ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 2 8 6 /C & RL News Every Librarian a Leader Lib rarian a s le a d e r: W hat role for m e? By Deborah J . Leather Join yo u r colleagues at the 1996 ACRL President’s Program T his year, ACRL president Patricia Breivik has promoted the theme “Every Librarian a Leader.” She fervently believes that all librar­ ians must take an active role as leaders on cam­ pus and in pertinent state, regional, and na­ tio n a l v e n tu re s to a d v a n ce in fo rm a tio n management principles and the transformation o f learning initiatives. During her tenure as president, Breivik has fostered this idea through four major undertak­ ings: her personal presence at a large number of ACRL chapter meetings; the monthly column in C&RL News, “Every Librarian a Leader,” which, over this past year, has given readers a number of excellent practical examples of lead­ ership roles for academic librarians; a special session at the 1996 ALA Midwinter Meeting which explored leadership opportunities avail­ able to academic librarians in the wider aca­ demic community; and for the finale, a very special ACRL President’s Program at the 1996 ALA Annual Conference in New York. The President's Program The New York program was framed by Breivik and the 1996 ACRL President’s Program Com­ mittee on the beliefs that the essence o f leader­ ship has to do with influencing what goes on beyond the formal library structure, and that all professionals can find a leadership niche if they so desire. The questions that will be ad­ dressed at the conference are: what does as­ suming a leadership role personally mean? and how do I find my role as leader in my institu­ tion or in off-campus activities? This will be accomplished through a four-part program that will examine how librarians determine their own leadership skills, identify leadership roles and opportunities, and prepare specific plans to realize their own leadership objectives. This year’s President’s Program is unique in that there will be a number of sessions threaded throughout the entire An­ nual Conference focusing on the “Every Librarian a Leader” theme. Breivik and the 1996 President’s Pro­ gram C o m m itte e fe lt strongly that a single pro­ gram would not allow suf­ ficient time and opportunity to think about and cultivate ideas and interests as they relate to leadership skills development. The m any aspects of leadership The first module will be presented on Satur­ day, July 6, 2:00–4:00 p.m., and will be the opening keynote address, “Every Librarian a Leader.” This session will be led by Dadie Perlov, a longtime consultant to ACRL on plan­ ning and development issues. She will give a thoughtful presentation on why librarians must be information leaders beyond library walls, how the preparation for librarianship provides the basis for leadership roles, and how profes­ sionals can easily enhance their individual lead­ ership potential. Perlov will relate librarians’ W hat does assum ing a leadership role person ally m ean? And h o w do I find m y role a s leader in m y institution or in off-campus activities? D e b o r a h J . L ea th e r is c h a i r o f th e 1 9 9 6 ACRL P r es id en t’s P rog ram C om m ittee a n d d e a n o f th e library a n d a s so c ia te v ice-presiden t f o r in stru ction al tech n o lo g ies a t Tows o n State University; e-m a il: e 7L8Lea @toe. tow son . ed u May 1 9 9 6 /2 8 7 leadership roles in higher education to a num­ ber of traditional and nontraditional environ­ ments: academic institutions in transition; the 21st-century leader; leadership roles, rights, and responsibilities; leadership myths; and behav­ ior styles. She will use lecture, group interac­ tion, case studies, and a leadership self-assess­ ment tool to explore the many aspects of leadership and to initiate a process in which the participants access their own leadership skills, identify opportunities to serve as lead­ ers, and begin a planning process for personal leadership opportunities. A specially designed workbook will be dis­ tributed at this session and will be used through­ out the program modules. It will include gen­ eral leadership information, an outline of the information and sessions to be covered through­ out the conference, self-assessment and other developmental tools, and planning guides. A distinctive conference event The second module will be offered on Sunday, July 7, 11:00 a.m.– 2:00 p.m. This will be a very unusual program and a distinctive conference event. The thought-provoking and entertain­ ing three-hour session will be conducted through small group activities. The targeted exercises will provide immediate insights on professional and personal practices as they re­ late to leadership opportunities. Long-held b e­ liefs will be challenged, and ways to enhance requisite skills and communications will be addressed. Led by experienced facilitators, the participants will: • review and assess current beliefs to de­ velop personal approaches to leadership per­ formance; • determine ways to value diverse opin­ ions and use those differences to take a leader­ ship role; • increase their understanding of how one’s individual skills can contribute to participating in change endeavors; • learn to use language in new ways to improve communication; • develop creative problem-solving ap­ proaches; and • discuss how leadership roles can satisfy and motivate rather than increase stress or be a negative experience. Leadership-related programs Module 3 will be an array of conference ses­ sions formally identified in the ALA Annual Conference Program as leadership-related pro­ grams. Individuals will use the workbook re­ ceived in Module 1 to address particular ques­ tio n s o r p e r c e iv e d a re a s o f le a d e rs h ip development as they participate in these addi­ tional conference programs. Module 4, the closing session, will be held Monday, July 8, 2:00–4:00 p.m. During this pro­ gram, participants will review their conference experiences (surprises, revelations, and new­ found interests, in particular), share thoughts about potential leadership opportunities, and refine individual leadership plans. The program facilitators will provide a recap o f leadership principles and spend time discussing how in­ dividuals can avoid organizational sabotage to leadership interests and performance. A year-long focus This conference program is the culmination of a year-long focus on “Every Librarian a Leader.” The 1996 ACRL President’s Program Commit­ tee hopes that by providing a wide range of experiences at the ALA Annual Conference in New York, it will help academic librarians find new ways to influence the larger academy and better affect professional and public policy. G ive us you r ideas If you have any suggestions before or after the 1996 Annual Conference, please contact any m em ber o f the 1996 ACRL President’s Program Committee. The mem­ bers of the committee are: Deborah Leather, chair, Towson State University; e-mail: E7L8LEA@toe.towson. edu. Noreen Alldredge, California State Uni­ versity, Hayward; nalldredge@csuhayward. edu. Bradley F. Baker, Northeastern Illinois University; ubbaker@uxa.ecn.bgu.edu. Stanton F. Biddle, Baruch College; sfbbb @cunyvm.cuny.edu. Mel George, Oregon State University; georgem@ccmail.orst.edu . Bonnie Gratch, St. Mary’s College of Cali­ fornia; bgratch@stmarys-ca.edu. Ferne B. Hyman, Rice University; fhyman @ricevml. rice.edu. Derrie B. Roark, Hillsborough Commu­ nity College; roarkd@mail.firn.edu. ■ mailto:ubbaker@uxa.ecn.bgu.edu mailto:bgratch@stmarys-ca.edu mailto:roarkd@mail.firn.edu 2 8 8 /C&RL News Lost in cyberspace? Come to Engineering Information VillageTM. We’ve mapped a way to save you time. 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