Blog Every Day in June Day 4: Leadership: Some thoughts

Today's post comes from the blog of Kim Tairi, Librarian at Swinburne University. 

This piece was originally published to Kim's tumblr, under the title Leadership: Some thoughts.

Kim offers some great insights into leadership in libraries. You should also follow her on Twitter!

Leadership: Some Thoughts

Are you genuinely interested in leadership in the Library and Information Sciences (LIS)? I’ve been thinking about leadership more and more these days. These are some of my thoughts on leadership in the library and information profession. 

Leadership is Rewarding

Leadership can be hard. Some times we have to do things we don’t like and you won’t like us for. It is also rewarding. When you and your team make a difference. When the experience of working in an organisation or visiting that place called a Library is better for users and staff. 

Leadership is deliberate 

Leadership requires taking action. At the moment I am grappling with pace of change. I want it to come faster. We have a vision. We know were we would like to take our service but there is fear, that we will get it wrong and that people will not like what we are doing. Not everyone is on the same page. I need to be patient. But I feel strongly that the process of making decisions in many public institutions hinders change. 

The process of trying to make decisions by consensus in libraries (and universities) can be crippling. Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith and trust. Better still use evidence and show why the change is necessary. 

Leaders keep Learning

To be a better leader you need to keep learning, keep practising and be willing to learn from mistakes - because you will make them! Your pride will be battered and you will wonder why you do it but believe me the profession needs good leaders. Maybe it is you!

Listen 

Listening is essential. But remember your users and staff are not one unified group of people who all think the same way. Don’t make too many assumptions.  Use evidence and listen to people to make informed decisions. There needs to be authentic consultation but that is not the same as consensus. 

Attitude 

It is attitude that stops many libraries from moving forward. We need to be wary of saying a particular generation is going to save our libraries. Progressive thinking is not only the domain of the young. Instead, I believe what our profession needs is diversity! 

Diversity of people, thinking, skills, and qualifications. Librarians can’t do it all on their own. We are amazing - true but we are better when we collaborate. 

One final word on attitude - my twitter buddy Cath Sheard (@kiwilibrarian) talks about leading with heart. I believe if you lose it you won’t ever be a good leader. 

Be the Leader you want

To finish I try to be the kind of leader I want: 

• compassionate

• thoughtful

• pragmatic

•  fiscally responsible

• evidence-based

• team-player

• I practice

• I take risks

• innovative

• connected

• creative

• inspiring

• willing and want to learn more

-CW

ALIA National 2014 Conference Wrap up

Caitlin Williams and Amy Croft both attended the ALIA National 2014 Conference: Caitlin via social media, and Amy in person. They compared notes on their experiences:

Attending from a distance...

From 15-19 September, information professionals from around Australia and overseas converged on Melbourne for the ALIA National 2014 Conference.

Attendees and spectators from social media sources are now left to digest the excellent debates, workshops and sessions they attended, and hopefully apply what they learnt to their workplace.

While I didn't have the chance to attend in person, I was able to follow the conference on Twitter, and catch a glimpse into sessions thanks to livetweets. Many people took the opportunity to showcase the notes they had taken through Instragram, which offered a personal touch to this event.

ALIA Sydney's very own workshop, focusing on careers and networking, was highly engaged with technology allowing an online audience to put forward questions on PD and interviewing, and even connecting with special guest speaker Julia Garnett all the way from Canada!

Here are some of my favourite tweets from the conference:

Which tweets did you find most memorable?

Attending in person...

I was lucky enough to be in Melbourne to enjoy the coffee, ubiquitous art and, um, changeable weather in person, as well as to soak up the atmosphere of the conference and meet some amazing library and information people. Actually being at the conference allowed for all sorts of opportunities to run into people, window-shop for new shiny things at the exhibitor's booths, and share ideas over lunch, dinner or drinks. Like Caitlin, though, I found the Twitter backchannel to be a valuable way to start or continue conversations sparked by some excellent keynotes, presentations and workshops. I will definitely be trawling the #national14 tweets, both for sessions I missed and those I attended, before reporting back to my colleagues.

The conference was such a whirlwind that I'm only just starting to slow down and reflect on some of the issues raised, but the main points which stuck with me about the theme 'Together we are stronger', and the daily (and overlapping) sub-themes of Content, Collaboration and Capabilities, were:

• We need to find a 'common language' for working together with other parts of our organisations, as Monash University Library has done by developing a research skills development framework to enable library-faculty collaboration. We need to gather the right data to measure impact, identify the problems of our communities and collaborate to solve them, and show the value of libraries (and get funding in a time of continual cuts). For plenty of inspirational case studies, check out the Urban Libraries Council's Top Innovators.
• We need to find out what our customers/clients/patrons/communities/organisations are interested in, and make it happen - whether that's offering a Minecraft Gaming Day for (and driven by) young people at North Melbourne Library, designing a new library space with a focus on 'making and doing' in Aarhus, or redeveloping academic library spaces based on how students use those spaces.
• How? By building capabilities through education and development, such as cross-institutional mentoring in Victoria, the University of South Australia teaming up with the State Library of South Australia to give students 'real life' library experience, and Queensland public libraries cultivating a culture of learning and development to allow staff to build higher order skills... and especially by individuals taking responsibility for their own careers and for building their own leadership capacity.

This barely scratches the surface of the ideas discussed at the conference, and I haven't even mentioned shenanigans at NGAC's cardi party, the awesome dance moves at the conference dinner, or the Raeco and QUT photobooths... and the fantastic libraries at the University of Melbourne and the State Library of Victoria deserve their own separate post (watch this space).


Sooo... did you attend, or wish you had? Would you be interested in a reprise event in Sydney? Let us know in the comments below!

- Caitlin Williams and Amy Croft (@amyecroft)

Become a NSW New Grads Regional Coordinator!

Are you looking for an opportunity to get involved with ALIA? Both NSW New Grad Regional Coordinators are simultaneously going on maternity leave at the end of 2013, and we’d like to share the load!

Two positions are available for a 12 month period.

To apply, please send a brief statement (1 page) addressing the position description (below) with your contact details to alianewgradnsw [at] gmail [dot] com

Queries about this position can also be sent to this email address.

Deadline for applications is Friday 22nd November, 2013.

Successful applicants will be contacted by the end of November to arrange handover in early December 2013.

Position description: NSW New Grads Regional Coordinator

The interested persons should:

• Be, or be willing to become, a current member of ALIA.
• Have an active interest in professional development with the Library & Information sector.
• Maintain an active awareness of new issues and development within the Library and Information sector.
• Have strong communication and collaboration skills
• Be able to contribute to NLS7 organising for Sydney 2015

Regional Coordinators are expected to:

Event promotion:

• Assist with the organisation of at least 2 events per year in NSW, either independently or in conjunction with another ALIA group (e.g.ALIA Sydney). Events should relate to the needs and interests of new graduates, or students in the Library and Information sector.
• Post/Update on ALIA New Graduates Group (NGG) social networking pages regularly.
• Use ALIA groups elist and social media accounts to promote NSW events and current awareness of library and information sector news and issues.
• Ensure a consistent and professional format for all ALIA NGG communications

NGG reporting:

• Report on events to the NGG using the appropriate Google Docs, and at NGG teleconferences.
• Pass on to the NGG Convenor any issues that the New Generation Advisory Committee might need to know about
• Keep detailed information on money spent/received to be passed on to the Treasurer once a year
• Record all payments in the ALIA receipt book and provide invoices to all payees
• Regularly check and maintain the group’s email account

Average time demand per month: 4 hours (2 hours prep plus actual events)

Term required: 12 months (Dec 2013-Dec 2014)