For LIS 680 – Independent Inquiry, students are engaging in research to develop new knowledge in the field of managerial leadership in the library and information professions. During the current research projects students have used methodologies including surveys (both web and paper), content analysis and interviews. The following are abstracts from a sampling of those studies.

Anne Marie Casey
Distance Learning Librarians and Shared Vision

Distance learning librarians provide library services to distance learning students and faculty. The library services they provide are expected to be equivalent to those accessible on campus. Many distance learning library services were established well before the Internet made remote access to services and collections relatively easy. To provide equivalent service to today's distance learning user community, distance learning librarians may need a vision for those services that is shared by colleagues in the library, the teaching faculty, and the distance learning staff at their institutions. No study has investigated the development or implementation of a shared vision for distance learning library services. The purpose of this study is to fill that void by identifying shared visions that guide the planning and delivery of distance learning library services in North America and exploring the components of those shared visions, the people who helped shape those visions, whether these visions have changed over time, and whether they differ by geographic region.

The need for adaptation or innovation in academic library services in general appears to be more pressing with constant change in the technology that supports different ways in which information is available. The Internet has changed the way in which post-secondary institutions offer courses and academic libraries make resources available. These changes in higher education technology may promote increased collaboration with teaching faculty and instructional designers to develop a shared vision of library services that better supports new instructional delivery methods. Discovering shared visions that have guided the adaptation of traditional academic library services for the distance learner may inspire the vision other librarians develop to adapt library services to meet new user needs.

Jon E. Cawthorne
Leading from the Middle of the Organization: An Examination of Shared Leadership in Academic Libraries

No study has explored the application of shared leadership theory to academic libraries. This study fills that void by examining the extent to which these libraries foster shared leadership, and especially the role that middle managers play in shared leadership. There are several reasons why such a study is important. First, middle managers are positioned between the staff and the senior management team. They have expertise that can inform decision making, they work with frontline staff on the implementation of decisions, and they report back to senior management on the need for any modification of those decisions as well as on areas requiring review and new decisions. When middle managers become managerial leaders, they assume more accountability for organizational effectiveness. Clearly, the extent to which they participate in shared leadership is worthy of investigation.

Kathleen DeLong
The Engagement of New Library Professionals in Leadership

As new professionals make the transition from school to a changing work environment, they are likely to find opportunities to engage in leadership, either within teams or in managerial positions. Some new professionals will view leadership roles as stimulating, exciting, and challenging, and they will be willing to engage in them as soon as the opportunity arises. Others may be interested but may perceive such roles as beyond their current capabilities, and demanding talents that they do not possess. The willingness and the interest of new professionals to engage in leadership roles may not necessarily coincide with each other. It is also possible that some new professionals will not be interested at all. The perceptions and viewpoints of new professionals undoubtedly shape their decisions about their willingness to engage in leadership roles. No study has examined new entrants to the profession and the extent of their leadership engagement, which is viewed as their interest in and willingness to take up leadership roles, as well as the barriers and opportunities to leadership that they perceive to exist within the workplace. The purpose of this study is to fill that void by examining the engagement of new librarians in leadership roles. What is their definition of the concept of leadership? Furthermore, if they are not presently performing leadership roles, do they view themselves as future leaders within their immediate organization or the profession itself?

The findings of an examination of the leadership engagement of recent entrants into the profession have interest to those coping with staffing and organizational change and engaged in professional development of staff, particularly those employers who perceive that a leadership gap exists because it is difficult to replace leadership skills lost through retirement. It is important that the new professionals who are interested and willing to take up leadership opportunities be developed and nurtured in these roles, and that they are engaged in the strategic thinking and planning necessary for organizations to thrive on the continuing changes in the library environment. The results of this study will contribute to strategizing both on the part of new professionals who are interested and willing to engage in leadership and of the organizations which need to develop leadership capacity. It also has relevance to those educating students through LIS graduate programs and continuing education.

Irene Herold
Mentoring: An Analysis of Listserv Content for Leadership

The ACRL/CLS New Director Mentor Program involves a rich array of college library directors from institutions that generally have an enrollment of no more than 2,500. As part of the program and afterward as part of a closed listserv, the participants address leadership issues and challenges facing college libraries. Participation in the discussion group as a peer mentor allows participants to function as both a mentor and mentee depending upon if they are seeking advice or offering their perspective. Participants are all at the same administrative level. No study of listserv content for leadership has previously been conducted. To fill this void, this study analyzes those discussions for the leadership theories and styles they illustrate, the issues and challenges they raise related to leadership, and the activities and traits they identify as exemplifying leadership. Finally, the study examines how well the leadership content of the listserv messages compares with the formal program?s seminar topics as generated by the program planners and participants, and whether or not message function is indicative of leadership content. This study provides a baseline for future studies of the analysis of mentoring listserv content for leadership. Not doing studies of listserv content potentially overlooks a rich cache of leadership data available for further study. ALA, ACRL and several of its sections have mentoring programs with e-mail and/or listserv communication components for librarians at different levels of career engagement, but none of these have been studied. Whether or not these programs are an effective means for developing leadership has not been studied. This study can provide a methodological guideline for others in examining the electronic discussion of these mentoring programs and a baseline study for comparison. In addition, the findings could provide feedback to the CLS program, suggesting topics to incorporate in the program or subjects that are currently included, but need rethinking. Identification of leadership topics of interest to college library directors may be useful in directing self-development. The results might be useful to ALA as an organization for application in the Emerging Leaders program. The study might also provide information of use to leadership institutes or higher education programs focused on the development of new leaders. For institutions with new leaders, but without the resources to participate in a formal mentoring program, the results could provide guidance for institutional development. The results might also provide methodology useful in studies of other discussion group communications for analysis of indicators that suggest message function as indicative of leadership roles.

Adriene Lim
Opting Out or Overlooked? Librarians of Color and Advancement to Senior-Level Administrative Positions in Academic Libraries

Previous scholarship and research have tended to focus on recruiting or mentoring people of color. Yet, in the case of experienced librarians of color, a disproportionately small number seem to have attained senior-level administrative positions in academic libraries. No research study has addressed the librarians' perceptions about the factors that could be involved in this phenomenon. The purpose of this study is to fill that void by examining the self-perceived personal, professional, and institutional factors involved for those librarians of color in supervisory roles who have not yet advanced to senior-level administrative positions.

The results of this study may help the profession better understand where its efforts to prepare for leadership succession need to be improved to ensure that librarians of color with valuable leadership potential are not being overlooked or disregarded. If librarians of color, for example, perceive that institutional factors such as the lack of library support or differential treatment in the profession are important obstacles in their advancement, then existing leadership institutes may need to be augmented with other programs specifically designed to help libraries reduce differential experiences of minorities in the workplace and improve advancement practices. Insights gained into librarians' personal perceptions regarding career advancement through this study may help the profession implement better strategies to support the pursuit and attainment of leadership positions by librarians of color.

Felton Thomas Jr.
African American Public Library Directors: A Typology of Characteristics That Lead to Career Advancement

Despite the fact that ethnic minorities, especially African and Hispanic/Latino Americans, consider public libraries as an extremely important source for community development, only a few African Americans are directors of public libraries. No study has queried these individuals about the qualities, traits, and skills that they possess which may have contributed to their career advancement. The purpose of this study is to fill that void and develop a typology of characteristics (qualities, traits, and skills) that they consider most important for future African American directors. With a small number of African Americans leading public library systems and the need of insights into their career advancement based on more than anecdotal evidence, this study asks current directors to reflect on their situation and what characteristics are necessary for African American librarians to advance in their career. These directors understand what it will take to achieve their level of success and know the adversity and challenges faced by librarians of color.

The findings of the study will not only benefit the librarians but will assist the profession by introducing a set of characteristics useful for mentoring programs with librarians of color. Mentoring relationships have been accepted as fundamental to the development and success of employees (Hansman, 2004). African American librarians, however, have a severe shortage of mentoring options within their race. The librarians do have the option of seeking mentors from outside their race, and these mentors may benefit from the comments and findings from the study.