Mid-Career Library and Information Professionals

6

Leading without authority: maintaining balance and relationships

Robin Ewing and Melissa Prescott

Due to the collaborative nature of our profession, a majority of mid-career librarians have considerable experience with teams and working groups. More often than not, we accomplish tasks, develop plans and procedures, initiate and carry out projects, and draft recommendations as part of committees or other working groups. These groups typically include frontline personnel who have significant knowledge related to the group charge and are invested in the outcomes. Barry suggests that ‘The logarithmic growth of technologically based information has resulted in unprecedented numbers of highly educated, self-motivated, self-directed specialists; ...