staff education, ongoing role development and support – and for all libraries too, the new services that can be conceived and designed due to exciting technolog- ical developments.


To highlight how various library sectors are in fact coalescing their work (cross culturally and professionally) common themes across the chapters are brought together in the editorial and section groupings. We decided early on to present these messages using a series of “provocations”, to stimulate debate, being in fact our own “devil’s advocate”1 answering statements about libraries and librarians that we actually heard or perceived (unspoken) in our own professional context and in the library world, articles, literature and wider. We think these will be familiar.


Examples are: l Libraries are on the road to extinction


l We don’t need books because everything is available on the internet


l Libraries and librarians are stuck in the past


l A librarian cannot lead anything but a library


l The library is a follower not a leader


l Librarianship is an out-moded profession... looking for a place and a purpose that no longer exists.


l Libraries are unaffordable and unsustainable


l The library cannot evidence its impact so why resource it?


l Libraries are ‘nice to have’ rather than being essential


This approach enabled us to take a “helicopter” view when considering our contributors’ individual perspectives and identifying where the many overlaps between authors and libraries occurred. Hence the book attempts to answer “how do library leaders obtain strategic support when there appears to be a lack of clarity or understanding about the very purpose of libraries?” Having a strong purpose, remaining relevant whilst diversifying services and developing influence during constant change requires well trained, motivated staff and inspirational leadership – inter- nally and externally. These characteristics are present in every essay in the book which will hopefully allow our readers to gain new perspectives and ideas to reflect on and try.


Leo Appleton: We thought long and hard about who to approach to contribute to the book and this was because we wanted a breadth and depth of appropriate and relevant voices. Through capturing the blend of sectors and international expe- rience contained within the book, has


December 2020 Margaret Weaver.


enabled us to demonstrate that there are more similarities than differences within libraries, and certainly when it comes to leadership of libraries. The parity of expe- rience means that libraries and librarians can always learn from each other and work together, and the book is a vehicle for shar- ing some of these leadership experiences.


Information Professional: What answers are proposed in the book?


Margaret Weaver: Fundamentally successful library leaders and their libraries work on many fronts.


Continually assessing library purpose and communicating it well is probably one of the most important because it underpins everything a library does and enables its relevance to be known. However, sounding simple on the face of it, it is a “wicked problem”2


difficult to get right all


the time – to all audiences. Secondly, focus on the customer and strengthen their role in the power base in your library, so they are central to your


thinking and plans – liberate your library! Thirdly, empower your staff to think expansively and educate and train them well. Data and digital are first order issues and difficult to apply rigorously, but essen- tial for demonstrating purpose and impact Fourthly, purposefully develop your own “leadership signature” to inform your actions and relationship with those decision makers around you, and very importantly your colleagues, inside and outside the library structure.


Use models and tools to strategise and refresh your library, the book has many references to the use of the “Blue Ocean Strategy”, for example. Last but not least, think BIG! Collabora- tion with others on a global scale will yield bolder ideas and opportunities to regener- ate libraries.


Leo Appleton: Absolutely, the key mes- sage in the book is ‘Think big’ or ‘Be bold’. Libraries are essential to all aspects of life and community. It is therefore so important that the leadership of libraries is strong and effective. Collectively the chapters in the book demonstrate different ways in which this can be done. Each is an example of ‘bold’ leadership, where the library or library service is leading the way in innovation, practice or activity, which consequently enables greater influence and visibility.


Information Professional: How much failure should library leaders be prepared for in tackling these problems?


Margaret Weaver: Failure is not a failure. Complex change takes time and is cyclical; learning from failure leads to new insights. Learning is central to what we do.


Leo Appleton: I don’t think libraries and librarians think in terms of failure. As a profession, we are always seeking to be evidence based, or looking for best practice elsewhere. We learn from others within our network, and in general are not afraid to try things out. It is the only way to find out whether a particular intervention or initia- tive will have the desired effect. If it doesn’t work out as planned, or doesn’t achieve the desired outcome, we try again. In order to be responsive, libraries have to constantly develop and change, and quite often this needs to be done quickly. There will always be deep and strategic learning involved in implementing change, and part of this is learning about what doesn’t work as well as what does.


Information Professional: How does leadership differ from management? And do library leaders get enough training?


Leo Appleton.


Margaret Weaver: In our opinion, leading is setting the overall direction and culture of the Library, alignment with organisational needs, and representing the organisation strategically at every opportu- nity and engaging other senior colleagues in the business. Our book shows examples of


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