Developing Library Leaders for the 21st Century

Abstract The transformation in library and information services demands intrepid leadership. Within the profession, we see excitement for boundless possibilities, mingled with apprehension about which directions to pursue. There is enthusiasm for implementing new systems, residing uncomfortably close to nostalgia for the old days. The library leaders we serve are eager to test their competence in managing these diverse reactions within themselves and their staff, while occasionally having their own fears about being up to the task. This article presents our rationale for focusing on library leadership at this point in time, core beliefs guiding our approach to leadership development, leadership traits we try to develop in training and consulting, and the conceptual framework we use to design training experiences. We also include strategies administrators can use to develop leadership within their libraries.