IFLA Report: “Learning to Lead: A Scan of Global Library Field Practice”
From the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA):
What do programmes aimed at supporting leadership in the library field have in common, and where do they differ? A new report commissioned by IFLA from the Arab Federation of Libraries and Information finds out what we can learn, and helps inform future programme development. This work is funded by SIGL.
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The report firstly offers an overview of the literature about leadership. This highlights the importance of building leadership as a skill-set, and the benefits this brings.
From the Abstract:
Leadership in libraries and related fields plays a crucial role in creating an innovative and productive environment. It affects the operational effectiveness of libraries and their capacity to adjust, develop, and meet the changing needs of their communities. A major focus for IFLA is ensuring that emerging leaders have opportunities to gain experience and recognition. As a result, IFLA is keen to provide its members with a reference document that outlines the types of leadership programmes available, highlighting their commonalities, differences, and evidence of impacts where possible. The Learning to Lead: A Scan of Global Library Field Practice is the first of its kind IFLA publication, aiming to provide a representative and comprehensive overview of leadership programmes run by library associations, libraries, museums, archives, and related organisations. It identifies their objectives, methods, and impact data, as well as key features and commonalities. It also aims to support library associations and libraries in their own decision-making about leadership programmes, and enable IFLA to make strategic decisions regarding its future leadership initiatives.
Direct to Full Text Report
(131 pages; PDF)
Filed under: Archives and Special Collections, Associations and Organizations, Data Files, Libraries, Management and Leadership, News

About Gary Price
Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area. He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit. Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com.