A new role leading in any capacity, but particularly as a library director, can be stressful. New leaders usually get lots of tips on what to do. A good honeymoon period strategy can also benefit from a few what-not-to-do tips.
Careers
What Not to Do: Tips for New Library Leaders | Leading from the Library
By on July 26, 2017 4 Comments
Hiring is Recruiting: A Career Often Begins in a Low-level Library Job | Blatant Berry
By on July 20, 2017 3 Comments
Many of my closest librarian friends found their way into our profession much as I did. We had no idea what a librarian did, nor how or why anyone would become one. In my case, just out of the U.S. Army after two years as a draftee and badly in need of a livelihood, I followed up on an advertisement from a local library.
Meet United for Libraries’ New Executive Director, President-Elect
By on July 11, 2017 Leave a Comment
United for Libraries (UFL), the division of the American Library Association that supports library trustees, Friends, and foundations, recently filled two major leadership positions. Skip Dye, VP of library marketing and digital sales at big five publisher Penguin Random House, was elected 2018–19 UFL president, and will serve as president-elect during 2017–18. Beth Nawalinski, who has served as UFL deputy executive director since 2015 and has led the division’s revenue-producing programs, internal and external communications, and membership retention and growth, will step in as executive director July 31 to succeed retiring ED Sally Reed.
Asking for a Friend: Tough Questions (and Honest Answers) about Organizational Culture | ALA Annual 2017
By on July 6, 2017 2 Comments
Do you have questions about your library’s organizational culture? You’re not alone. On Monday, June 26, more than a hundred people attended a standing-room only session on how to work toward change within library management structures, whether academic, public, school, or special. Audience members were able to submit questions beforehand and via Twitter, creating an […]
More News from ALA Annual 2017:
- News from the Show Floor | ALA Annual 2017
- Hillary Clinton Gives Closing Speech | ALA Annual 2017
- Intellectual Freedom and Open Access | ALA Annual 2017
- New Writers Museum Hosts CCF Benefit | ALA Annual 2017
- Government, Inside and Out | ALA Annual 2017
- United for Libraries Author Panels | ALA Annual 2017
- Growing Readership Through Diversity | ALA Annual 2017
- Taking a Stand Against Islamophobia | ALA Annual 2017
- Libraries Are Not Neutral Spaces: Social Justice Advocacy in Librarianship | ALA Annual 2017
- Asking for a Friend: Tough Questions (and Honest Answers) about Organizational Culture | ALA Annual 2017
- OITP’s Report from the Swamp | ALA Annual 2017
- “Acting for Humanity”: Libraries Worldwide Respond to UN Sustainable Development Goals | ALA Annual 2017
One of the Toughest Leadership Jobs: The College Presidency | Leading from the Library
By on June 29, 2017 Leave a Comment
An uptick in a number of college presidents leaving their positions early on, along with two new reports on the skills necessary to be an effective college leader, shed some light on what it takes to lead a complex organization.
The Midcareer MLIS | LIS Education
By on June 15, 2017 1 Comment
When it comes to what makes a good librarian, the first requirement is experience—whether in the library, working with records, or talking to patrons and students. But sometimes there is no substitute for earning a Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) degree—either to meet the benchmarks necessary to further a career already in progress, or to shift from an (often already successful) path in another profession.
A Better Ladder: Fostering the Leaders Libraries Need | Editorial
By on March 20, 2017 Leave a Comment
The talent at work in libraries should make anyone optimistic for the future—not only of libraries but of the varied communities they serve. As the latest class of LJ Movers & Shakers demonstrates, the field is rippling with energetic, committed, innovative people addressing issues to create ever better service. It’s important that today’s leaders guarantee an institutional dynamic that will keep up-and-coming visionaries like these happy in libraries, allow them to flourish, and enable the best to step forward into larger roles.
The Next Step: Manager | Careers
By on March 20, 2017 Leave a Comment
Conversations with library managers across diverse systems reveal widely varied experiences. They also surface a handful of overlapping core values that make for a truly effective library manager and offer lessons for those who aspire to the role.
The Next Step: Director | Careers
By on March 20, 2017 Leave a Comment
As a line on a résumé, the title of library director looks straightforward enough: the highest administrative role a public library has to offer; one that comes with great responsibilities and challenges—but also the opportunity to map a future for the library. In reality, a director’s duties vary widely from one system to another, as do the paths that lead to the role.
Exit Strategies | Careers
By on March 20, 2017 Leave a Comment
Library jobs change for many reasons: community needs shift, technology automates old tasks or enables new ones, new leadership sets new priorities, or economic setbacks spur pruning. The results for those already in the job can be a challenge—and sometimes, the best course is to exit and regroup.
