ISSN: 2474-3542 Journal homepage: http://journal.calaijol.org The Big Ten Academic Alliance Library Directors: A Preliminary Exploration of Managerial and Leadership Attributes Binh P. Le Abstract: This study examines the managerial and leadership attributes of the 14 library directors of the Big Ten Academic Alliance’s universities prior to being appointed to their current positions. Special attention will be given to the managerial and leadership attributes that the decision-makers (e.g., university presidents, provosts, members of search committees, or members of the board of trustees) considered to be important. This study hopes to provide examples of leadership attributes that aspiring academic library leaders, especially those who desire to lead large academic and research libraries, may want to develop. To cite this article: Le, B.P. (2019). The Big Ten Academic Alliance Library Directors: A Preliminary Exploration of Managerial and Leadership Attributes. International Journal of Librarianship, 4(1), 19-37. To submit your article to this journal: Go to http://ojs.calaijol.org/index.php/ijol/about/submissions http://ojs.calaijol.org/index.php/ijol/about/submissions INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LIBRARIANSHIP, 4(1), 19-37 ISSN: 2474-3542 The Big Ten Academic Alliance Library Directors: A Preliminary Exploration of Managerial and Leadership Attributes1 Binh P. Le The Pennsylvania State University, USA ABSTRACT This study examines the managerial and leadership attributes of the 14 library directors of the Big Ten Academic Alliance’s universities prior to being appointed to their current positions. Special attention will be given to the managerial and leadership attributes that the decision-makers (e.g., university presidents, provosts, members of search committees, or members of the board of trustees) considered to be important. This study hopes to provide examples of leadership attributes that aspiring academic library leaders, especially those who desire to lead large academic and research libraries, may want to develop. Keywords: Higher education leadership, library leadership, Big Ten Academic Alliance, and the Big Ten Academic Alliance library directors. INTRODUCTION The Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) is one of the largest academic and athletic consortia in the United States. It comprises 14 public and private universities, including the University of Michigan, the Pennsylvania State University, the University of Wisconsin, and Northwestern University. Originally, the consortium’s main mission was to promote athletic collaboration. In recent decades, academic collaboration has become one of the two vital components of the consortium’s mission. In the area of library collaboration, for example, members (students, faculty, and staff) of these institutions have access to the consortium’s combined library collections of over 113 million volumes (Big 10 Academic Alliance’s Annual Report, 2016-2017). 1 Early version presented at the 9th Shanghai International Library Forum and published in the conference proceedings as follows: Binh P. Le. (2018). The Big Ten Academic Alliance Library Directors: An Exploratory Study of Leadership and Attainment. In Proceedings of Shanghai International Library Forum (SILF), October 18-19, 2018, Shanghai, China. The author wishes to acknowledge the Office of the Vice Provost for Educational Equity of the Pennsylvania State University for its Multicultural Faculty Development Support Funds. The author would also like to thank the two anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments. Le / International Journal of Librarianship 4(1) 20 Individually, each of these libraries holds millions of volumes; employs hundreds of professionals and paraprofessionals; and spends millions of dollars annually on salaries, resources, and facilities. Table 1. Big Ten Academic Alliance Member Universities ___________________________________________________________________________ Indiana University Michigan State University Northwestern University (private) Ohio State University Pennsylvania State University Purdue University Rutgers University University of Illinois University of Iowa University of Maryland University of Michigan University of Minnesota University of Nebraska-Lincoln University of Wisconsin-Madison Source: Big Ten Academic Alliance’s Annual Report 2016-2017. ______________________________________________________________________________ Effectively managing and leading libraries such as these, especially in an era in which the public resources devoted to higher education are diminishing and the digital revolution, which has brought profound and disruptive changes, is still raging, demands exceptional library leaders. Although the effectiveness of organizations such as libraries requires excellent contributions from their members, the role played by leaders cannot be overlooked. In fact, great leaders provide vision, formulate strategic directions, execute established plans, embrace bold initiatives, and motivate their employees to buy into their organizations’ mission, all of which are essential to the success of organizations. Simply put, without these leadership abilities, organizations are unlikely to succeed and thrive, especially in challenging environments. But effective leaders in every field are products of years of hard work and higher leadership aspirations. In fact, in order to be chosen to lead libraries such as the BTAA libraries, they must possess a significant amount of demonstrated leadership, managerial, and technical abilities, as well as notable accomplishments. This study attempts to examine the managerial and leadership attributes and the notable accomplishments of the 14 library directors of the BTAA (hereinafter AALDs) libraries prior to attaining their current positions. Besides contributing to the literature on library leadership, the study hopes to provide library leaders whose aspirations are to lead large academic and research libraries with some library leadership development paths that they might want to follow. Le / International Journal of Librarianship 4(1) 21 LITERATURE REVIEW The literature on leadership is extensive. Early research on leadership focused on the political and military realms. The foundations of leadership expounded in these areas include character, courage and fearlessness, integrity and honesty, self-discipline and self-confidence, loyalty to colleagues, ability to lead by example, and ability to build teams and delegate (Cronin & Thomas, 2012). There is also a substantial body of work on leadership theories, e.g., trait, behavioral, situational or contingency, transactional, and transformational (Avolio & Bass, 1997; Bass, 1985; Burns, 2003; Covey, 1989; Gardner, 1995; Fiedler, 1967; House & Shamir, 1993; and Hood) and leadership styles, e.g., autocratic, collaborative/participative, bureaucratic, charismatic, and laissez-faire (e.g., Amanchukwu, Stanley, & Olo, 2015; Ekvall & Arvonen, 1991; Fiedler & House, 1994; and Yukl, 1989). While many aspects of these broad theoretical works are primarily concerned with political and military leadership throughout history, some of the aforementioned works apply to library leadership. For example, leadership attributes such as integrity, trust, honesty, leading by example, etc. are important in every field, including the library field. On the other hand, some leadership styles (e.g., charismatic or bureaucratic) are not as prevalent or suitable (in today’s environment) as they once were. In recent decades, because of the rapid replacement of manual laborers with knowledge workers, leadership styles, such as collaborative and participative have become more prevalent and suitable in managing and leading organizations such as libraries. In recent decades, the literature on leadership has grown exponentially. The most influential authors include Burns (1978), Bennis (1989), Collins (2001), Maxell (2005, 2007, 2011), Goleman (2002, 2017), Goldsmith (2010), Peters (1997), Covey (1990), and Kotter (1996, 2013). Generally, most of these works (e.g., Bennis’ On Becoming a Leader, Goleman’s Primal Leadership: Realizing the Power of Emotional Intelligence (2002), Maxwell’s, Developing the Leader Within You (2005), and Cashman’s Leading from the Inside Out: Becoming a Leader for Life (2008)) discuss the attributes that make great leaders in the contemporary world. These works do not differentiate whether an individual holds a formal or a non-formal leadership position. According to these authors, one can be a leader without holding a formal title. In the library field, it is not unusual for many librarians who hold no formal titles, such as director or associate director, to play an important role in their organizations (e.g., libraries, universities, or professional organizations) through expertise or experience. More important, these authors contend that leadership skills can be learned. The impact of this body of work on the library profession has been profound. For example, over the last couple of decades, library organizations, such as the American Library Association (ALA), the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), and the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), have established many leadership development programs (e.g., the ARL Library Fellows Program), aimed at training future library leaders. Interestingly, a number of the BTAA library directors have participated in many of these leadership development programs. The literature on leadership in the library profession, on the other hand, is far less extensive. In fact, most of the studies on leadership in the library profession have been published in the past Le / International Journal of Librarianship 4(1) 22 couple of decades. Notable works on library leadership include Hernon, Powell, and Young (2003), Fagan (2012), Galbraith, Smith, and Walker (2001), Kreitz (2009), Martin (2016), Moropa (2010), Riggs (1998, 2001), Schreiber and Shannon (2008), Sears (2014), and Spies (2000). These studies centered on (a) key leadership attributes, e.g., visionary, risk-taking and technical competencies such as budgeting, technology experience, and fundraising, (b) personal characteristics, e.g., integrity, trustworthiness, and self-knowledge, and (c) strategies for developing future library leaders, e.g., mentoring, succession planning, and leadership development programs. In particular, a fair number of works focus on the technical competencies, such as budgeting, communication skills, team building, project management, and fundraising. In fact, library leaders are unlikely to attain the top leadership positions in large academic libraries without possessing extensive technical experience and competencies. What is missing from this body of library literature is the types of leadership and technical competencies that institutions look for when they hire their library directors. In a recent study of the 44 job announcements for academic library directors between 2011 and 2015, Mariel, Kasper, and van Duinkerken (2017) found that higher education institutions continue to place strong emphasis on technical skills in selecting their library directors. Furthermore, given the number of scandals (e.g., admissions scandals) that have taken place at many higher education institutions in recent decades, a requirement that applicants have moral and ethical attributes seems to be absent from these job announcements. In another study, Fitsimmons (2008) compared the leadership attributes that library leaders (e.g., university librarians) and university administrators (e.g., presidents, vice presidents and provosts) thought to be essential for library directors to possess. Interestingly, the author found that the leadership attributes that the two groups consider to be essential are similar. Specifically, the technical competencies appeared to be more important than leadership competencies. This study attempts to examine what the senior administrators actually did consider (not thought) to be essential managerial and leadership attributes by examining the information sources issued by their institutions (leaders) following the hiring of these AALDs. METHODS This study examines the leadership attributes of the 14 AALDs who held the position of library director of the libraries of the BTAA to the end of 2017. The AALDs include eight men and six women. One of the AALDs is an interim library director who has been in his current position since July 2015. The majority of the AALDs have been in their current positions between 5 to 7 years. Due to (1) the confidentiality of the hiring process, it was not feasible to interview the individuals (e.g., search committee members, provosts, or vice presidents) involved in the hiring process. For the same reason, a survey instrument was not used. And (2) due to the scarcity of information (e.g., feature articles, book chapters, and books/autobiographies) available on the BTAA library directors, this study relied mostly on primary sources (e.g., news items, official announcements, and individual and institutional websites) available in the public domain. In collecting data for this study, the author, using Google, conducted a number of searches for Le / International Journal of Librarianship 4(1) 23 information sources published on the websites of the universities and libraries of the BTAA, the ACRL, the ALA, the ARL, and LinkedIn. The searches on these websites yielded a limited amount of information (e.g., educational backgrounds, positions held, scholarly activities, and service records) about the career of the AALDs. Interestingly, a small amount of information about the AALDs has been made available by the AALDs themselves via personal websites and LinkedIn. Similarly, a fair amount of information about the AALDs was retrieved from the BTAA universities’ and libraries’ media outlets, such as newsletters, students newspapers, and offices of strategic communication. Lastly, the websites and print publications published by the libraries and other professional organizations also provided information on the AALDs. It is worth noting that, despite numerous efforts, the researcher was able to retrieve only a small amount of information on a couple of the AALDs. The BTAA libraries use various titles, such as university librarian and dean of libraries, dean of libraries and scholarly communication, or vice president for information services and university librarian to describe the position that has been commonly called “library director.” For the sake of convenience, the title “library director” will be used when appropriate. Additionally, instead of using the names of the AALDs, he, him, she, and her will be used when suitable. Limitations As noted, due to the confidential nature of the hiring process, conducting individual interviews or surveys with all the parties involved in the hiring process from the candidates to the decision- makers was not possible. Consequently, the study relies on the limited information available. Furthermore, due to the scarcity of information available on the AALDs, it would be difficult to generalize from the findings. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION Educational Backgrounds The educational backgrounds of the 14 AALDs shows the following characteristics. Thirteen of the AALDs hold master’s degrees in library science. Among these 13, six hold multiple master’s degrees and three hold doctoral degrees. Two of the AALDs do not hold either master’s degrees or doctoral degrees in library science. One holds a Ph.D. in computer science; the other holds a Ph.D. in psychology. It is not uncommon for directors of large academic libraries to not hold advanced degrees in the field of library science. For example, Sidney Verba, an eminent political scientist, served as director of Harvard’s university libraries from 1984 to 2007 (Mineo, 2019). What is interesting, however, is that, traditionally, librarians without academic credentials in the field of library science tended to come from the humanities and arts. In the present study, two library directors without formal library education credentials possess advanced degrees in engineering (science) and psychology (social science). It is worth noting that the library director who holds a doctoral degree in psychology possesses an extensive technological background and has been involved in numerous information-technology-related initiatives with national and international implications (e.g., the Digital Preservation Network). In addition to the AALDs’ formal education, a small number of AALDs attended some of the very highly selective leadership Le / International Journal of Librarianship 4(1) 24 development programs, such as the Frye Institute (now the Leading Change Institute), the Association of Research Libraries’ Leadership Fellows Program, and Harvard’s Leadership Institute for Academic Librarians. It is not surprising that many of these library directors participated in the leadership development programs (e.g., ARL Leadership Fellows Program and ALA Emerging Leaders) sponsored by library organizations, such as the ARL and the ACRL because graduate programs in the field of library and information science generally lack leadership and managerial education. Prior Leadership Positions The majority of the AALDs have held the position of associate dean of library (e.g., associate dean for public services, associate dean for library administration, or associate dean for technology). Some have held the position of associate dean in multiple areas of library services at different times. Additionally, the majority of the AALDs have served as either assistant dean or department head or both before moving up to the associate rank. The career advancement of the AALDs has not departed significantly from the traditional academic library advancement route. As shown, most of them have advanced from the lower mid-levels (e.g., department head, project director) to the middle senior-levels (e.g., assistant director, associate director) to the high senior-levels (e.g., director). In some ways, the career advancement pattern of academic library directors is similar to that of academic deans. The major difference, however, is that the leadership advancement of academic library directors tends to stop at the directorship level, whereas academic deans may (and may have) advance to higher positions, such as provost, vice president, and president. While many of the AALDs have taken the traditional leadership advancement route, it is worth noting that seven of the AALDs have served as interim directors. Evidently, serving as interim director of libraries has certainly provided these “future” AALDs with opportunities to gain practical leadership skills. For example, when Edward Van Gemert served as interim director of libraries at the University of Wisconsin, he provided: Leadership and direction of the total general purpose operating revenues of approximately $24 million plus gift funds for the 15 libraries that comprise the General Library System. Significant budget and resource planning and close collaboration with campus administration. Works with the UW Foundation, UW Alumni Association and other campus units building relationships for the development and advancement and liaison including private fundraising on behalf of the Library (Van Gemert, 2018). Furthermore, in serving in the interim positions, these AALDs revealed a couple of important leadership attributes: (1) the willingness to take on positions with greater responsibilities, and (2) the recognition by others (e.g., senior administrators) of their leadership abilities. It is also worthwhile to mention that four AALDs served as director of libraries before taking on their current positions. For the most part, they tended to work in large and highly selective institutions (e.g., the University of Tennessee and the University of California at Santa Barbara), where the size of the collections and the number of staff were large. Interestingly, the majority (10) of the AALDs came from outside their current institutions, albeit many had spent a Le / International Journal of Librarianship 4(1) 25 considerable amount of time working in the libraries of the BTAA. Four were internally promoted. As shown, serving as associate directors, interim directors, and directors has enabled these AALDs to attain not only the practical leadership skills and the opportunities to demonstrate their leadership abilities, but also the higher leadership positions in larger libraries and universities. Scholarly Activities Job announcements for directors of large academic and research libraries require candidates to possess a record of publications. While higher education institutions do not specifically indicate the number and type of publications, the candidates are expected to have published a number of peer-reviewed articles and books or chapters. In this study, a significant number of the AALDs have published monographs, book chapters, and articles in peer-reviewed journals, such as College & Research Libraries, Journal of Academic Librarianship, Library Administration and Management, Library Hi Tech, and portal: Libraries and the Academy. For example, Sarah Pritchard, dean of libraries and the Charles Deering McCormick University Librarian, has published over 70 articles and reviews (Northwestern University Libraries, 2018). Pritchard was also a founding board member and an editor of portal: Libraries and the Academy, one of the premier journals in the field of library science (Northwestern University Libraries, 2018). Similarly, when Purdue University appointed James Mullins as its dean of libraries, The Purdue News reported that, Mullins “is a published authority on university services and operation.” (2004). Besides publishing in peer-reviewed journals, many of the AALDs have also served on the editorial boards and/or as editors of the library profession’s journals. For example, Ohio State University’s Office of Academic Affairs issued the following statement upon the appointment of Damon E. Jaggars as vice provost and director of university libraries. It stated: His work has been published in peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings; and his national editorial service includes board membership for portal: Libraries and the Academy, co-editorship of a special issue of Evidence Based Library and Information Practice and a stint as editor-in-chief of the Journal of Library Administration (Office of Academic Affairs, 2016). In addition, many of the AALDs have also presented papers and served on expert panels at national and international conferences. Subsequently, many of their presentations were published as book chapters in conference proceedings or articles in peer-reviewed journals. Additionally, a number of the AALDs have also served as consultants. For example, according to Northwestern University Libraries, Sarah Pritchard has “lectured and consulted internationally on library management, women’s studies, digital systems, collection and development and other professional issues” (2018). Scholarly activities serve several important functions. At the fundamental level, scholarly activities increase one’s knowledge and expertise. Besides educating oneself to become an expert, scholarly activities enable one to be recognized by colleagues in the profession. Recognition by colleagues is important to one’s professional credentials and opens up more professional opportunities. For example, he or she will be asked to evaluate colleagues for promotion and tenure, to provide consultation in the areas of their expertise, to contribute to publications (e.g., Le / International Journal of Librarianship 4(1) 26 journals and books), or to serve on the editorial boards of journals, etc. Moreover, scholarly activities enhance one’s credibility among the leaders of one’s institution. In fact, it is quite common for the library director to be a member of his/her institution’s senior leadership teams (e.g., provost’s council of academic deans or president’s leadership council). Furthermore, while many universities do not require a library director to have an extensive record of scholarly activities, having such a record and one that is similar to that of other academic leaders at their institutions would certainly enhance library directors’ credibility. Professional Service In an earlier study on the professional service (public service) of the UCLA (University of California) Library Senior Fellows, Anderson (1985) pointed out that the majority of the participants held extensive records of professional service. The same study also found that participants employed in the libraries of the ACRL were more active professionally than their non- ACRL colleagues. Generally, these participants have served on committees, task forces, and boards (hereinafter committees) at their institutions, in the library profession’s organizations, and other professional organizations worldwide. Many have also held leadership positions in their professional organizations (e.g., chair or vice chair). In this study, the majority of the AALDs possessed extensive records of professional service. Furthermore, they have held leadership positions on committees in various organizations. For example, when Ohio State University appointed Damon E. Jaggars as vice provost and director of university libraries, Ohio State University’s Office of Academic Affairs mentioned that Jaggars’ professional service includes “various leadership roles in the American Library Association, the Association of College and Research Libraries and the Taiga Forum” (2016). Similarly, in announcing the appointment of Ed Van Gemert as vice provost for libraries and university librarian, the University of Wisconsin’s Libraries furnished the following statement regarding Van Gemert’s professional service activities. It stated: Van Gemert has served as Chair of the Council of Wisconsin Libraries, was on the Steering Committee of the Coalition of networked Information, served in leadership roles with the Association of Research Libraries, the Big Ten Academic Alliance and served as Chair of the HathiTrust Strategic Advisory Board (Library News & Events, 2017). In particular, many of the BTAA institutions seem to favor leaders who have served on the board of directors of prestigious organizations. For example, according to the University of Michigan Libraries, James Hilton “serves on many boards, including Internet2, DuraSpace, Digital Preservation Network, and the HathiTrust Board of Governors” (2018). Similarly, according to the resume of Wendy Pradt Lougee, university librarian and dean of libraries and McKnight Presidential Professor at the University of Minnesota, she has served On the board of directors of the Research Libraries Group, the Council on Library and Information Sources, the Digital Library Federation (president 2009), the National Information Standards Organization, the Association of Research Libraries (president 2012-2013), and the HathiTrust (Lougee, 2018). Le / International Journal of Librarianship 4(1) 27 It is worthwhile to note that it is not just the number of committees and leadership positions they have held but also the importance of the committees on which they have served. For example, according to his resume, following are some of the committees John Wilkin, dean of libraries and university of librarian at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, has served on: Digital Preservation Network’s Executive Committee, Advisory Board for the Berkeley Law Digital Library Copyrights Project, HathiTrust executive Committee and HathiTrust Board of Governors, University of Michigan Blue Ribbon Panel on Research Data Strategy, Research Libraries group Council, UM Decennial Accreditation: The University’s Knowledge Environment and Roles of research, Professional and Creative Activities, Ad Hoc Task Force to Review OCLC Policy for Use and Transfer of WorldCat Records, and ARL Digital Repository Issues Task Force (Wilkin, 2016). Professional service serves multiple functions. At the basic level, professional service enables organizations to carry out their functions. In fact, many non-profit professional organizations rely heavily on their members to carry out the work of the organizations (e.g., the American Library Association) or institutions, especially shared-governance organizations (e.g., universities). Second, in many cases, professional service is part of one’s jobs. In fact, professional service is a major component of consideration for promotion at many higher education institutions. Third, professional service provides an individual with opportunities to educate himself/herself on issues affecting his/her organization and to develop and hone his/her leadership skills. Last, serving on important committees, including holding leadership roles on these committees, affords an individual the opportunities to have a profound impact on his/her institution, organization, or the broader community. In the present study, the AALDs have served on important committees and held key leadership positions on the committees on which they have served. Furthermore, the AALDs’ professional service has had a significant impact on their institutions and professional organizations. Managerial Credentials Attaining directorship positions at any large academic or research library, especially the libraries of the ARL, of which all of the BTAA libraries are members, requires the candidates to possess a wide array of significant managerial and leadership skills. It includes having competencies and work experience in complex networked environments; managing large library collections; administering sizable budgets (in the millions); supervising large professional and non- professional staffs; understanding key human resources issues; overseeing large physical facilities, etc. In the case of the AALDs, the majority of them possess extensive managerial experience, especially the AALDs who have held library directorship positions, either in interim or regular capacity, before assuming their leadership positions in the BTAA libraries. For example, according to the information furnished in her resume, Sarah Pritchard, the incoming dean of libraries and the Charles Deering McCormick university librarian at Northwestern University, who held the position of university librarian at the University of California at Santa Barbara, she “directed library services, collections, digital resources, capital projects, fundraising, and consortial initiatives. … Oversaw collections of several million items in four locations, a staff of 175 FTE, and a budget of about $16 million” (Pritchard, 2016). Previously, at Smith College, Pritchard, who held the position of director of libraries, “directed four libraries, archives and Le / International Journal of Librarianship 4(1) 28 special collections, and media services. Managed collections of 1.4 million items, a budget of $5 million and a staff of 65” (Pritchard, 2016). Similarly, Nancy Busch, the incoming dean of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, who held the position of associate dean of libraries, was responsible for “budget and personnel management and supervision of staff development and the diversity of personnel” (Smith, 2013). Likewise, Clifford H. Haka, while serving as associate director for administrative services at Michigan State University, was responsible for “library- wide budget development and execution, personnel, facilities, and other Main Office functions” (Haka, 2016). Some of the AALDs possessed additional, unique experiences. For example, according to Ohio State University’s Office of Academic Affairs, Damon E. Jaggars’ administrative experience includes “service planning, collection development and management, facilities planning and design, budgetary management, and human resources,” as well as possessing “deep experience building and managing distinctive and unique collections” (2016). Additionally, he “has substantive experience developing and managing information technology infrastructures within research libraries and broad experience with service quality assessment” (2016). In brief, all of the AALDs possessed extensive managerial experiences in the core areas of library management: budgeting, facilities management, personnel administration, and collection development. Decision-makers’ Decisions In order to be selected to lead large academic and research libraries like the libraries of the BTAA, the candidates must possess more than just a wide range of in-depth managerial and leadership skills. In the case of the AALDS, they must also possess other managerial and leadership attributes that the decision-makers look for. Interestingly, it seems that each of these universities looked for different types or a combination of leadership attributes. Some of the BTAA institutions looked for major accomplishments, including awards bestowed on the libraries they had led. For example, when Rutgers University appointed Krisellen Maloney as its new vice president for information services and university librarian, Rutgers University Libraries included the following statement in its announcement: At UTSA (University of Texas at San Antonio), Maloney led a five-year, multimillion dollar renovation of the John Peace Library, oversaw the development of the university’s first Faculty Center … Under her leadership, the UTSA libraries received wider recognition both locally and nationally, most notably winning the American Library Association’s prestigious John Cotton Dana Award for library public relations in 2004 (2015). In addition to looking for major accomplishments, the leadership of the BTAA institutions also looked for initiatives that had a significant impact. For example, when the University of Maryland appointed Babak Hamidzadeh as the interim dean of libraries, it released the following statement: In his time at the University of Maryland, he has started several new programs and initiatives … He has provided technical infrastructure and support to the 16 campuses of the University System of Maryland and Affiliated Institutions’ library consortium, and has been an active member of the consortium’s Council of Library Directors (Brown, 2015). Le / International Journal of Librarianship 4(1) 29 Similarly, according to the University of Minnesota Libraries, Wendy Pradt Lougee had launched many groundbreaking initiatives before assuming her current position, many of which not only had an impact but also garnered notable awards. It stated: Her work in launching and developing a premier digital library program at Michigan was recognized with the American Library Association’s Hugh Atkinson Award [2003], Computerworld Honors Program Laureate [2002], and Michigan’s Walter H. Kaiser Award [2001] (2018). The other BTAA institutions chose to highlight other special projects and grants. For example, when the University of Illinois selected John Wilkin to lead its libraries, the Illinois News Bureau reported that: Wilkin’s involvement in mass digitalization as a means of preserving library books predates the well-known book-scanning project headed by Google. In 1997, he received a National Endowment for the Humanities grant to digitize the “Middle English Dictionary” and make it accessible online. In 1999, he received an Andrew W. Mellon Foundation grant for the digitalization of 7,500 19th century monographs published in the U.S. This work poised him to lead HathiTrust when it began about a decade later. In his role as executive director, he successfully guided HathiTrust’s defense when the Authors Guild sued HathiTrust and a handful of its partner libraries (Rhodes, 2013). Carolyn Walters also has many accomplishments. Indiana University released the following statement when it appointed Walters as the Ruth Lilly dean of libraries. It stated: During her tenure as interim Ruth Lilly Dean of University Libraries from 2009 to 2010, the IU Libraries, along with IUTS, received a $2.3 million grant awarded to seven academic institutions by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to develop Kuali OLE, a community source software package developed by and for academic libraries to manage and provide access to library collections and licensed and local digital content. At that time, the IU Libraries were also selected as the recipient of the 2010 Association of College and Research Libraries’ Excellence in Academic Libraries Award (Wood, 2015). While the BTAA institutions looked for a wide array of administrative and leadership experience and accomplishments, they also looked for people who gained leadership and managerial experience at compatible institutions. For example, when Pennsylvania State University hired Barbara Dewey as dean of libraries and scholarly communications, the university stated that Dewey, who had served as dean of libraries at the University of Tennessee since 2000 and interim dean of libraries at the University of Iowa, has “garnered significant experience at several Big Ten universities” (Shockey, 2010). Similarly, when Ohio State University chose Damon Jaggars as vice provost and director of libraries, the university’s Office of Academic Affairs stated: He previously served as interim vice provost and university librarian at Columbia University and has significant successful leadership experience supporting the evolving academic enterprise in the libraries both at Columbia and another top-tier research- intensive university, the University of Texas (UT) at Austin (2016). Le / International Journal of Librarianship 4(1) 30 Another leadership attribute that the leaders of the BTAA institutions have also valued is a collaborative leadership style. For example, Indiana University released the following statement when it appointed Carolyn Walters as dean of libraries. It stated: As executive associate dean, her key achievements have included launching IU’s participation as the first library selected for the Google Books Project; providing oversight and support for the expansion of the IU Libraries Auxiliary Library Facility, which added space for its 3.5 million library volumes; and developing effective partnerships between the IU Libraries, IUTS and academic units, such as the Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and the College of Arts and Sciences (Wood, 2015). Likewise, Steve Fleagle, associate vice president and chief information officer and co-chair of the search committee, made the following statement when the University of Iowa appointed John Culshaw as its dean of libraries. He stated: The search committee worked hard to identify candidates with a demonstrated commitment to scholarship and research, and serving students and faculty. His on campus interviews confirmed how strongly he holds those commitments, and also showed his ability to connect well with a wide range of internal and external constituents (Yows, 2013). In fact, the majority of the press releases by the BTAA universities mentioned at least some aspects of a collaborative leadership style. Table 2 contains examples of statements on a collaborative leadership style extracted from the press releases published by the BTAA universities. Table 2: Collaborative Leadership Style ______________________________________________________________________________ • Particularly his collaboration across the UW System • His collaborative leadership style • As an advocate for collaboration between academics and technology • Developing effective partnerships between the IU Libraries, UITS and academic units, such as the Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and the College of Arts and Sciences • Instrumental in expanding the IU Libraries’ partnership with University Information Technology Services • Fostered partnerships with key stakeholders throughout the university ______________________________________________________________________________ In addition to a collaborative leadership style, a couple of the BTAA institutions indicated that personal attributes were also important. For example, when the University of Nebraska- Lincoln selected Nancy Busch as dean of its libraries, the university’s senior vice chancellor, Ellen Weissinger wrote: It was clear to me that Nancy’s interview generated widespread and enthusiastic support among the faculty and staff of the libraries. I received equally positive feedback from Chancellor (Harvey) Perlman, the vice chancellors, the deans and the Faculty Senate. Le / International Journal of Librarianship 4(1) 31 Nancy will begin her tenure as dean with the trust and confidence of the campus (Smith, 2013). The leadership at the University of Wisconsin held a similar view. For example, when the University of Wisconsin selected Edward van Gemert to lead the University of Wisconsin- Madison libraries, Provost Paul M. DeLuca stated, “UW-Madison’s libraries play a crucial role in ensuring the success of the university’s teaching and research mission. Within an exceptionally strong candidate pool, Ed’s character and abilities stood out” (Brooks, 2013). Remarkably, job announcements rarely mention personal attributes, yet some of the hiring administrators of the BTAA have shown that these personal attributes are still important leadership qualities. Additionally, the BTAA leaders seem to look for innovative leadership when they hire their library directors. Obviously, in order to be successful in today’s rapidly changing environment, leaders in every industry must be innovative. Based on the materials examined, the majority of the AALDs possess extensive records of initiating and implementing successful innovative initiatives (e.g., the JSTOR project, the Middle English Dictionary project, the Information Commons at Indiana University, and the Digital Preservation Network). For example, upon the announcement of the appointment of James Hilton as dean of the University of Michigan’s libraries, Jeff MacKie- Mason, dean of the university’s School of Information, stated, “James is one of the very best leaders in information resources for higher education and scholarship. He has been a transformative innovator, first at Michigan and then at Virginia” (2013). Likewise, when Barbara Dewey was appointed dean of libraries and scholarly communications, Rodney Ericson, executive vice president and provost of Penn State University, stated, “Barbara Dewey brings great depth and breadth of experience to the position, and an outstanding record of vision and leadership that will keep Penn State in the forefront of information resources” (Shockey, 2010). While all of the aforementioned leadership attributes are important, the BTAA leadership seems to place greater emphasis on visionary leadership. More specifically, they were interested in hiring library leaders who have a clear vison concerning the future of academic and research libraries. For example, in announcing the appointment of James Mullins as dean of libraries, Sally Mason, provost of Purdue University, remarked: After a thorough national search, we are very pleased to have found someone with the vision and the practical experience to continue to lead Purdue to the next level of excellence. He has the administrative experience and expertise with university libraries to accomplish that task (Winter, 2004). Similarly, Martha E. Pollack, provost of the University of Michigan, made the following statement when the university named James Hilton as dean of libraries. She said, “As dean of libraries and university librarian, James’ vision and leadership will be essential to our ability to address the changing nature of information acquisition and knowledge dissemination” (University of Michigan Libraries, 2013). Like James Hilton, James Mullins, and Wendy Pradt Lougee, John Wilkin is another visionary leader. As shown, he has been involved in a great number of innovative and visionary projects (e.g., the HathiTrust) over the last three decades. Thus, it was not surprising that Provost Ilesanmi Adesida made the following remark in the announcement naming Wilkin university librarian and dean of libraries at the University of Illinois: Le / International Journal of Librarianship 4(1) 32 John began his academic career with a degree in literature, and he has been involved in the digital preservation of library collections since the mid-1990s. He has a proven track record of developing and implementing a clear vision for the library of the 21st century (Rhodes, 2013). Table 3 includes a number of statements concerning the importance of vision made by the hiring administrators of the BTAA universities. Table 3. Vision ______________________________________________________________________________ • We are very pleased to have found someone with the vision and the practical experience to continue to lead Purdue to the next level of excellence. • He has a strong vision for the future of the libraries. • He has a proven track record of developing and implementing a clear vision for the library of the 21st century. • James’ vision and leadership will be essential to our ability to address the changing nature of information acquisition and knowledge dissemination. • She is a deeply respected authority on academic libraries who brings exceptional experience, commitment and vision to her role as Ruth Lilly Dean of University Libraries. • She brings great depth and breadth of experience to the position, and an outstanding record of vision and leadership that will keep Penn State in the forefront of information resources. • He began his academic career with a degree in literature, and he has been involved in the digital preservation of library collections since the mid-1990s. He has a proven track record of developing and implementing a clear vision for the library of the 21st century. • After a thorough national search, we are very pleased to have found someone with the vision and the practical experience to continue to lead Purdue to the next level of excellence. He has the administrative experience and expertise with university libraries to accomplish that task. ______________________________________________________________________________ CONCLUSIONS A number of initial conclusions can be drawn from these preliminary findings. First, despite being selected to lead some of the largest academic libraries in the United States, with academic titles such as vice provost for libraries and university librarian, vice provost and director of university libraries, and dean of libraries and university librarian, many of the AALDs do not hold doctoral degrees in library science. Second, before being appointed as AALDs, the majority of the AALDs held different positions, such as associate directors, interim directors, and directors. Evidently, serving in these positions has enabled these AALDs to attain not only the practical and vital leadership skills and opportunities to demonstrate their leadership abilities, but also the higher leadership positions. Third, many of the AALDs possess extensive records of scholarly activities. Besides producing a number of publications (e.g., journal articles, monographs, book chapters), Le / International Journal of Librarianship 4(1) 33 some of the AALDs served as editors, and on the editorial boards of journals. Fourth, the majority of the AALDs have been active in the area of professional service. They have served on all types of committees, usually important committees, at their institutions and in professional organizations. They have also served as leaders on professional committees. Significantly, they served on and led some of the most important boards in the profession. Fifth, virtually all of the AALDs had extensive core managerial and leadership experience before becoming AALDs. The core managerial and leadership experiences include budgeting, collection development, personnel administration, and facilities operations. Significantly, the AALDs gained these core experiences at comparable institutions (in terms of size and academic reputation). Last, besides having these core managerial and leadership experiences, the AALDs also possess other leadership attributes that the hiring BTAA administrators look for. As shown, the hiring BTAA administrators place particular value on the following leadership attributes: a collaborative leadership style, innovation, vision, and personal characteristics. References Amanchukwu, R. N., Stanley, G. J., & Olo, N. (2015). A review of leadership theories, principles, styles, and their relevance to educational management. Management, 5(1), 6- 14. Anderson, D. J. (1985). Comparative career profiles of academic librarians: Are leaders different? Journal of Academic Librarianship, 10(6), 326-32. Bass, B.M., & Avolio, B.J. (1994). Improving organizational effectiveness through transformation leadership. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Bass, B. M., & Avolio, B.J. (1997). Full range of leadership development. Palo Alto, CA: Mindgarden. Bass, B.M. (1997). Does the transactional-transformational leadership paradigm transcend organizational and national boundaries? American Psychologist, 52(2), 130-139. Bass, B. M., & Stogdill, R. (1990). Handbook of leadership (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Free Press. Bennis, W. (1989). On becoming a leader. New York, NY: Basic Books. Big 10 Academic Alliance. (2018). Big 10 Academic Alliance’s annual report, 2016-2017. Brooks, S. (2013). Van Gemert named to lead UW-Madison libraries. University of Wisconsin- Madison-News. Retrieved from: https://news.wisc.edu/van-gemert-named-to-lead-uw- madison-libraries/ Brown, C. (2015). UMD names Dr. Barak Hamidzadeh interim dean of libraries. Retrieved from: https://umdrightnow.umd.edu/news/umd-names-dr-barak-hamidzadeh Burns, J. M. (1978). Leadership. New York, NY: Harper & Row. https://news.wisc.edu/van-gemert-named-to-lead-uw-madison-libraries/ https://news.wisc.edu/van-gemert-named-to-lead-uw-madison-libraries/ https://umdrightnow.umd.edu/news/umd-names-dr-barak-hamidzadeh Le / International Journal of Librarianship 4(1) 34 Burns, J. M. (2003). Transforming leadership. New York, NY: Atlantic Monthly Press. Cashman, K. (2008). Leadership from the inside out: Becoming a leader for life. Oakland, CA: Berret-Koehler Publishers. Chemers, M. M., & Ayman, R. (1993). Leadership theories and research. Boston, MA: Academic Press. Collin, J. (2001). Good to great. New York, NY: Harper Collins. Covey, S. R. (1989). The 7 habits of highly effective people. New York, NY: Fireside. Covey, S. R. (1990). Principle-centered leadership: Teaching timeless principles of effectiveness. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster. Cronin, T. E., & Genovese, M A. (2012). Leadership matters: Unleashing the power of paradox. New York, NY: Routledge. Dewey, B. I. (2005). Leadership and university libraries. Journal of Library Administration, 42(1), 41-50. Ekvall, G., & Arvonen, K. (1991). Change-centered leadership: An extension of the two dimensional model. Scandinavian Journal of Management, 7(1), 17-26. Fagan, J. C. (2012). The effectiveness of library deans and directors. Library Leadership and Management, 26(1), 1-19. Fiedler, F., & House, R. (Eds.). (1994). Leadership theory and research: A report of progress. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers. Galbraith, Q., Smith, S.D., & Walker, B. A case for succession planning: How academic libraries are responding to the need to prepare future leaders. Library Administration, 34(4/5), 221-240. Gardner, H. (1995). Leading minds: An anatomy of leadership. New York, NY: Basic Books. Goldsmith, M. (2010). Learn like a leader: Today’s top leaders share their learning journeys. Boston, MA: Nicholas Brealey Pub. Goleman, D. (2002). Primal leadership: Realizing the power of emotional intelligence. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review Press. Goleman, D. (2017). What makes a leader? Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review Press. Haka, C. (2016). Resume of Clifford H. Haka. Retrieved from: http:www.staff.lib.msu.edu/hakac/resume-haka.pdf. Le / International Journal of Librarianship 4(1) 35 Hernon, P., Powell, E. R., & Young, A.P. (2002). University library directors in the Association of Research Libraries: The next generation, Part Two. College and Research Libraries, 63(1), 73-90. Hernon, P., & Rossiter, N. (2006). Emotional intelligence: Which traits are most prized? College and Research Libraries, 67(3), 260-275. House, R.J., & Shamir, B. (1993). Toward the integration of transformational, charismatic, and visionary theories. In M.M. Chemers & Ayman (Eds.), Leadership theory and research: Perspectives and Direction. San Diego, CA: Academic Press. House, R.J., & Aditya, R. (1997). The social scientific study of leadership? Journal of Management, 23(3), 409-473. Jung, D.I. (2001). Transformational and transactional leadership and their effects on creativity in groups. Creativity Research Journal, 13(2), 185-195. Kotter, J. P. (2013). Change leadership. Leadership Excellence, 30(1), 6-7. Kotter, J. P. (1996). Leading change. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press. Kreitz, P. A. (2009). Leadership and emotional intelligence: A study of university library directors and their senior management team. College and Research Libraries, 70(6), 531- 554. Martin, J. (2016). Perceptions of transformational leadership in academic libraries. Journal of Library Administration, 56(3), 266-284. Moropa, R. (2010). Academic libraries in transition: Some leadership issues – A viewpoint. Library Management, 31(6), 381-390. Maslow, A.H. (1954). Motivation and personality. New York, NY: Harper and Row. Maxwell, J. C. (2005). Developing the leader within you. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson. Maxwell, J. C. (2007). 21 Irrefutable laws of leadership. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson. Maxwell, J. C. (2011). The 5 level of leadership: Proven steps to maximize your potential. New York, NY: Center Street. McGregor, D.M. (2003). The human side of enterprise. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Lougee, W. P. (2018). Wendy Pradt Lougee. Retrieved from: https://www.lib.umn.edu/about/lougee Mineo, L. (2019). Sidney Verba dies at 86. The Harvard Gazette. Retrieved from https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/strory/2019/03/politicalscientist-signey-verba-dead-at- 86/ https://www.lib.umn.edu/about/lougee https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/strory/2019/03/politicalscientist-signey-verba-dead-at-86/ https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/strory/2019/03/politicalscientist-signey-verba-dead-at-86/ Le / International Journal of Librarianship 4(1) 36 Moropa, R. (2010). Academic libraries in transition: Some leadership issues – A viewpoint. Library Management, 31(6), 381-390. Northwestern University Libraries. (2018). Sarah Pritchard. Retrieved from: http://www.libraries.northwestern.edu/about/contact/sarah-pritchard.html Office of Academic Affairs, Ohio State University. (2016). Damon E. Jaggars. Retrieved from: https://oaa.osu.edu/jaggars-damon Peters, T., & Waterman, R. H. (1997). In search of excellence: Lessons from America’s best-run companies. New York, NY: G.K. Hall & Co. Rhodes, D. (2013). University of Michigan associate librarian to lead U. of I. libraries. Illinois News Bureau. Retrieved from: https://news.illinois.edu/view/6367/2024794 Riggs, D. E. (2001). The crisis and opportunities in library leadership. Journal of Library Administration, 32(3/4), 5-17. Riggs, D. R. (1998). Visionary Leadership. In F.M. Terrence, B. Gerard & M. McCabe (Eds.), Leadership and Academic Librarians. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. School of Information [University of Michigan]. (2013). James L. Hilton returns to U-M as dean of libraries. Retrieved from: https://www.si.umich.edu/news/james-l-hilton-returns-u-m- dean-libr Schreiber, B., & Shannon, J. (2008). Developing library leaders for the 21st century. Journal of Library Administration, 32(3/4), 37-60. Sears, S. (2014). Mentoring to grow library leaders. Journal of Library Administration, 54(2), 127-134. Shockey, J. (2010). Dewey named dean of university libraries and scholarly communications. Penn State News. Retrieved from: http://news.psu.edu/story/169283/2010/03/dewey- named-dean-university-libraries-and-scholarly-communications. Smith, S. (2013). Nancy Busch named dean of University of Nebraska-Lincoln libraries. Retrieved from: http://newsroom.unl.edu/releases/2013/07/19/Nancy+Busch+named+ Spies, P. B. (2000). Libraries, leadership, and the future. Library Management, 21(3), 123-127. Stogdill, R. (1974). Handbook of leadership. New York, NY: Free Press. Van Gemert, E. (2018). Edward V. Van Gemert. Retrieved from: https://news.wisc.edu/assets/22/original/VanGemertCV.pdf?1351612701 University of Illinois Libraries. (2016). About John Wilkin. Retrieved from: http://www.library.illlinois.edu/administration/librarian/aboutme.html http://www.libraries.northwestern.edu/about/contact/sarah-pritchard.html https://oaa.osu.edu/jaggars-damon https://news.illinois.edu/view/6367/2024794 https://www.si.umich.edu/news/james-l-hilton-returns-u-m-dean-libr https://www.si.umich.edu/news/james-l-hilton-returns-u-m-dean-libr http://news.psu.edu/story/169283/2010/03/dewey-named-dean-university-libraries-and-scholarly-communications http://news.psu.edu/story/169283/2010/03/dewey-named-dean-university-libraries-and-scholarly-communications http://newsroom.unl.edu/releases/2013/07/19/Nancy+Busch+named https://news.wisc.edu/assets/22/original/VanGemertCV.pdf?1351612701 http://www.library.illlinois.edu/administration/librarian/aboutme.html Le / International Journal of Librarianship 4(1) 37 University of Michigan Libraries. (2018). James Hilton: University librarian and dean of libraries. Retrieved from: https://www.lib.umich.edu/users/hilton University of Wisconsin-Madison Libraries. (2017). Edward Van Gemert. Library News & Events. Retrieved from: https://www.library.wisc.edu/news/2017/09/19/edward-van- gemert-vi Winter, R. (2004). MIT administrator named Purdue’s new dean of libraries. The Purdue News. Retrieved form: http://www.purdue.edu/uns/html3moth/2004/040413.Mason.library.html Wood, B. (2015). Carolyn Walters named new Ruth Lilly Dean of university libraries. IU Bloomington Newsroom. Retrieved from: http://archive.news.indiana.edu/releases/iu/2015/01/iu-libraries-dean Yows, K. (2013). Culshaw named university librarian. Iowa Now. Retrieved from: htpps://now- uiowa.edu/2013/06/culshaw-named-university-librarian Yukl, G. (2001). Leadership in organization. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall. About the author Dr. Binh P. Le is a tenured faculty member of the Pennsylvania State University. He holds the rank of librarian (full professor). His articles have appeared in Library Management, International Information & Library Review, Library Administration and Management; Bulletin of Bibliography; Journal of Asia-Pacific Affairs; and International Third World Studies Journal and Review. https://www.lib.umich.edu/users/hilton https://www.library.wisc.edu/news/2017/09/19/edward-van-gemert-vi https://www.library.wisc.edu/news/2017/09/19/edward-van-gemert-vi http://www.purdue.edu/uns/html3moth/2004/040413.Mason.library.html http://archive.news.indiana.edu/releases/iu/2015/01/iu-libraries-dean 2--103-630-2-CE.title 2--103-630-2-CE - corrected-1