Leadership Development and Public Libraries

Designing and evaluating library leadership programs: improving performance and effectiveness

“…The results show that the program was perceived to have had a positive effect on leadership behaviours of the participants (Sheehy, 2004 Leadership Institute in Canada was based on participant perception of their experiences, the evaluation, which does not imply causality, suggests that the program has been successful in providing knowledge, changing behaviour and influencing career progression (Sorenson, 2008). This is consistent with the findings for Leading Modern Public Libraries (UK) and Snowbird (USA) development programs except there was no indication that these programs had an effect on career progression (Wilson & Corrall, 2008;Winston & Neely, 2001). Professional engagement was perceived as having been influenced by some of the programs and thus considered to be a factor in career development (Barney, 2003;Sheehy, 2004;Sorenson, 2008;Varlejs, 2007).…”

The Importance of political and strategic skills for UK library leaders

“…Within the LIS literature, the importance of good communication skills for promoting a vision has also been emphasised (see, for example, Winston and Neely 2001). The Modernisation Review of Public Libraries (DCMS 2010) published in the UK by the last Labour Government just before it left office includes 'inspiring leadership' in its list of specific leadership and management skills needed by modern public libraries (DCMS 2010, 58) and the Inspirational Leadership model developed by Bass (1985) includes communicating a clear vision in an appealing and exciting way.…”

Leadership in school, public, and academic libraries in the US, the UK, Canada and Australia

“…Even a program set within a virtual learning environment is a challenge as many school librarians are solo librarians or the only personnel in their library. Winston and Neely (2001), in their research on the Snowbird Leadership program, identified that most of the applicants were either from public libraries (44 per cent) or academic libraries (16.66 per cent).…”