The Crisis and Opportunities in Library Leadership

Abstract Libraries will continue to undergo rapid change in the years ahead. People who work in libraries will have to learn how to lead change and to live positively with more ambiguity. For too long, libraries have been over-managed and under-led. If this practice continues, libraries are headed for big trouble! Leadership in libraries can no longer be pushed aside and ignored; it must be brought to center stage, and treated with a capital L. Without strong, dynamic, and visionary leadership, libraries are certain to drift backward into the future. However, before we begin thinking of doomsday for libraries, we should explore and enthusiastically implement action plans for promoting and learning more about this phenomenon known as “Leadership.”