah Hill
 - The case for librarian scholarship
 - Step 1: Enunciating your interests, specialties, and opinions
 - Step 2: Identifying the potential within your field
 - Step 3: Gathering institutional support
 - Step 4: Identify appropriate venues
 - Step 5: Finding opportunities to collaborate
 - Conclusion: the snowball effect of good ideas
 - References

Exercise your leadership potential
Dawn Lowe-Wincentsen
 - Inertia
 - Exercising your potential
 - If at fi rst you don’t succeed . . .
 - Try, try again
 - Reference