Call for proposals: Focused research on leadership in
libraries
Dr. Brad Eden, Dean of Library Services at Valparaiso
University, and Ms. Fagan, Director of Scholarly Content Systems &
Associate Professor at James Madison University, are working to advance research in
the area of academic library leadership. As one step toward this goal, we are
seeking your proposals for chapters in an edited book. We are
especially interested in connecting library leadership research to the larger body
of leadership theory. (See
Fagan, J.C. "The effectiveness of academic library deans and
directors: a literature review" *Library Leadership
& Management*, v. 26, no. 1, 2012, pp. 1-19).
Topical
areas could include:
- Developing a research agenda in library leadership.
- Methodologies for studying library leadership.
- Connections between various leadership models and library-focused research: engaging with business, psychology, and educational administration literature (Fagan 2012, p. 9).
- An examination of path-goal theory and leader-member exchange theory, in combination with library leadership effectiveness.
- Examining leadership styles and academic library leadership effectiveness.
- ROI analyses based on a library's contribution to effective teaching and learning, and how leaders can use these effectively.
- Women are making more significant progress in entering academic library leadership roles than in higher education administration generally: can lessons be learned from this? Do libraries have something to offer higher education in this area?
- Research into gendered leadership behaviors and leader effectiveness in libraries.Connecting research on academic deans with leadership studies both within librarianship and beyond it (p. 9), research on academic deans needs to be connected.
- Testing of various leadership models and frameworks with library leadership and university administration.
- Examination of various factors in library leadership: size of library as determinant, union vs non-union, student vs research-centered,state vs private.
Although we are initially focused on collecting and
editing content for a book on the topic of library leadership, we are also
interested in talking with any individuals engaged in such research or
interested in engaging in such research, for possible conference workshops,
symposia, etc.
To submit book chapter proposals, please submit an
abstract of approximately 200 words and a brief outline to Dr. Eden
at brad.eden@valpo.edu
or Ms. Fagan at faganic@jmu.edu. Deadline for
discussion and/or proposals is May 20, 2012.
------------------------------
Bradford Lee Eden, Ph.D.
Dean of Library Services
Christopher Center for Library and Information Resources
Valparaiso University
Valparaiso, Indiana
46383
