THE CRITICAL LIBRARY LEADER

Lottie Needham�School of Information, Journalism and Communication, University of Sheffield

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AGENDA

1. Introduction
2. Project aims
3. Key concepts
4. Methodology (how and who)
5. Preliminary findings
6. Next steps …

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INTRODUCTION

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PROJECT AIMS

• Examine perceptions and understanding of critical librarianship and critical management studies among academic librarians

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• Investigate the theoretical and practical relationship between critical librarianship and critical management studies

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• Examine the perceived impact of critical librarianship on the library and wider university

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• Identify the key characteristics of critical library leaders

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KEY CONCEPTS

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METHODOLOGY I (HOW)

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CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS

I am recruiting (senior) library managers for online, semi-structured interviews (60–90 minutes via Google Meet). We will discuss the different ways you understand or interpret critical librarianship and how this is reflected in your practice. Does this ever result in conflict with your institution? How do you reconcile this tension? �

Eligibility Criteria:

• You work in a UK academic library with responsibility for the work of others.
• Your job title includes “Head of,” “Manager,” “Lead,” “Director,” or a reasonable equivalent.

�This project has been granted ethical approval from the University of Sheffield. If you are interested in participating or have any questions, please contact l.needham@sheffield.ac.uk.

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METHODOLOGY II (WHO)

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FINDINGS I – CRITICAL VS PRAGMATIC

The critical library leader may experience a tension in identifying where to affect change

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• “Choosing battles”

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• “Knowing which levers I can pull”

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• “Looking for pockets of change”

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• “I'm an optimist, but I'm also a realist.”

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FINDINGS II – “THE SQUEEZED MIDDLE”

The critical library leader experiences a tension of responsibilities

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• “I feel and what I came into this role thinking is that I will have more power as a senior manager, but then all that happens is you discover there's another level of power above you that now the ceiling just moves up with you …”

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• “It's like the higher up you get the more influence you can affect but equally the higher up you get the more you see behind the curtain. So you're understanding the wider context that may have been hidden from you before. And those things, they can look like barriers. They can be real barriers.”

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FINDINGS III – PERSONAL VS PROFESSIONAL

The critical library leader may contend with a tension of identity

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• “Bring my activism to work”

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• “I thought going into management, I'm not going to be doing that anymore. The most I might be doing it is offering back fill covering, etc. That's the most I'm going to do. Am I going to lose the core centre of why I want to work in libraries in the first place?”

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• “Every intersection of my identity found a home in the library

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TO BE CONTINUED…

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l.needham@sheffield.ac.uk

REFERENCES

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REFERENCES

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REFERENCES

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REFERENCES

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Nicholson, K. P., & Seale, M. (2018). The Politics of Theory and the Practice of Critical Librarianship. Litwin Books, LLC.

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REFERENCES

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REFERENCES

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REFERENCES

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