At the library, where creating a nexus of information and access is tantamount, it is essential to have well-developed leadership and communication skills. These two aspects are not just important for library administration, but also for staff at every level of the organization. Without clear leadership structure, instruction and goals are not easily disseminated, and the overall effectiveness of the branch decreases. Without appropriate lines of communication, not only is it difficult to work with one’s fellow colleagues, but patrons of the library are likely to find themselves confused and frustrated. With both of these challenges in mind, discussing methods for strong and effective leadership and clear and direct communication is well worth the effort.
There are several leadership styles that are prominent in libraries today. Given the recent digitization of library systems overall, the shift of libraries to become more of a community space, and the varied skills possessed by different levels of library work, leadership tactics have had to adapt with the changing times. Instead of relying solely on top-down, hierarchical leadership, modern leadership strategies instead seek to employ more inclusive methods, and involve all employees in the leadership process (Meena, 2023). One such route is transformational leadership, which seeks to solicit advice and ideas from one’s staff. This allows all employees to feel like they are contributing and tie them more strongly to the organization as a whole. There is also transactional leadership, which focuses on metrics and achieving certain performances. However, while this system is adept at accomplishing its goals, it lacks the bonding experiences that transformational leadership enables – leading to less long-term cooperation (Meena, 2023).
Regardless of the specific management style, a key component of leadership in modern libraries is adaptability. The variety of problems that we are called to solve, and situations that we find ourselves in, are incredibly far-reaching. As such, it is essential not to get bogged down with a single approach or strategy. Instead, by asking different questions, taking multiple perspectives, and identifying the systems around us (Schlak, 2019), we can embrace an adaptable mindset. As librarians, we already lead by being present. Being aware of our surroundings, anticipating the needs of our patrons and fellow staff members, and presenting an engaged version of ourselves (Schlak, 2019) allow us to alter our leadership approaches to whatever the situation may call for.
However, no matter how intelligently designed or effectively implemented one’s leadership style, it will all fall flat without appropriate lines of communication. One of the earliest studies on communication outlines a general structure to how information is passed along. Lasswell (1948) argues that the chain proceeds as follows: Who? à Says What? à In What Channel? à To Whom? à With What Effect? With this simple yet summative description of communication understood, we can identify that for library work, With What Effect? and Says What? are two of the most important areas to focus on. Says What? defines how we give answers to patrons and guidance to fellow staff members. By ensuring that our language remains civil and our tone stays agreeable, we can avoid angering our colleagues or guests unnecessarily. By remaining concise, we can ensure that the party we are speaking to does not feel like their time is being wasted, or that they are being talked down to. Alternatively, a more informal tone and word choice may put individuals at ease. Here again the importance of adaptability comes into play. If we remain present and aware of how our conversational partner is feeling, we can better attune our communication styles to them. With What Effect? covers much of the same territory – are we seeking to inform? To guide? To correct an error? The intent of the message we wish to deliver can be conveyed by our word choice and tone, so these must be selected carefully.
Finally, even when appropriate chains of command and clear lines of communication are established, it can still take a little more effort to achieve workplace cohesion. In such instances, collaboration can be enhanced with effective team building strategies. This isn’t just practicing tired icebreakers before meetings – instead, these methods are implemented at many different levels of the organization. At the highest level of the organization, staff training days are an excellent idea to build teamwork and encourage inter-organization collaboration. Bringing in speakers to present on a variety of interesting subjects, hosting cooking contests, and allowing staff who rarely get the chance to interact in person to spend time together solidifies the idea that everyone is working towards a common goal. Speaking of a common goal, at the building level, an explanation of the organizational goals, and how each individual fits into that picture, can assist with collaborative efforts. Emphasizing what criteria employees will be evaluated on can be described by a facilitator, someone whose role is to address the concerns and complaints that members of the organization may have (Gignac, 2005). By ensuring that everyone is on the same page, a unified front can be created, leading to a more effective organization overall. Lastly, to promote collaboration between individuals, communication again comes in clutch. When issues arise (and they will), the implementation of a conflict resolution framework. The ‘Voice or Exit’ mindset suggests that individuals who can voice complaints and feel heard will express themselves and be willing to work towards a solution, rather than exit the workplace (Hirschman, 1970). Communication is vital to ensuring that issues do not become insurmountable obstacles, and rather, opportunities to grow closer together.
Primarily through my library work, I have had ample opportunities to develop effective communication and leadership strategies. Regarding leadership, I currently operate a library branch without supervision, supervising in turn a Library Aide and managing the space. I plan and implement both weekly and one-off programming events, ensure that they go off without too many hitches, and keep the branch running simultaneously. I have addressed and deescalated situations that involved upset and angry patrons, and ensured that my staff felt comfortable at work. I seek to utilize friendly guidance to correct issues I see at the branch in terms of patron behavior, and politely redirect my subordinates when there is the need to alter their work habits However, I also am aware of when to throw issues further up the chain of command. When there was a patron who insisted in coming in and cussing me out during preschooler storytime, after deescalating the situation, I consulted with my manager and library administration to develop a plan of action to implement.
In terms of communication, I seek to be direct, but still friendly. I believe that library interactions, whether they be conducted between staff members or with the public, are improved with a cheerful and helpful attitude. I also employ specific strategies that put even patrons that may feel at odds with the library on the same side as me. By framing a problem as “we’ve been able to solve this in the past, let’s try…” rather than “to solve this problem, you need to do…”, I am able to imply that we are working together, that we are part of a team. This communication style manages to disarm most disgruntled patrons – but sometimes further strategies are called for. By utilizing methods such as Pennies in the Cup, which builds repertoire to make requests more palatable (RILA Communications, 2020), and staying up to date on deescalation trainings, I feel that I can utilize effective communication even in stressful situations.
To demonstrate my competencies regarding leadership and communications skills, I have assembled two documents from my MLIS coursework, and one piece of evidence from my library career. I believe that when put together, these three pieces of evidence display that I am both knowledgeable about leadership styles and methods, as well as able to communicate efficiently and effectively with my colleagues and library guests. The first of these documents was a Phone Reference Interview from INFO 210: Reference Information Services. In this assignment, I was tasked to call a reference desk, and analyze the way that my questions were answered. The experience I had was a pleasant one, and perfectly modeled how to effectively communicate with patrons – and I have incorporated several of the strategies that the employee I spoke with employed in my own work. While this first document acted as a fact-finding mission to explore how other branches approached public communication, my second document is a demonstration of how I have incorporated those strategies in one of my ongoing programs. Storytime is not just an educational experience - it is an opportunity to practice communication skills (and leading a large group in an activity). In this feltboard activity, I lead a storytime group in an interactive story, one that involves dialogic questions, and engages my audience. I maintain eye contact and make sure to modulate my tone and word choice so as to engage with both the adults and children in my audience. Finally, as a demonstration of my abilities, I have submitted a copy of my resume. In my current position, as mentioned in the Competency Development section, I have a substantial amount of responsibility. I am in charge of opening and closing the branch, processing all incoming funds and banking, and conceptualizing, planning, and leading programming events. I also am the authority at the branch, and in charge of ensuring that patrons have productive and enjoyable experiences, and that staff is able to complete all assigned tasks on time. This requires strong communication skills and tactful leadership skills – ones that I have built on over the course of my earlier work with Contra Costa County. In aggregate, I believe that these documents demonstrate that I am an adept communicator and that I seek to embody the traits of a transformative leader.
This discussion post was designed as an examination of how communication can be done at the reference desk, between patrons and library staff. I phoned the Oakland Public Library with a question about the reopening of one of their job opportunities, and took notes on the communication strategies that the library employee I spoke with used, so that I could incorporate them into my own repertoire.
Both inclusivity and approachability were two major themes of the conversation that we had, as the phone tree that led me to the staffperson allowed me my choice of language, and when they picked up the phone, I was greeted in a friendly, positive manner. My needs were engaged with, and the staffperson was knowledgeable about the subject matter that my inquiry dealt with. Finally, the person I spoke with employed evaluation, asking me if my question had been fully answered – and they offered to redirect me to another resource if their knowledge had not been sufficient.
As a patron, I felt extremely satisfied by this experience, and as a library staffperson myself, I felt impressed. Their clear communication, paired with fantastic customer service, was exactly what I was looking for – and in phone communications since, I have employed the same strategies to ensure that the people I am speaking with receive the assistance they seek.
In INFO 281: Early Literacy Storytime, I learned a lot about how to lead a storytime program. There’s a lot more that goes into it than one might think at first – putting on such a program requires a presenter to hold the attention of a young and easily distracted audience, engage adults and children simultaneously, and enforce rules for the space. In this video, I present a feltboard story, which is a type of tale that requires significant audience participation. By including dialogic questions, I can keep my audience involved and invested in seeing how the tale plays out. I also utilize different tones of voices to ramp up audience excitement and bring it back down to manageable levels.
Overall, I feel that this video demonstrates how I am able to apply the communication and leadership skills that I have developed to lead storytime events, directing the attention of my audience and engaging with adults and children alike.
My most recent version of my resume has focused on the work that I have done with Contra Costa County. Unsurprisingly, as I have worked my way up in the library system, I have had ample opportunities to display leadership skills and communication abilities. Of specific note for this competency are the activities I ran at Oakley – especially the Volunteer Coordinator role. As the Volunteer Coordinator (a role I have reprised at Crockett), I was in charge of vetting and onboarding volunteers, as well as assigning them tasks to complete when they showed up for their shifts. This aspect of my position allowed me to practice hiring candidates, evaluating their work, and offering guidance when corrections were needed.
Outside of Oakley, my experiences at Crockett have also been ripe for leadership skill-building. Being such a small branch, even Aides are on-desk full-time. This means that I have the opportunity to train them on customer service practices, intricacies of Inter-Library Loans, and preparing them to man the front when I am conducting programming. Getting to teach others is the best way to practice leadership skills, and there has been no shortage of that at Crockett. Finally, the aggressive patrons situations, while unpleasant to deal with, have allowed me to develop more as a productive communicator. It is difficult to reason with irate patrons, but practice makes perfect, and the practice I have been able to obtain as a part of this role has improved my deescalation tactics, and better equipped me to engage with similar situations in the future.
The importance of not just strong leadership skills, but leadership skills that raise up an entire organization, and communication skills that connect library guests and staff alike, cannot be understated. While there are still elements of leadership that I find myself developing, I feel that my ability to guide my fellow colleagues, put on entertaining and engaging programming, and bring in new talent to work with us has established a solid groundwork that I can continue to grow on. Similarly, when considering my communication skills, I know that my programming events and front-desk interactions allow me to hone the skills that I have, and continue to present a pleasant, positive interaction to all those who come in to experience the library.
Gignac, F. (2005). Building successful virtual teams (1st ed.). Artech House.
Hirschman, A. (1970). Exit, Voice, and Loyalty: Responses to Declines in Firms, Organizations, and States. Harvard University Press.
Lasswell, H. (1948). "The Structure and Function of Communication in Society". In Bryson, L. (Ed.), The Communication of Ideas (pp. 37-51). New York: Institute for Religious and Social Studies.
Meena, J. (2023). LIBRARY LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT STYLES: A COMPARATIVE STUDY. ShodhKosh: Journal of Visual and Performing Arts, 4(2). https://doi.org/10.29121/shodhkosh.v4.i2.2023.2194
RILA Communications. (2020, January 13). “Pennies in the Cup:” Embracing Empathy While Serving Marginalized Patrons -- Ryan Dowd Presents “The Librarian’s Guide to Homelessness.” Rhode Island Library Association. Retrieved March 20, 2025, from https://www.rilibraries.org/blog/8562891
Schlak, T. (2019). Leadership Reflections: Complexity and Our Adaptable Minds - Collaborative Inquiry and Presence-Based Leadership. Journal of Library Administration, 59(8), 903–914. https://doi.org/10.1080/01930826.2019.1661748