Transformational Leadership and Stakeholder Management in Library Change

Abstract

This article aims to analyse the role of library managers as change agent when implementing Library 2.0, using transformational leadership and stakeholder management approaches. To do so, a case study in a Latin American academic library was performed. The experiences acquired for a period of six years were analysed, during which three library managers were involved in managing change. Qualitative data from documents, interviews, and observations were collected, and qualitative analysis methods were used to obtain in-depth understanding of the change process. Results show that lack of transformational leadership and stakeholder management contribute to delayed implementation and limited adoption of innovations. Although library managers recognized the importance of different stakeholders to implement changes, they did not apply systematic and proactive strategies to define and manage them. All in all, library managers should be trained as change agents, with emphasis on transformational leadership and stakeholder management skills.

Transformational leadership practice in the world’s leading academic libraries

“…The academic library, however, is the core department of the modern academic university, and Oakleaf (2010) defines the core mission of the library as assisting the larger parent organization to support learning, teaching, research and the curriculum through collection, curation, and development of information resources. According to a study conducted by Sucozhañay et al (2014), findings suggest that library managers should be trained as change agents, with emphasis on transformational leadership skills, thereby creating sustainable and trustful relationships within the whole organization. Such sustainable and trustful relationships should not only exist with the library staff but also with other stakeholders to reach the organizational goal.…”

How the Botswana International University of Science and Technology Library Engages its Stakeholders in Connecting Information Resources, Services, and Space

“…The stages may be broadly summed as stakeholder identification, engagement strategy formulation, and strategy implementation. The cycle goes through other stages of evaluation and redesigning of the strategies according to the scope, budget, and plan of the initiative at hand (Sucozhañay et al, 2014;UN, 2005).…”

“…Reporting on industry experiences to inform the existing stakeholder engagement models is particularly important for the library environment. As rightly pointed out by Sucozhañay et al (2014), most engagement models, which are predominantly from business arenas, apply differently. Even in these noted business environments, there are readjustments of other existing models as data continues to emerge from practitioners' perspective and practical guidance (UN, 2005).…”

“…Different stakeholders were engaged in line with the role they play towards the goal that the library wishes to attain. The noted absence of a clearly defined stakeholder engagement strategy leads to a trend described by Sucozhañay et al (2014) as being "reactive and unsystematic". An analysis of the BIUST Library case, therefore, shows that the engagements were not handled as a project with a well-articulated engagement problem or case to be addressed with clear milestones.…”

“…demonstrates how the enthusiastic Ryerson University Library team worked with its stakeholders to embrace an entrepreneurial culture to creatively converge library services related to archives, special collections, and digital humanities. The activities called for whatSucozhañay et al(2014) describe as transformational library management and leadership. Sucozhañay et al document the experiences of three Latin American library managers observed through a six-year longitudinal qualitative study to demonstrate how a lack of stakeholder engagement can inhibit transformation in libraries.…”