The Future of Library Staffing: Relationships Are Essential

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to explore the continued need for librarians now and in the future to possess excellent interpersonal and intrapersonal skills and receive continual opportunities for their development. The chapter is designed to gather in-depth views on staff abilities and training through the eyes of the author and other senior-level academic library administrators. In-depth survey/interviews with follow up emails for clarification were used to collect data from four senior level academic library administrators. The way by which we hire, enculturate, and provide ongoing professional development and training related to interpersonal/intrapersonal abilities of librarians matters. While the former area has received quite a bit of attention it is the latter which has yet to be fully embraced and incorporated within many organizations. There is a greater potential for library administrators to improve the lives and quality of their staff by not just focusing on specific skills but rather taking a more holistic approach from the hiring process forward that gives greater weight to individual interpersonal and intrapersonal skills, the latter more specifically referring to the application of mindfulness in the library workplace. This chapter explores professional development of staff from a unique perspective. The librarian as a whole is considered implying the need for administrators to be more concerned about the happiness and growth of staff as individuals as opposed to being just library employees. This in turn could lead to dramatic improvements in library effectiveness within their respective institutions.

Citation

Moniz, R.J. (2015), "The Future of Library Staffing: Relationships Are Essential", Library Staffing for the Future (Advances in Library Administration and Organization, Vol. 34), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 59-81. https://doi.org/10.1108/S0732-067120150000034003