Info Career Trends November 1, 2004 vol. 5, no. 6 ISSN 1532-0839 Published by Lisjobs.com - http://www.lisjobs.com E-mail: editor@lisjobs.com In This Issue (Leadership): 1) Editor's Note 2) Career Q&A From the Library Career People (job hunt advice) 3) Unintentional Leaders 4) Motivation and Leadership For Managers 5) Developing the Leader in You 6) Growing Good Library Leaders 7) What's Online? Recommended Resources 8) But I Want To Hold It In My Hand! Review: The Practical Library Trainer 9) Administrivia, Copyright, Subscription and Removal Instructions ======== Editor's Note This issue’s theme of leadership could hardly be less timely. Librarians at all levels are beginning to realize the necessity of succession planning and of focusing on the future of our profession. This depends both on our ability to grow new leaders and on newer librarians’ willingness to develop their own skills and learn from the acquired institutional wisdom of their predecessors. Today’s authors repeatedly emphasize the theme that library leaders are “made,” rather than “born;” think as you read about how you can make yourself more viable as a library leader. Part of developing your leadership abilities includes paying attention to your own professional development. We stretch ourselves and grow professionally by contributing to the profession in various ways, from participating in associations to keeping up with new developments to writing for the professional literature. If you want to stretch your own skills, keep in mind that ICT is currently seeking contributors to the March (alternative careers), May (charting our path), and July (getting what you're worth) issues. Find contributor guidelines at http://www.lisjobs.com/newsletter/theme.htm#contrib , and please send queries to editor@lisjobs.com. I look forward to seeing your ideas! On that note, if you’re interested in writing for ICT (or anywhere else, for that matter), you might want to check out my new monthly “Publish, Don't Perish” column for Emerald’s Library Link. It provides advice and reassurance for all librarian writers, whether you’re working on your first piece or your 50th. Find it online at: http://ariel.emeraldinsight.com/vl=504659/cl=17/nw=1/rpsv/librarylin k/published/perish.htm OR http://makeashorterlink.com/?E25B321A9 . - rachel (editor@lisjobs.com ======== *** Find yourself with management responsibilities? Check out The Accidental Library Manager! http://www.lisjobs.com/talm/ ======== Career Q&A From the Library Career People (librarycareerpeople@lisjobs.com) Q: I am currently working part-time as an archivist in the Chicagoland area and would desperately like to land a full-time job as an archivist. I am willing to move to a different state if necessary and I am willing to take public, academic, or special library jobs to bide my time too. The problem is that no matter how many times I apply for positions, I either make it to the interview stage and get rejected, or get no interview at all and simply a "thank you but we've hired someone else" letter. What can I do? This has been going on for 3 years and it is so horribly frustrating. Please help! - Desperate in Chicago Dear Desperate in Chicago: We know this has to be a terribly frustrating time for you. Finding a job is sometimes a long and difficult process. We hope the information provided below will be helpful to you in your search. Above all, stay confident and hopeful that the perfect job for you is just around the corner. Sincerely, Susanne and Tiffany TA: Looking For a Job: Where to Look and What to Look For When beginning any job search, you want to make sure you are looking for the right job and in the right places. Your ability to relocate is definitely an advantage; you won't have to limit your searches geographically. Don’t limit your search by format, either: monitor lists, check web sites, and look at print publications. You may also want to consider looking at job boards at local LIS schools. In academic library circles, it is common to use the Chronicle of Higher Education at http://chronicle.com/jobs/browse/position/ (vacancy announcements are available both online and in print), the Association of Research Libraries site ( http://db.arl.org/careers/index.html ), specific institutions’ sites, and association lists. (Some specific sub-groups include the Hispanic Librarians Association, African American Library and Information Science, Asian Pacific and Chinese Librarians Association, and Black-IP (Black Information Professionals' Network).) For archivist positions, you will specifically want to look at the Society of American Archivists site, specifically the SAA Online Employment Bulletin at http://www.archivists.org/employment/index.asp . For general searches for librarian and information professional positions, also check out Lisjobs.com. Good research, careful selection and solid preparation are the keys to a successful job hunt. While reading vacancy announcements, there are a number of things to consider. First, are you interested in the job? Read the duties very carefully and see if they fit your interests and experience. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, are you qualified for the position? Look closely at its requirements and assess how they match your education and experience. Your goal is to find a position that closely matches your background; the closer the match, the more likely you are to be a good fit. If the qualifications are broken into "required" and "preferred," in most cases, you must meet the required, and it is helpful if you have some of the preferred. Be sure to be very clear in your cover letter and resume when discussing how you meet the qualifications of the position. Speaking of the cover letter and resume... SM: The Cover Letter The cover letter is an introduction, the first impression you make on a potential employer, and the document that could get your resume in the door. If your cover letter is terrible - or terribly generic - your resume - no matter how fantastic - may not stand on its own. The cover letter is the bridge between your resume and the position. Keep the tone friendly but professional. Do not repeat what is listed in your resume; rather, relate your experience and your skills to the requirements of the position. The cover letter is where you can discuss transferable skills, emphasize your qualifications, and make it clear that you are interested in the specific position. Look closely at the job description and use its terminology as you address how your qualifications match up. Do not forget to state where you saw the ad, and do not forget to spell- check the document. Read it out loud, and have at least one other person proofread it for you. The cover letter is an example of your communication skills, so allow your voice to come through and make it shine. Resume A resume needs to reflect your work experience, your education, and your skills. It is a work in progress, keep it handy and update it regularly as you gain more experience and learn new skills. Make sure that all of the job requirements, and ideally some of the preferred qualifications, are not only reflected, but accentuated. If transferable skills or experience come from non-library jobs, be sure to list those jobs in your resume as well. Content is definitely king, but formatting, organization, and wording are also extremely important when it comes to building your resume. Look at examples in books and on the web to get formatting ideas. Before sending it out, have your resume reviewed by colleagues or a friend. If you are a student, use your career services office. Or, have a library professional review your resume using the NMRT (New Members Round Table) Resume Review Service ( http://www.geocities.com/nmrtrrs/jobseekers.html ). References Your references are a very important part of your application, so choose them carefully. They should be able to talk positively about your accomplishments and provide details about your current, or recent, job activities and duties. It is your responsibility to keep these people updated on your professional or academic life, your current activities and your job search. Make sure that you ask permission to list them as a reference. When you apply for a position, let them know about it, provide them with your updated resume and a description of the position, and notify them if you expect that they will be contacted by the search committee. Having professional contacts who can speak well about you and your work activities is a considerable asset, no matter where you are in your career. The Telephone Interview If you are looking to relocate to a different city or state, then the first interview you have will probably be done over the phone. Even though telephone interviews are not as long or intense as in- person interviews, they can still be extremely intimidating. Prepare for the phone interview as you would for an in-person interview. Have a copy of your resume, your cover letter, and the job description in front of you (it helps to be in a quiet room with the door closed). Do your research ahead of time to gather information about the institution. Have your questions written down, and make sure that you arm yourself with pen and paper to write down additional information or questions while talking. Do not be afraid to ask an interviewer to repeat a question, or ask for a minute to think about your answer. With no visual cues, phone interviews are awkward for everyone, including the interviewers, so try to be as natural and personable as possible and show your enthusiasm for the position. The On-Site Interview Prepare, prepare, prepare! Even if you are not asked to do a presentation or instruction session, be prepared to talk about aspects of the position, librarianship, and the future of libraries. Show the search committee that you care about the profession enough to keep up-to-date on new technologies, concepts, and issues. If you need to do a formal presentation or instruction session, get some help from current colleagues, friends, or a professor, and make sure that you practice - a lot! As with the phone interview, do your research, visit the library's web site, and find out as much information as you can about the library, its employees and the larger institution. Have a list of questions to ask your interviewers. Be professional at all times, even during dinner, and even if you are exhausted. Remember the little things that make a big difference: shake hands, smile, be charming, treat everyone equally, dress and act professionally, answer each question as it if were the first time being asked, interview your interviewers, and send thank-you letters. For tips on interviewing, see the interviewing advice section on Lisjobs.com ( http://www.lisjobs.com/advice.htm#interview ) and the job hunting section of LIScareer.com ( http://www.liscareer.com/jobhunting.htm ). TA: Following up Now that you have mailed out dozens of cover letters and resumes, and survived a few telephone and/or on-site interviews, what's next? If you get a job offer, great! All is right with the world. If, however, you get the letter or telephone call from HR to inform you that they have offered the position to someone else, what do you do? First, always remain gracious. Thank them for the opportunity to meet with them and to visit their library. You want to always leave on a good note; maybe you weren't the perfect candidate for this job, but there may be another in the near future, and you want them to remember you (in a good way). And while this may not be the easiest thing to do at a somewhat emotional time, you have the right to ask the HR person how the other candidate was a better fit for the position and if there are things you could do to improve your standing for the next interview. Outside of the context of a formal interview, there are also things you may want to pursue to improve your marketability. Continue to build on current strengths and develop areas that need improvement by taking advantage of continuing education and professional development opportunities. As we have discussed in previous columns ( http://www.lisjobs.com/newsletter/archives/may04careerpeople.htm ), you might want to conduct an informational interview or two. Meet with people in a job that you are interested in and ask them how they got there. Attend professional meetings and conferences to meet people and network with colleagues. Talk to a mentor or supervisor about your job searching experiences; maybe they can provide some support, insight and guidance. SM: The application and interview process can be a long and arduous journey for many people. Take time in the beginning to narrow your search and focus on specific jobs, areas, and types of libraries and institutions. Be picky, but be comprehensive in your job hunt. The pieces listed above are important parts of a whole package, and with preparation and confidence, along with the right skills, experience, and timing, they will eventually lead you to a job. Keep in mind that the search itself is a learning process that will allow you to refine your interview skills, your cover letter voice, and your resume. It is also a great way to see what types of jobs are out there as you meet and interact with library professionals. In the end, be patient and optimistic, even if it takes an appallingly long time to get the job you want. *** Have a question for the Library Career People? E-mail it to librarycareerpeople@lisjobs.com, and you could see it answered in an upcoming column. Sorry, we cannot provide personal responses. About the Authors Tiffany Allen is currently serving as the Assistant Personnel Librarian at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prior to her work in academic librarianship, Tiffany worked in a variety of libraries, including a small non-profit library and a large corporate research library. Susanne Markgren is Reference Coordinator and Web Librarian at the Levy Library, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, in New York City. Her career experience encompasses a variety of positions in different types of libraries, including public, special, and academic. ======== *** Post your resume online! See http://www.lisjobs.com/resumes.htm for details. ======== Unintentional Leaders by Chrissie Anderson Peters (capeters@northeaststate.edu) Those with no real training in or natural inclination towards leadership nevertheless sometimes find themselves thrust into leadership positions. One common misconception about leadership is that leaders are somehow born with the qualities that make them effective. Even the great football coach Vince Lombardi maintained, however: "Leaders aren't born; they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work." Often, people are interested in "helping out," but have no real desire to become leaders. Our professional organizations and institutions are filled with these people, who are at the heart and soul of what the profession is doing and becoming. Often, this is a matter of being in the right place at the right time (or, from the perspective of the unintentional leader, the wrong place at the wrong time). Sometimes it is simply by default, because no one else will step forward. Sometimes it is because a colleague sees some glimmer of promise within others that those people never even imagined, much less observed, in themselves. In the following sections, I’ll discuss how to identify these very capable unintentional leaders, how to help them accept the opportunities presented to them, and how to help them learn to accept the responsibilities, challenges, and work that come with leadership. These can all seem daunting to anyone in leadership positions, but especially to those who did not actively seek such positions. Good Leader Qualities: Identifying Unwilling Leaders What makes a good leader? Their qualities include a passion - or at the very least, an interest - in a cause, organizational skills and/or abilities, a willingness to share of themselves, and effective communication skills. But there is something much deeper at the heart of true leadership; the best leaders are those willing to serve others. In his book titled The Proverbial Cracker Jack (R): How to Get Out of the Box and Become the Prize, motivational speaker and teacher Dale Henry explains "service" in this way: "If you had a mother like mine, chances are she wiped your runny nose [and other things]... Wouldn't you agree that she served you better than you have ever been served any other time in your entire life? She almost died giving you life, and then served you until the moment you could serve yourself... In esteem, where do you hold your mother - as a servant of low esteem, a lowly [unimportant] person, or as a servant [person] of high esteem?" His point is that those who truly serve are held in high regard by those they serve. Those who serve well inherently understand what it means to lead, even if they do not think of what they do as leading. Through giving - of their time, energy, and talents - they make a difference in many ways. Make note of those who serve well and thrive on it, even if in seemingly small ways. These are the people we need to look to as leaders and to help to find their ways into leadership positions - if leadership positions do not make their way to those individuals. Connecting Servers With Appropriate Opportunities Frequently, those who are best at serving wait until asked to do something. This can be because they don't want to intrude on what they perceive to be the order of things, because they are not quite sure of how to approach the leadership opportunity, or because they are simply too meek to seize an opportunity for themselves. Whatever their reasons, though, be prepared to intercede on the side of fate, chance, or luck. Talk up opportunities to these folks; make them aware of opportunities that they may be well-suited for, but may not know about - opportunities that they may not otherwise pursue. Groom them to move up. Lead by example, or help find someone else who can mentor this person as he/she becomes more acclimated to leadership roles. Helping Others See Themselves As Leaders In fall 2001, when I first joined the library that I'm still privileged to work for, two coworkers told me that I needed to join Boone Tree. The Boone Tree Library Association is our regional affiliate of the Tennessee Library Association, a small group that meets twice annually and offers programming of interest to the spectrum of information agencies in our geographical region. I'll admit that I am - and have been since college - a joiner, if the group seems interesting to me, and this one did. One year later - that's only two meetings, mind you - I found myself being voted in as the new President. No one else ran against me; I wasn't even asked to serve until the week of elections. No one else seemed interested in doing anything to help Boone Tree lose what I affectionately termed its status as "the best-kept secret in the Tri-Cities." Agreeing to serve was an opportunity for me to get to know people from other information agencies in our region, an opportunity for me to grow as a leader, to make sure that the next slate of candidates was ready well before elections, and to do my best to have more than one person running for each position. During my two-year tenure, I watched others grow - in the organization and through other professional contacts. Most people accepted candidacy without excessive arm-twisting, but some needed more coaxing than others. The next year, all offices except one had two people running. The membership seemed excited to have choices - especially choices of people who showed so much interest in the organization. Before the election, one person jokingly asked why I had it out for her that way. I explained that I know that she has a lot of potential and that Boone Tree would be a great place for her to explore her leadership talents and hone her leadership skills. It was obvious that she did not think of herself as a leader, yet she realized the desire to serve and to be a functional part of what Boone Tree could be. She made up excuses as to why I should find someone else who would be better-suited, who had more experience, who knew the people in the group better. But in the end, she agreed to run, and is now the new Vice-President. I have worked closely with her over the past three years. She has accepted the challenge I presented when I asked her to consider running, and is now living up to her leadership potential - not because she sought to do so on her own, but because I helped her mesh with that opportunity. Summing Up If leaders are made and not born, as Vince Lombardi believed, we have an immense obligation to ourselves and the world around us: to help identify those with the skills and desires that will create great leadership in our world. Through the hard work of those willing to step forward and learn to lead, opportunities of chance can become environments of personal knowledge and professional growth. Unintentional leaders can be shown how to refine and fine- tune their abilities by those already leading, can learn by example, and can continue the process begun by those who helped them find and accept the opportunities that brought them to leadership. Chrissie Anderson Peters is a Fall 2002 graduate of the School of Information Sciences at the University of Tennessee, a program that she participated in as a distance education student. A member of the Tennessee Library Association, the Virginia Library Association, ALSC, NMRT, and YALSA, she is a Librarian for Northeast State Community College in Blountville, TN. Her passions include writing, music, reading, traveling, her "children" (the feline kind - Mel, Reid, Xander, Willow, Ella, Cleopatra, Lance, and Mariel), and spending as much time as possible with her husband Russell, who makes her life a joy each day. Contact Chrissie at capeters@NortheastState.edu. ======== *** Need some encouragement on writing for publication? http://www.lisjobs.com/pub4lib/ ======== Motivation and Leadership For Managers by Rachel Singer Gordon (rachel@lisjobs.com) Becoming a leader in libraries means becoming the kind of manager that inspires others. Think back to the various bosses you have had and about the qualities shared by those who inspired you to do your best work. Now, how can you best epitomize those qualities? Model the behavior you want your staff to engage in. Positive motivation is often a better strategy than reprimanding—motivated employees want to do well, rather than just acting out of fear. It may be comforting for library managers working under strict budget constraints or union rules governing raises to realize that studies show that salary is rarely the biggest motivating factor for employees. However, some employees can be easily demotivated by the impression that they are being compensated less-than fairly, especially when compared to their coworkers. Think about what motivates your employees as individuals; every staff member is different. Katharine Salzmann, Archivist/Curator of Manuscripts, Special Collections Research Center, Morris Library, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois, says: “You have to realize how truly different people are, and how one person’s motivation can vary so much from another’s. You cannot apply one management style across the board. While it is important to be consistent and fair, it is also important to really know those who report to you, and to understand what type of leadership you need to provide them so that they can do their best.” Some general rules, though, apply in motivating most library staff members. Again, common sense here is borne out by research showing that: * Employees appreciate and are motivated by recognition of their work. Make a point of rewarding good work publicly. People need to know that their efforts are noticed and appreciated, and others will then strive to achieve some recognition of their own. Positive reinforcement goes a long way. One manager survey respondent suggests: “Give credit where credit is due. It may be one of the only bright spots a staff member may possess, in knowing ‘they own’ a piece of their efforts and are acknowledged for it. If you are secure in yourself and in your abilities, then share this confidence with others.” Another says: “Praise your staff! You should be able to find at least one thing your staff members have done each day to praise, or give a ‘well done’ comment, or even an opportunity to say thank you for a good day’s work. Praise and appreciation go a long way!” * Employees are more motivated and are happier in their working environments when the lines of communication are kept open. Secrecy and inadequate information breed resentment. * Employees are motivated by finding meaning in their work. Again, good news for many library environments, in which it is natural to focus on the meaning of the day-to-day work in terms of the institution’s mission of service to its constituents. As Guy St. Clair and Martina J. Reich write: “In fact, scratch the most hardened knowledge services employee and you’ll discover that the reason he or she is in this line of work is because, as a knowledge service professional, he or she can _make a difference._ Without question, that is what drives most knowledge professionals to do the work they do (emphasis in original).”* This is especially true of professional librarians who have made a deliberate commitment to the field, but the “make a difference” factor applies to many library staff members. Help motivate them by showing and noting how they can make a positive impact and how they are making a difference. * Employees are motivated to strive when their supervisors trust them to do a good job and trust them with responsibilities that let them take on new challenges - or to move up to new positions. Empowerment,” although a horribly overused term, nevertheless is necessary in creating a culture in which staff can thrive and work to create a thriving organization. * Employees are motivated by being challenged in their work and having the opportunity to learn and grow. Empathize with your employees here. If you were satisfied to remain stagnant, would you have accepted or agreed to move up into your management position? While people need different levels and types of challenges, most appreciate the opportunity to stretch themselves. * Employees are more motivated when they perceive that they are treated fairly and with respect. Never play favorites; never belittle an employee for any reason; show that you take them, their work, and their ideas seriously. * Employees are motivated when they know they can count on the support of their supervisors. If they are fearful of being called on the carpet for minor mistakes, they will be reluctant to go beyond. If they know that their manager will undermine their decisions or fail to back them up in front of patrons when they follow library policy, they will become resentful. Your ideal employee will be largely self-motivated, which makes her in some senses self-managing! Your role here then will be that of a guide or of a coach to help her realize her potential and to help provide the framework and the set of values - the library culture - within which people can contribute to the good of the organization. Different employees will also be more or less motivated by different factors. Again, you will begin to understand these differences as you get to know the people that you manage. For some, public recognition of a job well done may be all the motivation they need to continue to do well. Others may need the opportunity to continually challenge themselves by taking on new responsibilities, while others may be motivated by the opportunity to earn merit increases. Some may be motivated to continue their education and become more valuable assets to the library, if they will receive a new job title and/or increased compensation for their efforts. Think about the different types of rewards you can offer your staff, and about tailoring the reward to the level of accomplishment and the specific person. Can you reward people with a small but symbolic cash bonus or a gift certificate to an area business - say $25 or $50 - for suggesting a successful new program or service? Can you institute an employee-of-the-month program, with a visible but perhaps nonmonetary reward, such as a prized parking spot? Can you provide flexible scheduling or partial telecommuting options for highly self-motivated staff members who are seeking this kind of flexibility, and whose work can be done off-site or at odd hours? Can you provide highly productive and motivated employees with additional responsibilities or the flexibility to institute their own programs? Can you encourage your director to write a personal thank-you note to an employee who has done a particularly good job, or to pick an employee to praise during each staff meeting? Can you encourage staff to nominate their coworkers for employee of the month? Can you provide interested staff members with the opportunity to attend meetings of their state or national library associations? Discuss options with your administration. One staff survey respondent, Rhonda Hankins, Communications Coordinator, The Jamail Center for Legal Research, University of Texas at Austin, notes: “I also think library managers should be aware that staff salaries are relatively low. Supposed merit raises of 3 percent a year are typical. Therefore, it is incumbent on library managers to provide perks however they can. Create opportunities for staff members to attend conferences, take classes, go to special events. Be flexible with schedules, and always be complimentary when you can be. People who work in libraries generally don’t get tremendous fiscal rewards, so it is important for library managers to find some way to reward excellence.” Above all, avoid the temptation to micromanage, which inherently demotivates your staff. Librarians and other professional-level staff can be especially sensitive to micromanagement; let them get on with their work and avoid interfering without cause. As Michelle Caulk, Electronic Services Librarian, St. Charles Public Library, Illinois, says: “Relax and let people do their jobs! It’s the opposite of micromanaging. The tighter you rein people in the more they’re going to resent you. Train them well, provide useful feedback, correct them gently when necessary, and let them do their jobs.” Employees will best be motivated when morale is high overall, and morale withers in a micromanaged environment. * Guy St. Clair and Martina J. Reich, "Knowledge Services: Financial Strategies and Budgeting," Information Outlook 6:6 (June 2002): 27, 29. Rachel Singer Gordon is your ICT editor and webmaster, Lisjobs.com. This article is excerpted from Chapter 5 of The Accidental Library Manager (ITI, 2005). Quotes were taken from two surveys, one for library managers and one for library staff; the text of both can be found in an appendix to the book. More on the title and a PDF of the introduction can be found at http://www.lisjobs.com/talm/ . ======== *** Love the newsletter? Make a PayPal donation to its upkeep: https://www.paypal.com/xclick/business=rachel%40lisjobs.com ======== Developing the Leader in You by Barbara J. Arnold (bjarnold@wisc.edu) Leadership is an important component of any library and information science professional’s career. As the Admissions and Placement Adviser for the School of Library and Information Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I look for evidence of leadership or leadership potential in the applicants for our school. Our New Student Orientation program introduces professional and student organizations, and everyone is encouraged to get involved. Students that get involved by volunteering to help on committees or serving in one of the group leadership capacities are recognized by the faculty. They are the ones asked to serve on faculty committees, honored with awards and nominated for the international honor society Beta Phi Mu. They are the people that are remembered when jobs are advertised and when an organization is looking for student representatives to attend a conference. Not everyone is naturally cut out to be a leader, and there are times in one's personal and professional life when leadership roles may need to be shelved for a while. Leaders, however, are not born. They are developed through determination, training, reading, reflecting and practicing. Developing management and administrative skills is a place to start. Early in my career, shortly after library school, I took advantage of the UW Extension Management Institute's continuing education opportunities. I took the Women New to Supervisory Management workshops; a management and decision making short course; how to deal with difficult people; a program on how to run an effective meeting and an intensive grants and proposal writing workshop. My employer paid for some. I paid for the others. I considered it an investment in my professional development. Now, there are lots of opportunities for leadership development through the Special Libraries Association's (SLA) Learning Connections and its Diversity Leadership Development Program. The concept and practice of leadership has been the focus of ALA’s LAMA (Library Administration & Management Association) for the past two years. The summer 2004 issue of their Library Administration & Management journal was devoted to leadership, and the LAMA National Leadership Institute is meeting in Palm Springs, November 18-20, 2004. The Association for Research Libraries (ARL) is hosting a Leadership Symposium on January 15-16, 2005 in Boston, in conjunction with ALA's Midwinter meeting. Developing Your Leadership Skills I would recommend thinking strategically about your position and about your interests and strengths. Start by learning how to run an effective meeting. Volunteer for a committee which will use your talents and will let other staff know that you are interested and dependable and that you will do what you have said you will. Is there a new service or topic that interests you that could potentially improve your library’s services? Why not become an expert in blogging or zines, or on a local author, or reference 24X7? Share what you have learned with other staff, or offer to teach a professional development workshop. Write up your findings for publication. Leaders are people with vision and something to say. Fellowships and Mentors Post-master's fellowships, internships, or exchange programs can provide a boost to your leadership development. Often there are professional organization connections and activities associated with these appointments. The two year post-master's fellowship program at North Carolina State University, for example, provides training to enhance professional career opportunities. The program is structured so one of the work assignments is a project that can be reported in the professional literature and presented at meetings. If moving to take advantage of a fellowship or internship isn't an option, finding a mentor to help with your leadership assessment and networking connections can help. Your mentor can be someone local, a fellow library school alum, or a unit member from one of the LIS professional organizations. You can ask your mentor to help you create a leadership development plan. Ask your mentor for advice on where to put your energies. Use your mentor's connections to get nominated for an office or appointed to a committee or task force. Leadership skills grow through taking risks and through practice. Opportunities to Push Your Limits I really enjoyed the undergraduate speech classes that were required for my bachelor’s degree, and had fun acting in high school. The Dean of Students’ Office put out a call for academic staff interested in interpersonal communication skills to be trained as a trainer in a communication process model that had been promoted on the campus, and helped underwrite the cost of the training. My obligation was to teach or consult with two campus units in the year following the training. I team taught the model to another group of campus trainers and did a workshop for the Madison Area Library Council. I introduced other campus units to my school, met people from the Madison area in the library field, and use the communication skills in my job every day. This summer, the YWCA’s "Our Voice: Eliminating Racism, Empowering Women," newsletter had an article on a fall forum to be held in conjunction with the 3rd Annual Racial Justice Forum. The Community Outreach and Racial Justice Program Manager asked for volunteers to facilitate table discussions following the keynote address. The volunteers were asked to participate in two facilitator training sessions and to commit to doing two additional facilitations over the course of the year as part of "It's Time to Talk" forums. The UW-Madison SLIS has a commitment to increasing the diversity of our school and our profession. I have not been able to commit to some of the more time-intensive racial institutes that offer training on campus and in Madison, but this was a timeframe that I could handle. I enjoyed the training sessions I have attended, and am looking forward to the luncheon discussion. I have met people from the community that I would have never met otherwise, and I am planning to have one of the facilitations hosted by our school next spring. I am building on my past skills and training and pushing my comfort limits, meeting new people, and working towards one of the goals of my school. We Graduate Leaders "We graduate leaders" is the motto under photos of our alumni of the year award winners. We look to our alumni for role models and follow the careers of those in leadership positions. You are probably better prepared for developing the leader in you than you realize. There are many rewards and much satisfaction in chairing an effective committee or taking charge of a project, doing a good job, and celebrating your success through publication or professional conference presentations. You can develop the leader in you. Barbara J. Arnold is a candidate for Vice-President President Elect of the Wisconsin Library Association (WLA) and she is finishing her term on the WLA Foundation Board by serving as board president. She works as the Admissions and Placement Adviser for the UW-Madison SLIS and would be happy to hear other suggestions from you. ======== *** Have technology responsibilities in your library? Check out The Accidental Systems Librarian! Information and links online at http://www.lisjobs.com/tasl/ . ======== Growing Good Library Leaders by Zahra M. Baird (zjanmo@hotmail.com) Library leaders are vital to our profession, as they determine the direction that our libraries and library associations take. They shape the library culture by using and creating necessary management tools, learning strategies and opportunities, and they encourage others to do the same. In our field, therefore, there is a need to find out which leadership strategies work and to use them on a regular basis to nurture our library leaders. Leadership Development Strategies For Library Associations There is a need for sustained, formal, and substantive leadership development training. Too often, leadership programs get off to a flying start, and then fizzle out from lack of follow up or of a long-term plan for continued monitoring and training. Library associations also need to recognize the drastic need for increased financial support of their members, in the form of scholarships, awards, and stipends for members of all job levels (library professionals as well as support staff). Another way that library associations can bolster leadership is by coming up with creative delivery of classes, workshops, and seminars. This could include taking successful library conference programs on the road, or holding them regionally or in local libraries, rather than making members travel great distances. The timing of meetings and training events needs to be more varied, and to include evenings as well as weekends. Online book discussions are another method to foster leadership; these can focus on books that encourage the development of leadership skills. Varied perspectives and input from people from all backgrounds and jobs in the library setting will enhance members' understanding of complex leadership and library issues, and this strategy will highlight the importance of reading widely outside of our field. We need to create new ways of sharing information. By developing e- journals and e-zines, where members can submit articles and share program ideas and innovations that work, leaders can keep abreast of innovations in the field and implement new initiatives in their own settings. Leadership Development Strategies For Employers It is important to recognize the need for leadership skills and behaviors at all levels, not just at the top. Employers can include leadership as a criterion in personnel evaluations. Employers can also emphasize the value of risk taking and find opportunities to celebrate constructive failures that can nonetheless advance the library. Libraries that allow their employees to aid in the development of the library vision and in setting goals allow everyone to feel ownership of "the big picture." Staff can see how their piece of the puzzle (their job) fits into the working of the library as a whole. Having full staff meetings and offering library in-service training helps ensure that all employees are aware of what everyone is doing, and helps to involve employees in decision making. This allows them to see the value of group participation in the role of consensus building. Potential leaders need to be given the opportunity to listen and to partake in informed, constructive decision making, in order to hone their own debating, logical and deductive skills. Encourage department heads to delegate, so that people are more active and have the power to make decisions and act autonomously. This gives employees the feeling that they are competent and increases their confidence, one of the many important leadership traits which need to be fostered in employees. In times of budget crunches, libraries need to protect the budget line that enables their staff to participate in professional development activities such as conference going, workshop attendance and seminars. If we want to grow leaders, we need to ensure that staff members have the chance to participate in library workshops, conferences, training programs and seminars. Everyone should be given outlets and opportunities for augmenting and honing their skills. Encourage staff to join professional associations such as ALA, state chapters, and local library associations. These venues can serve as places where staff can work on committees, and they can in turn bring back knowledge to the library by leading in-service training and by using the skills they have learned by being active in library association work on the job. Lastly, recognizing staff members’ outstanding work and achievements will help encourage others to aspire to greater heights, and let them see that excellence is attainable. Practice Leadership Development Once employers and library associations have formed an outline of how and what strategies they want to use to develop their leaders, they must start implementing structured leadership programs. Starting small, with either employee department heads or library association council members, can be the cornerstone of an effective library or association-wide leadership training program. Successful library leadership programs need to have two components: specific leadership training paired with coaching and mentoring. Training can touch upon effective communication, conflict resolution skills, team building, recognizing and dealing with different personality styles, time and stress management, delegating skills, goal setting, critical coaching skills, and whatever other topics are specific to the individual library or library association. Coaching And Mentoring Mentoring remains an elusive phenomenon in our field. There have been several efforts to set up both informal and formal mentoring programs within libraries and library associations, which have met with varied degrees of success. Inconsistency leaves much professional development such as mentoring to chance. We need to recognize that a mentor/coach is an essential tool that helps library leaders reach peak performance by providing them with the one-on-one attention that ensures nurturing and growth. Developing a Leadership Strategy When you are in a library management position or part of your library association’s leadership, you need to help your organization identify a leadership development strategy. You need to be able to set out how the organization supports its leaders, making sure that learning styles, positive role models and realistic expectations are all considered. Successful leaders help and influence others. Leaders have a passion for what they do. If we do not attract potential leaders into our profession and nurture them, then we will find ourselves lacking in library leadership. Zahra M. Baird is a Children's Librarian at the Chappaqua Library in Chappaqua New York, and can be reached at zjanmo@hotmail.com. ======== *** Your ad here: http://www.lisjobs.com/ratecard.htm#newsletter . Reduced rates for Jan.! ======== What's Online? Recommended Resources Competencies for Information Professionals of the 21st Century http://www.sla.org/content/learn/comp2003/index.cfm SLA's competencies, although targeted at special librarians and info pros, are interesting reading for those in any library environment. A number of the areas covered require leadership competencies. Lead the Way: Practical Leadership Skills for Librarians, by Valerie Nye http://www.liscareer.com/nye_leadership.htm Although somewhat short and abrupt, this article lists a couple of the good qualities of library leaders. Leadership in the Library http://leadinthelibrary.blogspot.com A new blog focusing on leadership for school media specialists - worth watching to see where it might go. Professional Associations: Promoting Leadership In a Career - The Role of Professional Associations, by Barbara J. Glendenning and James C. Gordon http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1387/is_n2_v46/ai_2036518 2/print OR http://digbig.com/4cbgs Some good background here on what constitutes leadership, particularly for academic librarians, and a discussion of the role played by our professional associations. Includes useful citations for further reading. Self-Awareness: The Key to Leading Others, by Brian Gray http://www.liscareer.com/gray_self.htm Various ways to do a self-analysis to identify your own leadership style, strengths, and weaknesses. The Shared Leadership Principle: Creating Leaders Throughout the Organization, by Kathryn J. Deiss and Maureen Sullivan http://www.arl.org/diversity/leading/issue2/shared.html Talks about the ways people can develop their skills both as leaders and as followers within libraries, and the interplay and necessity of each. Your Library's Future, by Paula Singer, Jeanne Goodrich, and Linda Goldberg http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA470985 Discusses the importance of succession planning and developing leadership skills on multiple levels. ======== But I Want To Hold It In My Hand! Print Resources Massis, Bruce E. The Practical Library Trainer. New York: Haworth, 2004. ISBN 0-7890-2268-0 (pbk): $17.95; 0-7890-2267-2 (hc): $29.95. Purchase from Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0789022680/librarisjobsearc/ Written for library administrators setting up a staff training program at their institution, this book is for anyone interested in the subject. It takes readers step-by-step through the process, from justifying the need for the program to evaluating it once it has been established. Massis provides a vision of the library as a learning place for patrons and staff and discusses the tools needed to make this vision a reality, including in-house training, e- learning, and professional conferences. This book lives up to its name as a practical guide; it is fairly short and very readable, with plenty of examples, suggestions and samples. There are five excellent appendixes that give information on ROI courses and train- the-trainer programs offered in the U.S. and some sample surveys for use with patrons and staff. The selected bibliography gives the reader further material on training programs and issues to supplement this excellent guide. Lisa O'Hara is Electronic Resources Cataloguer at the University of Manitoba Libraries. ======== Info Career Trends is copyright Lisjobs.com and Rachel Singer Gordon. 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