Degrees of Leadership in the Academic Library
This paper explores the evolving landscape of academic library leadership, questioning the sufficiency and necessity of the Master of Library Science (MLS/MLIS) degree for leadership roles. The authors, currently pursuing EdDs, examine three key questions: (1) Does the MLIS adequately prepare libra...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
University of Colorado at Boulder
2025-03-01
|
| Series: | Journal of New Librarianship |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://newlibs.org/index.php/jonl/article/view/3855 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849774826164584448 |
|---|---|
| author | Erin Tan Nancy Shore Kristina Clement |
| author_facet | Erin Tan Nancy Shore Kristina Clement |
| author_sort | Erin Tan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
This paper explores the evolving landscape of academic library leadership, questioning the sufficiency and necessity of the Master of Library Science (MLS/MLIS) degree for leadership roles. The authors, currently pursuing EdDs, examine three key questions: (1) Does the MLIS adequately prepare librarians for leadership? (2) Are there benefits to having academic library leaders without an MLIS? (3) What challenges arise when library leaders lack an MLIS? Through a dialogic discourse, the authors reflect on their experiences and other relevant literature. They discuss the limitations of MLIS programs in preparing leaders, the potential benefits of diverse educational backgrounds in leadership, and the complexities of balancing traditional librarian knowledge with broader leadership skills. The paper highlights the ongoing debate within the profession regarding educational requirements and competencies for library leaders, suggesting that additional credentials or alternative pathways may become increasingly relevant for academic library leadership positions.
|
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4d643d7c0d58471d98202422ddbb944b |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2471-3880 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | University of Colorado at Boulder |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of New Librarianship |
| spelling | doaj-art-4d643d7c0d58471d98202422ddbb944b2025-08-20T03:01:35ZengUniversity of Colorado at BoulderJournal of New Librarianship2471-38802025-03-0110110.33011/newlibs/18/3Degrees of Leadership in the Academic LibraryErin Tan0Nancy ShoreKristina ClementColumbus State University This paper explores the evolving landscape of academic library leadership, questioning the sufficiency and necessity of the Master of Library Science (MLS/MLIS) degree for leadership roles. The authors, currently pursuing EdDs, examine three key questions: (1) Does the MLIS adequately prepare librarians for leadership? (2) Are there benefits to having academic library leaders without an MLIS? (3) What challenges arise when library leaders lack an MLIS? Through a dialogic discourse, the authors reflect on their experiences and other relevant literature. They discuss the limitations of MLIS programs in preparing leaders, the potential benefits of diverse educational backgrounds in leadership, and the complexities of balancing traditional librarian knowledge with broader leadership skills. The paper highlights the ongoing debate within the profession regarding educational requirements and competencies for library leaders, suggesting that additional credentials or alternative pathways may become increasingly relevant for academic library leadership positions. https://newlibs.org/index.php/jonl/article/view/3855academic librarieslibrary leadershiplibrary degreeslibrarian training |
| spellingShingle | Erin Tan Nancy Shore Kristina Clement Degrees of Leadership in the Academic Library Journal of New Librarianship academic libraries library leadership library degrees librarian training |
| title | Degrees of Leadership in the Academic Library |
| title_full | Degrees of Leadership in the Academic Library |
| title_fullStr | Degrees of Leadership in the Academic Library |
| title_full_unstemmed | Degrees of Leadership in the Academic Library |
| title_short | Degrees of Leadership in the Academic Library |
| title_sort | degrees of leadership in the academic library |
| topic | academic libraries library leadership library degrees librarian training |
| url | https://newlibs.org/index.php/jonl/article/view/3855 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT erintan degreesofleadershipintheacademiclibrary AT nancyshore degreesofleadershipintheacademiclibrary AT kristinaclement degreesofleadershipintheacademiclibrary |