Full Description
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.
Contents
Foreword, by Jon Cawthorne
Introduction, by Amanda Clay Powers, Martin Garnar, and Dustin Fife
Chapter 1 — Making the Leap, by Amanda Clay Powers and Elaine Westbrooks
Chapter 2 — Building Effective Teams, by Martin Garnar and Lorelei Tanji
Chapter 3 — Learning to Lead and Manage, by Dustin Fife and Amy Kelly
Chapter 4 — Maintaining Personal Values, by Amanda Clay Powers and Faye A. Chadwell
Chapter 5 — Institutional Advocacy, by Dustin Fife and Annie Bélanger
Chapter 6 — Recruiting and Retention: Building a Diverse Team, by Amanda Clay Powers, Martin Garnar, and Dustin Fife
Chapter 7 — Making Hard Decisions, Having Difficult Conversations, and Setting Expectations, by Dustin Fife and Lesli Baker
Chapter 8 — Managing Mistakes and Building on Failure, by Martin Garnar and Melissa De Santis
Chapter 9 — Creating a Culture of Change, by Martin Garnar and Trevor A. Dawes
Chapter 10 — Professional Development, by Dustin Fife and Alexia Hudson-Ward
Chapter 11 — Building, Renovations, and Facilities, by Amanda Clay Powers and Krisellen Maloney
Chapter 12 — Crisis Management, by Martin Garnar and Adriene Lim
Chapter 13 — Finding Your Role in the University, by Dustin Fife and Carol Smith
Chapter 14 — Fundraising and Development, by Amanda Clay Powers and Yolanda Cooper
Chapter 15 — Developing and Managing Budgets, by Martin Garnar and Maggie Farrell
About the Authors and Contributors
Index
