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Lead the Way: Practical Leadership Skills for Librarians

Leadership in libraries can have many different faces and does not require that you supervise people in your paid position. Leadership roles can be found throughout the library, from the paraprofessional at the circulation desk to the new library school graduate working at the reference desk. Leadership opportunities can include working with small groups or committees within a library, becoming involved in local and/or regional library associations, and presenting papers at local or national conferences.

Leadership, and the definition of leadership, can be elusive. A leader might be defined as someone who moves a group or a project from the status quo to a new a different place or might simply be defined as someone who has power. Regardless of the definition, leadership is nearly always a process of learning skills and having the opportunity to test new skills in various situations. Leadership is rarely a quality that an individual instantly understands and can control with certainty.

Whether you consider yourself a successful leader or are at the beginning stages of developing your leadership skills, there are some key qualities we all can acquire and improve in order to increase our leadership success.

Organize – One of the most valuable skills we posses as librarians is our ability to organize information. When leading, organization becomes a valuable tool, especially when working with groups. When having meetings, make sure the group knows why the meeting is being held and what they are expected to contribute. Prepare an agenda that is distributed beforehand and have a set of outcomes that are expected from the meeting.
Communicate – Communication is key for any relationship, but leaders must communicate continuously. Securing trust is one of the most critical aspects of being a successful leader, a process that begins with good communication. Positive communication includes actively listening to contributors and providing feedback when appropriate. Leaders also need to encourage communication from all individuals involved in a group in order to create an environment where consensus is possible.
Be Hopeful – One of the qualities groups value most in successful leaders is optimism. While a process may be difficult and filled with disappointment, groups need to know from leaders that a positive outcome is attainable.
Praise and Celebrate – Acknowledge individual contributions and group success and milestones. Celebrations recognize when hard work has been completed and energizes groups as new projects begin.

About the Author:

Valerie Nye currently works as a public library consultant for the New Mexico State Library. She recently attended the Mountain Plains Library Association (MPLA) Leadership Institute, and encourages librarians living in the MPLA region to attend next year’s institute. For information on MPLA’s Leadership Institute visit: http://www.usd.edu/mpla/leadership/. Applications for next year’s institute will be accepted beginning in February.

Article published Jan 2004

Disclaimer: The ideas expressed in LIScareer articles are those of their respective authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the LIScareer editors.

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