Article
Review of: So You Want to Be an Academic Library Director, by Colleen S. Harris
Journal of Web Librarianship
(2018)
Abstract
At first glance, the title So You Want to Be an Academic Library Director may evoke images of an authoritative guide to library leadership—a real A-to-Z of what it takes to serve at the top of the profession. Instead, Colleen S. Harris' slim volume takes a more experiential, grassroots approach, featuring the stories, lessons and advice of thirteen library directors working in the field. Based on the premise that one learns by doing, each chapter is written by an individual director based on their experiences with a particular topic or theme: institutional culture, communicating expectations, collaboration, team building, strategic planning, faculty dynamics, employment law, facilities, safety and security, shared governance, working with stakeholders, community relations, and cultural diversity programming. The resulting volume is intended as a resource for fledgling library leaders to learn from the struggles of more seasoned directors, building up a baseline knowledge and—ideally—increasing the odds for success.
Keywords
- Library director,
- Academic library,
- Library leadership
Disciplines
Publication Date
2018
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1080/19322909.2018.1443661
Publisher Statement
Published by Taylor & Francis Online
Citation Information
Madeline M. Kelly. "Review of: So You Want to Be an Academic Library Director, by Colleen S. Harris" Journal of Web Librarianship Vol. 12, 2018 Iss. 2 (2018) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/madeline-kelly/7/