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The path towards leadership starts with you. But you don’t have to go it alone. For this book, the authors sat down with many of the library leaders they most admire for a series of conversations about the aspects of the job that they find the most fascinating (and challenging). Much like the chats you might have over coffee at a conference or with a mentor, these frank discussions will nourish you with nuts-and-bolts wisdom on a diverse range of academic library management issues. Among the topics and situations broached are

• balancing personal values against the common refrain “you don’t get to be who you want to be in positions like ours”;
• five questions to ask that reveal much about organizational culture and climate;
• creating a culture of change, including why a newly promoted director chose to make the most drastic changes in the first 100 days;
• forming a “dean team” to help frame responses with consideration to institutional culture;
• the value of demystifying the budget for the entire library staff;
• using tools such as a personal “learning journal” to fuel professional development;
• cultivating a personal network by setting up meetings at local libraries during conferences;
• the risks that result from jumping into a situation too fast and boxing yourself into a corner;
• lessons learned from failed initiatives;
• examples of navigating controversies, such as a director’s response to a WPA mural with a racist message; and
• managing facilities, with an example of how injecting a previously ignored library voice into a building project led to a tripling of the space.

Between these covers you’ll find guidance, ideas, and inspiration as you continue your leadership journey.

Many libraries have archives, which serve a distinct function, albeit in a shared setting. Reconciling differences between archivists and librarians has been a long-standing issue for the information professions in the United States. Today more than ever, librarians and archivists need to understand one another and harmonize their divergent but complementary professional paths. ARCHIVES IN LIBRARIES: WHAT LIBRARIANS AND ARCHIVISTS NEED TO KNOW TO WORK TOGETHER builds a bridge toward that harmonization, suggesting ways in which archivists working in libraries can better negotiate their relationships with the institution and with their library colleagues. It also helps librarians and library directors better understand archival work by providing overviews of archival concepts, policies, and best practices. Vignettes and interviews throughout the book articulate similarities and points of departure between libraries and archives while highlighting the issues and offering solutions to practical problems.

The necessity for library leaders to demonstrate that libraries are innovative, collaborative, and can provide eye-catching, transformational services and programs to their communities cannot be understated. But libraries do not suffer from a lack of big ideas. What library workers really need is a roadmap for making those impactful ideas become reality. Based in part on her extensive experience coordinating large-scale initiatives, this guide from ASCLA Leadership and Professional Achievement Award-winning consultant Horton will walk you through formulating and shaping your ideas into sellable, actionable projects. You’ll learn 

• techniques drawn from project management experts and researchers from many fields;
• why Big Hairy Audacious Goals (BHAG) are worth your time and effort;
• guidance on upscaling your idea into a project or service that can be launched at a statewide, community wide, or library consortium level;
• several case studies of large-scale library projects, with analysis of why they were successful;
• how to successfully combine foundational principles of innovation with practical methods for collaboration;
• methods for extending your reach beyond your usual sphere to partner with other libraries and organizations;
• how to sharpen your skills of persuasion;  
• no-nonsense advice on leading teams of disparate individuals; and
• evaluative tips for affirming the project is on the right track and then correcting course as needed.

Just because a set of responsibilities isn’t formally called management doesn’t mean that it isn’t management. And this vital text speaks to a reality that all current professionals already know: that is, everyone studying to enter the profession needs an introduction to the topic of management. Because no matter what one’s role in an academic or public library context, it will involve decision-making, planning, and organization skills. Newly revised and updated, this book pulls together management best practices from library management experts teaching in LIS programs across the U.S. and Canada. Among the many topics discussed are

• classic and contemporary theories of management, and how they apply to the library;
• human resource planning;
• marketing and public relations;
• negotiations, mediation, and financial management of the library;
• facilities management;
• information technology management and future trends;
• change management, organizational culture; and
• ethics and confidentiality.

The recipient of rave reviews from far and wide (Journal of Hospital Librarianship deemed it “a librarian’s dream … very forward-thinking”), since its initial publication this text has served as an essential resource for both LIS students and practitioners. The new fourth edition offers an updated, comprehensive examination of the myriad of basic skills effective library managers must exercise throughout their careers. Throughout, Evans and new co-author Greenwell pay close attention to management in "new normal" straitened economic conditions and the pervasive impact of technology on a library manager’s role. This book’s coverage includes

• a new focus on how being in the public/nonprofit sector influences the application of management basics such as planning, accountability, trust and delegation, decision making, principles of effective organizational communication, fostering change and innovation, quality control, and marketing;
• the managerial environment, organizational skill sets, the importance of a people-friendly organization, and legal issues;
• key points on leadership, team-building, and human resource management;
• budget, resource, and technology management;
• management ethics, with a lengthy discussion of why ethics matter; and
• tips for planning a library career, with a look at the work/life debate.

This book, to quote Australian Library Journal, is “a recommended text for library science students, but is also an excellent source of information for career librarians wanting to refresh their knowledge of library management in a fast-moving information services environment.”

Gallup’s 2019 State of the American Workplace Report found that 70 percent of employees are disengaged at work. Why is worker engagement so important? Engaged workers lead to engaged libraries — vibrant institutions that nurture their workers’ dedication, creativity, and innovation so they can serve their communities most effectively. This guide walks library managers and administrators through concrete steps to change their organization’s culture so that it fosters worker engagement, using first-hand accounts from library staff to illustrate both successes and failures. Readers will discover

• why libraries often fall short at hiring good leadership and ways to develop better recruitment strategies moving forward;
• how lack of trust pushes workplace culture towards incivility, hostility, and lower morale, and what library leaders can do to rebuild it;
• methods for using recognition and praise as tools for sustaining a positive work environment;
• the rationale for eliminating annual performance reviews in favor of less formal one-on-one conversations and “just in time” continuous feedback;
• the secrets behind high performing teams, strategies to support dysfunctional teams, and tips on how to develop remote teamwork; and
• why viewing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) as separate from workplace culture is counterproductive, since it is actually the positive result of a strong foundation, with advice on combating the factors that contribute to low retention rates of BIPOC librarians.