So you think you can be the boss: Practical advice for librarians in leadership positions

Abstract

I was appointed Director of Ateneo de Manila University’s Rizal Library in 2013. I was ideal for my current position in many ways, except for one important detail: I had never been the boss. Like many licensed librarians, I went through a class on Library Management, and passed the Librarian’s Licensure Examination, which has a whole section on Library Management. But did these qualifications prepare me to assume a leadership position in one of the largest academic libraries in the Philippines? Do these qualifications equip anyone, for that matter, to manage ANY library? The answer to both questions, of course, is NO. Librarians need not be chief librarians to be considered leaders. Even new librarians and solo librarians can, in fact, assume leadership roles. This paper, based primarily on my own experience, seeks to impart knowledge gained over the past three years, as I learned to lead on the job not by reading books or watching videos, but by interacting with librarians, library staff, students, faculty, administrators, and visitors on a daily basis. The practical advice offered in this paper aims to encourage librarians to step out of their comfort zones, think out of the box, and fulfill ASEAN integration’s promise of borderless librarianship and limitless opportunities.