Leadership and the evolution of academic librarianship

Leadership and the Evolution of Academic Librarianship by Terrence

Mech

Academic librarianship is being transformed by librarians who are exercising their leadership options. The stories of some of these librarians illustrate how individual professionals, in the process of taking on new roles and responsibilities, are reshaping higher education and academic librarianship, one career at a time.

Terrence Mech is Vice President Information

and Instructional and Director D. Leonard

King’s College,

for

Technologies of the Library, Corgan Library,

74 West Jackson Street,

Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania

18711

.

T

his is an exciting time to be an academic librarian. Higher education and librarianship are in the midst of dramatic transformation. Academe is full of calls for innovation and greater accountability, and efforts to improve quality and contain costs while meeting the rising expectations of numerous constituencies. In the face of technological challenges, more competition, and growing alternatives to their services, the basic tenets of higher education and librarianship are being questioned. Confronted “with a growing number of problems and limited resources, academic officers are looking for librarians who can help them solve” some of higher education’s challenges.’ Librarians are being asked to take a more active role in addressing the issues and shaping the profession’s future in a changing higher education climate. Leadership has always been a hallmark of library and higher education professionals. Our history is replete with examples of innovation and leadership. Within the profession most of this leadership was exercised by only a few individuals. With the growing complexity of today’s interconnected higher education environment, academic librarians can no longer afford to confine their leadership to the library. Nor can we afford only a few leaders. Unless more librarians lead and change the day-to-day reality of how our profession is defined and practiced, our skills will be obsolete, and our future contributions to the academic enterprise will be marginalized. To some the calls for leadership may seem inconsequential. Yet, the individual actions of the thousands of academics employed by America’s colleges and universities will form higher education’s collective response. Academe’s transformation will not be the result of a committee decision. Higher education and aca-

demic librarianship are being reshaped by the actions of professionals and the institutions in which they work. These individuals are not super-heroes. They are ordinary people who decide to exercise leadership. They see relationships between their jobs and the larger environment. They see opportunities to be involved, to be innovative and to make a difference both personally and professionally. Leaders facilitate change and movement into unfamiliar areas. They do things: sometimes big things, but mostly a lot of little things. But leadership is like a pebble cast into a pond-even the smallest stone can create a ripple far from the point of impact.

“Leadership has always been a hallmark of library and higher education professionals.” This article explores how individual professionals are reshaping higher education, librarianship, and the careers of academic librarians. The collective actions reshaping librarianship are the cumulative results of individuals’ efforts to address personal and organizational needs. The examples in this article were selected in several ways. The author’s colleagues were asked to identify librarians who had assumed new or expanded campus leadership roles. This list was enlarged by scanning College & Research Libraries News, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and CLR Reports. The librarians identified were, in turn, asked to suggested other individuals like themselves. Selected librarians were asked to describe and reflect on their experiences. The stories chosen illuminate the range of opportunities and some of the shared experiences of librarians in new leadership roles.

September

1996

345

The stories illustrate how individuals are changing librarianship and higher education, one career at a time. These librarians are assuredly not the only librarians exercising leadership; rather they are representative of individuals everywhere who, whether they know it or not, are transforming the profession. These librarians do not think of themselves as leaders. They just see themselves as doing their jobs. The difference is in how they defined their jobs. They see professional obligations to themselves and professional responsibilities to their institutions which extend beyond the confines of traditional library work. “The general profile for librarians describes an individual who is reluctant to face change, taking comfort in solutions of the past.“- Through these brief stories, of librarians who have broken barriers and assumed increased campus-wide responsibilities, the author hopes others will see change as a leadership opportunity rather than as a threat. Most academic librarians did not enter the profession to become managers or leaders.? Yet, unless more librarians exercise leadership, both inside and outside the library, “our collective ability to assist people in meeting their information needs will continue to be diminished.“’ It is not only librarians who believe that librarians have an essential role to play in meetin $ the challenges facing higher education.To provide the kind of broad-based leadership needed to effect change, all librarians-not just library directors-need to feel empowered and exercise leadership.” Many academic librarians are reluctant to cross campus boundaries or do not see themselves as able to do so. They seem to believe leadership is the job of seniorlevel administrators7 However, the challenges facing senior college and library administrators cannot be solved without leadership by all librarians. The reluctance of some to take risks and cross campus boundaries denies their institutions and their profession the full benefit of their expertise. This risk avoidance denies veteran professionals the continued professional challenge and renewal they seek. New sparks are required to innovate, facilitate change, and maintain vitality. Higher education and librarianship will change. The question is whether the leadership that shapes those changes will come from librarians or be imposed by others with their own agendas.

346 The Journal of Academic

Librarianship

THE PROFESSIONAL’SCAREER LEADERSHIPAND

Although American higher education began at Harvard in 1636, the components of its current highly-differentiated facultycareer model (teaching, research, student advisement, administration, and institutional and public service) did not crystallize until after World War II.* This career model is the collective result of personal actions by individual academics and organizational decisions by colleges and universities to adapt to changes in their environments. If the current career model took more than 300 years to develop, professional librarians, relative newcomers to academe, should not see their career and leadership opportunities as limited’? Professions, like careers, evolve and are shaped by individuals and the times in which they live. Despite its deep roots, academic librarianship is still evolving and needs leaders of all types to shape its future. Leadership has many definitions and as many theories to explain it.” Advanced theories are based around the interaction of situation and the individual. These theories specifically include the influence of group and organizational environments. Leadership is more of a relationship between people than the characteristics of a single individual.“’ According to role theory, individuals behave according to what is expected of them, and how they perceive their roles are defined. Leaders’ (and followers’) perceptions and expectations of their roles are affected by their organizational environment, their colleagues, their past experiences, and their personal needs and values.’ ’ Leadership can come from anyone, depending on the expectations of individuals and their colleagues. Shirley Baker, Washington University’s Dean of University Libraries and newly-appointed Vice-Chancellor for Information Technology, believes that to be leaders, librarians must know what their organization should be and how it fits into the larger picture.” Librarians need to articulate succinctly and share that vision to inspire others and to focus an organization’s energy. More importantly, “real leaders do difficult things.” Moving a library forward means making hard choices among competing priorities. If librarians are not willing and able to make hard decisions, they are not capable of leading libraries or colleges. Librarians who aspire to leadership positions must be able to make things happen with and

through others. When we encourage others to act, we multiply our own efforts and increase our effectiveness. While most organizations have only a few formal leadership positions, there are numerous other opportunities for librarians to gain the valuable experience which can lead to senior leadership positions. While not everyone wants formal advancement, all librarians who exercise leadership can provide tangible benefits to the organization and obtain a level of personal and professional satisfaction. Not all leadership can come from the top of an organization. “Leading from below” means taking opportunities to initiate and guide projects. It means mentoring and facilitating the work of others. Librarians who assume informal leadership positions “work hard without concern for personal gain.” They do their own job well, know how to delegate, and develop an interest in the larger context in which their libraries and colleges operate. Librarians should exercise their existing leadership opportunities and cultivate the value of teamwork. Librarians who wait to show their leadership until someone gives them a formal leadership position will wait a long time.” Historically, professional success for an academic librarian was a senior libraryadministrative position at a well-known university. Traditionally these positions were the crowning achievement in a long career of professional service. But, with higher education in transition, and with universities moving from hierarchical to flatter organizational structures and team environments, new career and new leadership options are, in fact, readily available to librarians.

The Chief Information Officer: Thomas Mickalak and Arnold Hirshon A few years ago most librarians could only speculate about what it would be like to be a vice president or to be responsible for a major administrative unit other than the library. Now, in an effort to come to grips with the challenge of technology, many college presidents are creating the position of chief information officer (CIO). Although titles and responsibilities vary, the CIO is responsible for several of a college’s technology-related units, such as distance education, academic and administrative computing, networks, telephones, media, and instructional technology. Frequently the library is also the CIO’s responsibility, and in a growing number of colleges the CIO is a librarian. New CIOs include librarians Thomas

Mickalak, Vice President for Information and Dean of University Libraries, University of Rhode Island; Arnold Hirshon, Vice Provost for Information Resources, Lehigh University; and Connie Dowell, Dean of Information Services, Connecticut College. Other college presidents are aware of their campus’ need for a CIO. But, under pressure to control costs and administrative growth, presidents are reluctant to create more administrative positions. At smaller institutions there is an additional web of concerns. There may be a reluctance or inability to bring in a “high-powered’ outsider. Finding a candidate with the right balance of technical expertise, interpersonal skills, and fit with the institutional ethos can be a problem. Many college presidents promote from within, because it is less disruptive to an institution than bringing in a relatively unknown candidate. The question then becomes: who are the potential candidates? Given a choice among technical skills, interpersonal skills, and a broad knowledge of the academic enterprise, many presidents know that broad knowledge and interpersonal skills can be a senior-level college administrator’s best tools. Associate Provost for Information Services: Chuck Broadbent Chuck Broadbent did not begin his career in 1970 as a Young Adult Services Librarian at the Free Library of Philadelphia thinking he would someday be a CIO. At the time CIOs did not exist. Rather, his need for personal and professional challenges took him places that provided him with the variety of experiences that made him a serious candidate for what was, at the time, a very new position. Broadbent is Associate Provost for Information Services at Dowling College, a comprehensive college in the New York City area. The position of Associate Provost for Information Services was created 1990 when the previous library director resigned. The college had difficulty filling the position until Broadbent accepted in 1992. Originally the position included leadership and strategic planning for library, media services, academic and administrative computing, and instructional research. In December 1993, responsibilities for Communications, Public Relations, Advertising, and Publications were added. Broadbent: I was recruited to this position by a “headhunter.” I liked the vision of the broad role and the leadership requirements. After 11 years as a college

library director [Ursinus College], I needed a bigger challenge, which led to my position as Executive Director of a regional library network [Pittsburgh Regional Library Center]. 1 have a personal and professional need for challenge and change. The addition of Communications and Public Relations to my responsibilities provides a unique opportunity to move toward electronic publications. At Dowling, the Provost is a visionary about the role of information. He understands and values the role of the librarian. Also, since we outsource computer services, he wanted someone on his team who would be responsible for computing. My doctoral education at Drexel [Information System Management] caused me to think broadly about information systems-well beyond libraries. My graduate minor in Higher Education Administration [University of Pennsylvania] and parttime experience as a college president’s institutional research assistant provided me with another perspective. My library experience is very helpful. Individuals do not usually ask for what they need, that is, they don’t know what they don’t know! I learned this as a reference librarian. Few of my technical people are able to ask clarifying questions and to actively listen. My previous experience implementing library automation systems helped with implementation of our college’s administrative system. I don’t think most people know that I am a librarian. My office is in the administrative building in a suite with Communications, Public Relations, and Institutional Research. Having a Ph.D. is very helpful in terms of opening doors for career advancement, but more importantly you must be able to produce the results required, after you are in the door. I find if you act like an equal, you will be treated like one. There is a need for leadership in information services to focus products and services on our customers’ needs. I have always been interested in the people part of information systems, especially system design and training support issues. I am impatient with technical managers who never seem to figure out why we are doing all this-teaching, learning, and research! Librarians have so much to contribute to the understanding of individual needs, organization of information, and training. For librarians willing to take risks and be bold, there are leadership opportunities. User support and training, organization of electronic information resources, and mar-

keting of information few examples.

services

are but a

Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs: Mary Anne Fedrick Mary Anne Fedrick’s situation highlights the importance of having a vision for one’s career and making the necessary personal investment. She did not have to leave her institution to find new meaningful challenges, but she did not know that 25 years ago when she joined the library as Head of Circulation. Both she and her College are able to benefit from her experience and initiative. In 1994, Fedrick was appointed Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs at Marywood College, a comprehensive institution in Northeast Pennsylvania. Her primary role is coordinating and integrating library, media, and academic computing services. Although there is a strong technology component in her role, she has other institution-wide responsibilities: the registrar’s office, academic records, the art galleries, commencement, orientation, and assisting the Vice President for Academic Affairs with special projects. Fedrick: Being named Assistant Vice President was a combination of personal ambition and being in the right place at the right time. As library director, I was involved and visible in campus committees and activities. I returned to school to pursue a Ph.D. in Higher Education to have the credentials to move into general administration. The college had some major personnel changes in Academic Affairs, particularly in Academic Computing. Since the Library and Academic Computing had been working very cooperatively already, I believed these personnel changes offered an opportunity to consider some restructuring. After discussing this with the Vice President for Academic Affairs, I learned she needed an assistant. After much discussion, the position of Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs was created. There were several personal and institutional factors at work in my situation. My pursuit of a Ph.D. increased my credibility as a potential institutional administrator. My 25 years experience in increasingly-responsible roles at the college and my ability to work well and collaborate with various areas of the institution, as well as my strong working relationship with the academic vice president, meant that I was well known on campus. The college does have a commitment to the achievement of women, a willing-

September

1996

347

ness to promote from within, and, as the institution grew more complex, the need for a role like Assistant Vice President became obvious. There are several benefits to my position. I have the opportunity to be more involved in college administration, including planning and budget decisions. I sit on the Deans’ Council and represent the Vice President on various committees. The Vice President is an experienced administrator and a wonderful mentor and supporter. The library gets a spokesperson at a higher level. The coordination of library, media, and academic computing services enhances the library’s position in the college’s information technology initiatives. The college has the benefit of an experienced library administrator in its planning discussions, particularly on issues of technology and resources. There really were very few difficulties as a result of accepting the new role. Faculty and administrators were very supportive and remarked that it made sense and should improve services. However, the scope of my new responsibilities removed me from the library’s day-to-day operations. Within the library (which is a very collegial and close staff) there was some sense of loss and concern over how this would affect the library. About the only difficulties were the attendant personnel shifts (the internal appointments of a library director and a department head) that accompany any restructuring. But they were relatively minor. I believe there are various leadership roles for librarians on college campuses. The most obvious is the area of implementing technology, where librarians can be the coordinating force. Librarians’ expertise in managing resources, working collaboratively and delivering services makes them ideal candidates for leadership roles in the area of technology. However, librarians should not limit their vision only to technology roles. Other roles can be equally viable. I believe the broad-based knowledge of librarians and their visibility on campus put them in an excellent position to fill a variety of roles (Deans, Vice Presidents, and Assistant to....). However, two elements are needed for librarians to be seriously considered for leadership roles and for them to be successful. First, librarians have to be somewhat personally ambitious, have the skills, and have a career or personal vision that goes beyond the library. Librarians need to take an institutional view of their role and not be

348

The Journal

of Academic

Librarianship

restricted by only library concerns. This larger view will result in librarians serving on committees, participating in faculty senates, and being recognized as leaders and influential colleagues. Second, there must also be administrative support and encouragement for librarians’ expanded leadership roles. Deans and Vice Presidents must understand the critical role that information plays in our institutions. They must recognize how librarians can be valuable institutional assets.

player and believe that this will add to the services provided by our college. In many cases the scope of these new responsibilities is varied and time consuming, and requires the acquisition of new knowledge or behaviors. However, the reason many librarians are assuming new roles in technology is because they have a broader perspective and range of skills than many of the technologists on their campuses.

Other Duties as Assigned: David Voros One of the most important lines on a job description is the common last line“Other duties as assigned.” Presidents and academic officers are looking for ways to come to grips with their campuses’ challenges. They are looking for individuals who can facilitate change. If they are not ready or able to appoint a CIO, some presidents and provosts are looking for a potential CIO or trying to consolidate as many technology-related offices as possible, until a more comprehensive solution is viable. It is not uncommon now for library directors to have some new responsibilities outside of the library, such as computing, telephone, distance education, or teaching centers. These developments are not restricted to four-year colleges.

Librarians can make many contributions and gain valuable leadership experiof institutional ence in the area governance. Historically, the library director was frequently the de facto secretary to the faculty governing body. Some things have changed since then. Although the examples below are not unique, they are not yet common occurrences.

“One of the most important lines on a job description is the common last line-‘Other duties as assigned.“’ David Voros is Director of the College Library and Distance Education at Lehigh Carbon County Community College. His new role in distance education involves television courses, computer and Internet online courses, satellite and two-way visual and audio. Voros: A few years ago, I was given the role of coordinating distance education programs. At that time distance education courses were video only. Our new administration is very much into the global view of distance education and wanted our program to expand. They offered me the leadership role, and I assumed it because my foot was already in the door. I was knowledgeable about distance education and ready for a new challenge. I personally believe in the philosophy, mission, and purpose of distance education. I am a team

GOVERNANCE

Chair of the Faculty: Jean Loup Jean Loup is Assistant to the Dean, University of Michigan Library. She served as Chair of the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs and Chair of the Senate Assembly at the University of Michigan from May 1, 1994 through April 30, 1995. She began her career at the State Library of Iowa in 1965 as an Assistant Reference Librarian. Loup: Being chair of the faculty senate involved chairing the weekly meetings of the faculty’s executive committee, the monthly meetings of the assembly (the faculty’s elected representative body), and the annual meeting of the faculty as a whole. That was the simple part! I did a lot of behind-the-scenes negotiating, meeting with various executive officers, meeting with individual faculty, arranging for speakers for various events, etc. I met with anyone who had an issue that seemed to need the attention of faculty governance. There were also ceremonial duties, such as carrying the mace in the academic procession, which I thoroughly enjoyed! I had been a member of the faculty executive committee (1983-1987) and was elected Vice Chair in my last year. I also had chaired a major committee (Budget Priorities Committee). In November 1993 “out of the blue” an executive committee member asked me if I would be willing to be considered for election to an unexpired term of a member who had resigned. With my Dean’s support I said I was willing. At the Senate Assembly’s November meeting I was elected to the executive committee. In late December, the Chair asked if I would consider being elected Chair for the

following year. He said I had the President’s support and thought he could come up with the necessary votes. Again with my Dean’s support, I said yes. At a subsequent executive committee meeting, I was elected by a one vote majority-in the midst of a very acrimonious meeting. In March, four new members were elected to the executive committee, three of them ready to side with those who had voted against me. Thus, when I became Chair on May 1st I faced a group of faculty most of whom were angry with the University’s administration. Obviously this was not a conscious decision-other than to respond to a request. I later learned that my name had been suggested by a colleague from a women’s caucus group in which I had been active. I think serendipity played a role within all this. It is hard to separate out how much had to do with my availability to accept the invitation and how much of it just happened, but I wasn’t consciously seeking this “honor!” At the end of the year I was exhausted, but I would not trade the experiencewith all its warts-for anything. Part of the reason I did it was to be supportive of librarians and their roles within the faculty. I also did it because I wanted the challenge and the recognition. During the year I was Chair there were several direct benefits which the Library or librarians received. Librarians were granted the right to emeritus status, a formal action taken by the Board of Regents. The Vice-President for Multicultural Affairs granted funding for three new positions for minority librarians, after he was reminded that the chair of the faculty was a librarian. For the University I handled a very difficult executive committee, kept the lid on major controversy while still allowing full discussion of issues. One colleague later said that one of my strengths was my ability to place an item for discussion on the table in such a way that it could be seen without emotion. I encouraged the President (with a lot of behind the scenes support) to seek faculty opinion more frequently and more informally, and he actually became more open to discussion with the angry group I was chairing. The major benefit for me has been a confirmation that I really have the strengths I have imagined I have. It has been fascinating to reflect on what went right last year and w8y, and on how little skills garnered from varied experiences came together to make me effective. The first few months I couldn’t figure out why

I was being successful-I just knew something was working right. But I felt like I was flying by the seat of my pants. Because I was from the library most faculty saw me as neutral. This was a key factor in my success at getting the President to be more open with the executive committee. I came to this role with a lot of committee experience. Librarians tend to be good committee members. We take the assignment seriously, we do our homework, we participate in the deliberations, and we assume leadership when necessary. Faculty in general do not have the same level of such experience. I think librarians tend to think in a campus-wide mode more regularly than the faculty, who are more often locked into their disciplinerelated activities. I did all I could to make the whole role of faculty governance better received on campus. I know this would have been more of a problem 10 years ago, when I would have worried what people thought about a librarian taking this role. 1 realized when I passed 50 I no longer needed to worry about what people think. I have confidence in my abilities, I listen to what others are saying, and I speak honestly and often openly about what I think should be done. By not questioning my own status I created an atmosphere which made it harder for others to question it. I have heard two different U.S. higher education leaders say that the importance we’ve placed on having faculty status on a campus will diminish as we begin to recognize the contributions others make. I believe the opportunities for librarians to take leadership roles on campus will only increase. We will start with our skills in leading scholars to new information resources (the digital library), and other opportunities in related areas, such as copyright, other opportunities will present themselves. I think we spend too much time worrying about our status instead of assuming we have status and starting from there. Too often we are apologetic for heaven knows what reason. No faculty member knows everything; no librarian should apologize for not knowing something. We are skilled information professionals and have a lot to offer the campus. Committee Chairs: Beverly Moore Beverly Moore is Director of the University Library, University of Southern Colorado. She began her library career as a Branch Librarian for the Pueblo Library District in 1966 before joining the University of Southern Colorado in 1970 as a

Reference Librarian. Her career contains untold hours of university, professional, and community committee-related experiences. Moore: As Library Director I sit on the Deans’ Council. Being the only woman on the Council, I am often appointed to other committees. I was asked to serve on the Athletic Board and over time was elected to chair it. As a member of the Faculty Handbook Drafting Committee, I fought for library representation on the Curriculum and Academic Program Board. Once on the Board, I have been elected chair several times. Since then the President selected me as one of his two members on the Grievance Mediation Board. I believe librarians need to be involved with the total campus-let people know librarians are part of the total campus. One of the benefits is that professors and students know that I (as are many other librarians) am involved. In lobbying for library issues I have allies who realize I have helped them. Frankly, I am one of the university’s few women administrators, thus making it somewhat easier to assume other roles. Another factor is that I am well organized and function well in various committees, etc. My experience as a League of Women Voters member has helped in chairing meetings and listening to both sides. I have a reputation for being a good, firm, and, I hope, fair committee Chair. As chair of the Curriculum Board, I have the time, support staff, computer, etc. to make sure that communication happens. I am perceived as not having any turf to protect in making Curriculum or Athletic Board decisions. Discussion Loup did not set out to be Chair of the University of Michigan Faculty Senate; nor did Moore initially expect to serve the University of Southern Colorado in anything but a library capacity. But their performances as library professionals and their reputations as leaders paved the way for these opportunities. Other librarians such as Carol Krismann, Head of the Business Library at the University of Colorado-Boulder, have also been tapped to chair the faculty at their institutions. In all cases, these senior governance positions were preceded by a history of involvement that extended beyond the library.

COLLABORATIONANDBOUNDARY CROSSING Librarians have been working with faculty for years. These efforts usually center

September

1996

349

around collection development or library instruction projects. A growing number of librarians are exercising leadership and contributing their expertise to new collaborative initiatives which provide them with new personal and professional satisfaction. These opportunities also help their institutions address some of the teaching and learning issues confronting them. With the growth of Internet resources, libraries, computing centers, and instructional technology departments face the dilemmas of who is responsible for Internet services and how best to provide them. Amidst change from a hierarchical to a flatter team-based university, some University of Arizona librarians have forged partnerships with the Center for Computing and Information Technology and the University Teaching Center to develop and provide Internet training sessions for faculty, students, and staff. Ann Eagan, Science/Undergraduate Librarian, and Louise Greenfield, Fine Arts/Humanities Librarian, are members of a self-selected interdepartmental team that is responding to the University’s changing needs. The three departments, each faced with declining resources, saw the need for Internet training. They recognized they could develop a better program and reach more people if they combined their expertise and resources. This team of technologists and librarians is reaching out to assist faculty in understanding how to integrate Internet resources into their curriculum, classrooms, and research. The librarians involved in this collaborative project “spoke of their desire to learn more.” They see their new work as an extension of their library-instruction efforts. The collaborative aspects of the project “felt right” and provides them with the opportunity to be a model for their colleagues of the team behavior which their university expects. They enjoy the recognition and success that comes from their involvement with the project. They take satisfaction in their project’s developmental and mentoring aspects. Eagan and Greenfield see a wide audience for collaborative faculty development and technical support. They encourage other librarians to take risks, and to start out with small collaborative efforts to create their own opportunities. Other successful collaborative efforts between library and various technology centers frequently focus on teaching discipline-specific Internet resources. Examples of librarians collaborating with others to promote effective teaching and to sup-

350

The Journal

of Academic

Librarianship

port faculty use of technology can be found at Vanderbilt University, the University of Delaware, George Mason University, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, and elsewhere. These types of collaborative efforts provide growth opportunities for library and technology professionals, enhance respect for librarians, and increase requests for services.

“Previous collaborative initiatives may also give libraries an advantage if they are merged with computing centers.” With heightened accountability and declining resources, increased use of services can make a difference in how limited institutional resources are allocated to the library. Previous collaborative initiatives may also give libraries an advantage if they are merged with computing centers. For some the idea of a library merger with the computing center seems farfetched. Nevertheless, such mergers and transitions are underway at several institutions, including Gettysburg College and the University of Alaska at Fairbanks. At the former, the library, computing, media, telecommunications and some printing operations were merged to form the Division of Information Resources under the direction of a Vice President for Strategic Information Resources. The goal was to place the new division in the mainstream of the college’s strategic planning and to provide stronger institutional and external support than would have gone into the separate departments. The Associate Vice President (the traditional library director’s position) functions as the Division’s chief operating officer and Planning Team leader. In Summer 1994, 15 people from Gettysburg’s computing and telecommunications moved into the library to create suites where the newly created teams (Response, Training, Planning, New Initiatives, Delivery, and Selection) of crosstrained librarians and technologists could work together. While such mergers do happen, they are not all alike. Different campuses have different needs and circumstances. The reality is that these mergers can be shaped by those who initiate them, or at least anticipate them, or have the “political capital” to negotiate them.

The Role of Resource Creator: Elizabeth Burr In the past, faculty had sole responsibility for creating or selecting the materials their students used. Librarians “supported faculty in this process through the traditional library functions of acquisition, access provision, and reference when initiated by the faculty.“‘” Increasingly, this is changing. Elizabeth Burr, a Rice University librarian, is project manger for the Galileo Project-a hypertext, multimedia educational resource available on the Rice University network. The Galileo Project, an evolving teaching tool for a history of science course, contains 50 short essays and over 200 images and pointers to related electronic resources at other sites. Galileo is an active collaborative project involving a senior history professor, a librarian, computing professionals, and student programmers. As project manager, Burr had a significant role in the design and development of the Galileo Project. She coordinated the contributors’ work, initiated partnerships, and did troubleshooting. Burr “stepped outside the role of information service provider in::: ;he role of information resource creator. This shift into the role of “collaborative creator is not without controversy.“” While some librarians may question whether this role is appropriate for the profession, Burr firmly believes “librarians have crucial roles to play in the integration of information technology in undergraduate education. “I7 In the creation of online curricular resources, librarians can adapt their traditional roles (resource identifier, collector, organizer, and acquirer) to the electronic environment and develop “new roles which emphasize collaboration and advocacy. ” “Librarians often possess the combination of subject expertise, technical literacy, and knowledge of end-user needs and behavior needed to oversee projects such as Galileo.“‘* Burr predicts librarians will need “greater computer literacy so that they can communicate with computer professionals.“‘” “The ability to communicate with computer professionals will permit librarians to become active and important collaborators in the creation of both resources and tools.” Computer literacy can increase librarians’ confidence levels as members of collaborative teams; “this confidence is needed to combat some of the cultural differences that exist between librarians and computing professionals.” According to Burr, librarians will require greater collaboration skills. Col-

laboration is a set of dynamics different from working on a committee. As team members, librarians will work with nonlibrarians in a new environment, moving out of the traditional professional-user (us-them) relationship into a more collaborative team (we) relationship. A greater knowledge of user needs and behavior will be required of librarians involved with the design of online resources.” Crossing Other Boundaries: Elaine Didier Some would say a few of the librarians in these examples are no longer librarians. Others would say they are extending the range of the profession and expanding the opportunities available to other librarians. Holding a library degree does not limit one’s occupational choices. As individuals grow in their profession and knowledge of themselves, there may be times when their careers may take them outside of the library. In these situations it may be their performance as library professionals that makes other opportunities possible.

“In the creation of online curricular resources, librarians can adapt their traditional roles (resource identifier, collector, organizer, and acquirer) to the electronic environment and develop ‘new roles which emphasize collaboration and advocacy.“’ Elaine Didier, the Associate Dean of the Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies at the University of Michigan, holds a Ph.D. in Information and Library Studies. As Associate Dean, Didier is the deputy dean of the graduate school (chief operating officer), overseeing 5.5 staff members in various offices and a 29-million-dollar budget. Previously, she was Director of Information Resources for the University’s Kresge Business Administration School. In that position she was responsible for the business school’s library and computing services. Didier began her career as a school librarian at Ramey Air Force Base. Didier: I was literally tapped for the position by the Dean, who had worked with me in the past on several university committees. I have long been interested in broader university issues and have served on many task forces. The promotion was

an opportunity to move beyond librarydefined roles and issues. My ability to cross lines or turfs among faculty of various disciplines, students, and staff was a factor in my promotion. I can speak several “languages” if you will. I am respected for getting things done efficiently and effectively. Librarians can serve in other administrative capacities and make solid contributions to their institutions while providing themselves with new learning opportunities and challenges. Larry Nesbit, Director of Information Resources at Mansfield University, served as his institution’s interim Vice President for Finance. Colette Wagner is Coordinator of Academic Computing at The City University of New York. There are innumerable things individuals can do for themselves and their institutions with a library degree and some leadership. OBSTACLES The librarians in these examples all realized certain things in their careers and organizations had to change. For some it was the continued need for a challenge and professional growth. For others it was the realization that the library or university situation needed to change and they wanted to be involved. Whether they sought out the opportunity or it found them, these individuals made investments in themselves and took the risks. These librarians offered a number of observations why other librarians may be reluctant to assume expanded leadership roles. If librarians feel their job is doing traditional library work and nothing else, they may not define themselves as campus leaders. If librarians ignore the fact that they are educators too, they will not take advantage of their options for wider participation. Others are afraid of change or overestimate what it takes to facilitate change. Some may be uncomfortable venturing into collaborative technology or instructional initiatives. One librarian suggested her colleagues were reluctant because they “feared looking stupid.” Sometimes individuals expect too much of themselves and feel they must have “all the answers” before attempting to change or launch any new venture. As a result, projects are never launched and changes never made. In a rapidly changing higher education environment, even the classroom faculty are moving from “the sage on the stage” to the “guide on the side.” Sometimes we endow individuals who lead or initiate new efforts with super-

human qualities, when in reality they are only mortals who want to be involved and decide to take an active role. Librarians have to see leadership as a role that works for them. If librarians are not advocates for themselves, they will not be perceived as advocates for the broader campus. The institutional climate is not always conducive to librarians as leaders. If the library is not getting administrative support or if the librarians are not perceived as professional colleagues, the opportunities for leadership may be limited. The perception for some librarians is that there may not be enough time, staff, on-campus support, or other resources to do their current jobs. Getting spread too thin can be a problem, while personality, style, and lack of confidence or skills in working with diverse people may hinder some librarians. Lack of the appropriate educational credentials, management skills, updated presentation skills, and vision may handicap yet others. Without demonstrated competence in their current jobs, individual librarians will not have a chance to deal with more facets of information access.

“If librarians are not advocates for themselves, they will not be perceived as advocates for the broader campus.” A newly appointed library director at a small Midwestern college writes, “I am happy to see more campus leadership opportunities [here] than I have elsewhere!” She continues, “There should be recognition of the fact that leadership opportunities vary from campus to campus.” While leadership opportunities exist for librarians at all levels, the organizational environment is an important reality.” Sometimes the environment is hostile. A hostile organization has a desperate need for improvement but is resistant. In this environment individuals should contribute to improving their organizations, but be prepared to channel their energies into other activities such as updating their resumes. “These organizations are death to problem solvers with no real authority.” A neutral organization has things it wants to do, but it wants to protect those who ought to be doing them. There are opportunities to learn and gain leadership experience in neutral organizations, but do not hope for miracles or a new title.

September 1996 351

A supportive organization wants change but lacks the time or know-how at the appropriate levels. In supportive organizations librarians at all levels can make things happen and be recognized for their efforts. How much of the faculty’s reluctance towards librarians’ leadership has to do with the way faculty are trained in graduate school or the way they are socialized as faculty?22 How much has to do with the possibility that many faculty and librarians have limited experience with librarians in other campus leadership roles? How much of librarians’ reticence has to do with what they expect of themselves? Change in higher education is slow, and a great deal of it happens individually-one faculty member, one administrator, one librarian at a time.

SUGGESTIONS The librarians in the previous examples offer some recommendations to librarians wishing to exercise leadership. For many the advice comes not from their experiences as leaders but from their experiences as professionals wishing to maintain the creative tension they enjoy when faced with new challenges or opportunities to learn. It is important to be visible on campus, to build coalitions, and to take chances; do not wait to be asked-volunteer. One way is to get involved with institutional governance; make sure the library and librarians are represented on key and appropriate committees and institutional self-studies. When on a committee be sure to speak up, but do not limit yourself to a library perspective. Being active in academic and professional organizations helps one to develop new skills. A general knowledge of higher education trends and issues is helpful; read The Chronicle of Higher Education. It is important to develop a reputation as someone with institutional knowledge, not just library knowledge. Developing a mentoring relationship with an experienced university or library professional helps one to know what opportunities exist and what one does to be included. Seek out those with experience for guidance. A doctoral degree and the supporting academic credentials help to open certain doors. Developing electronic-age skills and teaching them to others helps to open other doors. Leaders must assume new roles, be willing to work long hours, be assertive, and be willing to speak out with authority. Remember leaders do not to have all the

352

The Journal of Academic Librarianship

answers-they just have to know how to find or facilitate them.

LEADERSHIPANDOURCAREERS Although we librarians are diverse, our profession is composed primarily of Introverts (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator). Introverts are thinkers, inwardly directed, quiet, reflective, reserved, and energized by the world of thoughts and ideas. Introverts work better in one-on-one situations rather than large groups. Their energy comes from within. They need time to be alone to reflect and rejuvenate. 23 This predisposition does not absolve us, nor does it prevent us from exercising leadership, but it may be more difficult for some of us to do. Some of us may be more comfortable leading and facilitating outside of the limelight, while others are more comfortable on the center stage. Regardless of where or how we rise to the challenge, it is important to remember that without continued learning and creative tensions we face obsolescence and marginalization, both personally and professionally. The development of leaders is largely a matter of continued individual self-development abetted by opportunities provided by the organization and the individual. Both individual motivation and organizational stimulation are involved in the prevention of professional obsolescence. An individual’s need for achievement and opportunities for participation are among the two most importan;Jdeterminants for avoiding obsolescence. Our careers need to provide some personal satisfaction and to fit purposes aligned with our organizations’ strategic directions. Librarians should be flexible in the face of shifting opportunities and conditions. Such flexibility includes tentative choices subject to revision, continued new challenges, takin risks, and experiencing small failures.2- B We must understand, encourage, and help each other. Leadership skills can be learned. While not everyone wants a formal leadership position or is comfortable being a leader, almost everyone enjoys a challenging career. Napoleon Bonaparte remarked “every French soldier carries a Field Marshal’s baton in his knapsack.“26 Although Napoleon did not issue batons to all his soldiers, the environment was such that promotions and recognition could be earned by the average soldier exercising courage, initiative, and leadership. For librarians some pivotal questions are before us. How will we “carve out a unique and critical contri-

bution to the future of information” and higher education? “Will we prosper or will we fade into mediocrity, losing our budgets and our role on campus?“27 The answers will be found in how each and every one of us decides to shape and invest in our careers, how committed we are to seeking out new learning opportunities, how fast we recognize and respond to the challenges in our libraries and on our campuses, and how soon we exercise the leadership options available to us. These are exciting times for higher education and academic librarians. Higher education and our profession are evolving. There are plenty of new challenging learning and leadership opportunities for those willing to look for their batons.

NOTESANDREFERENCES 1. Terrence Mech, “Becoming a Leader on Campus,” College & Research Libraries 56 (June 1995): 409. 2. Deborah J. Grimes, “Marian the Librarian-The Truth Behind the Image,” in Discovering Librarians:

Profiles

of a Profession,

edited by Mary Jane Scherdin (Chicago: Association of College and Research Libraries, 1994), p. 9. 3. Robert Swisher, Rosemary Ruhig Du Mont, & Calvin Boyer, “The Motivation to Manage: A Study of Academic Librarians and Library Science Students,” Library Trends 34 (Fall 1985): 2 19-234. 4. Patricia Senn Breivik, “Becoming BeyondLibrary-Walls Librarians,” College Q Research Libraries News 56 (July/August 1995): 468-469. 5. Fred Heath, “Information Technologies and Libraries: An Interview with Benjamin Shepherd,” Library Administration Management 10 (Winter 1995): 4-8. 6. Breivik, “Becoming Beyond-Library-Walls Librarians,” pp. 468-469. 7. Karyle Butcher, Joy Hughes, & Melvin R. George, “Thoughts on Leadership: An Exchange,” College & Research Libraries News 56 (October 1995): 636. 8. Martin J. Finkelstein, The American Academic Profession: A Synthesis of Social Scientific Inquiry Since World War II (Columbus: Ohio State University Press, 1984), p. 29. 9. Estela M. Bensimon, Anna Neumann, & Robert Birnbaum, Making Sense of Administrative Leadership: The “L” Word in Higher Education. ASHE-ERIC Education Report No.1 (Washington D.C.: School of Education and Human Development, George Washington University, 1989). 10. Bernard M. Bass, Bass Stodgill’s Handbook of Leadership Theory, Research and Managerial Applications (New York: Free Press, 1990), pp. 38-41. 11. Ibid., p. 44. 12. Shirley K. Baker, “Leading from Below; Or Risking Getting Fired,” Library Administration Management 9 (Fall 1975): 238-240.

13. Ibid., p. 239. 14. Elizabeth S. Burr, The Role of Librarians in the Creation of Online Curricular Resources: Final Report on the Galileo Project for the Council on Library Resources (Houston: Rice University, 1994), p. 1, http:// is.rice.edu/-esb/clr.html. 15. Ibid., p. 1. 16. Ibid., p. 1. 17. Ibid., p. 6. 18. Ibid., p. 7. 19. Ibid., p. 8. 20. Ibid., p. 8. 21. Baker, “Leading from Below,” p. 240. 22. William G. Tiemey & Robert A. Rhoads, Enhancing Promotion, Tenure and Beyond: Faculty Socialization as a Cultural Process. ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report No. 936 (Washington, D.C.: The School of Education

and Human Development, George Washington University, 1993). 23. Mary Jane Scherdin, “Vive la Difference: Exploring Library Personality Types Using the MBTI,” in Discovering Librarians: Profiles of a Profession, edited by Mary Jane Scherdin (Chicago: Association of College and Research Libraries, 1994) pp. 125-156. 24. Bass, Handbook of Leadership Theory, p. 814. 25. Karen N. Gaertner, “Managers’ Careers and Organizational Change,” Academy of Management Executive 2 (May 1988): 3 1I318. 26. John Barlett, Familiar Quotations (Boston: Little Brown Company, 1992), p. 371. 27. Jerilyn Veldof, “ACRL in Nashville: A Focus on Dialogue,” College & Research Libraries News 56 (October 1995): 646.

September 1996

353