Shaping the Future: Advancing the Understanding of Leadership

ISBN-13: 9781598846157

245 pages • 7 x 10
 2010

Library and information science researchers can provide valuable insights about leadership and management, thereby adding a significant amount of practical information to the foundation of knowledge for LIS professionals and educators. Accordingly, it behooves both internal and external LIS practitioners to investigate and apply these research findings. Utilizing the available evidence wisely will better connect libraries to an organizational culture of assessment and evaluation, enabling improved service despite reduced funding after the recent economic downturn.

This book conveys the rich study findings about leadership in the profession based on case studies and scenario plans written by doctoral students in the Simmons program in Managerial Leadership in the Information Professions, and takes the lessons from this research to advocate further research in library and information science (LIS). Shaping the Future: Advancing the Understanding of Leadership provides an overview of leadership in LIS, highlighting the research done, the areas for discussion, and the potential for further study. Examples of case studies and scenario planning?applicable to both academic and public libraries?are provided.

This book provides an overview of leadership in library and information science (LIS), examines the findings of doctoral students in the Simmons program in Managerial Leadership in the Information Professions, and advocates research in LIS.

For any business or organization, having effective leadership, management, and planning are critical to success. Library and information science institutions are no different. Librarians leading professional associations, management and leadership instructors at LIS schools and the students enrolled in those courses should pay careful attention to research that indicates how to best serve their patrons, communities, and stakeholders.