School libraries are essentially  service providing organisations…providing largely, information service to its consumers. As such, the essence of Colvin’s (2000) article that stresses on prioritising employers and employees’ humanistic values aligns well towards utopic library management.

• Workers in libraries are HUMANS.

As such, workplace dynamics in libraries ought to be focused on building a cohesive workforce, listening to workers’ needs and not pushing leaders’ targets. Mobilising a strong workforce where there is trust and respect is paramount.

• Ownership of library mission.

The mission of libraries is to transmit ‘knowledge’ that does not have OB markers to limit its size neither does it possess an absolute form.

Teacher librarians need to be constant information seekers, skilful in sieving ‘appropriate’ information and imparting research skills, the ‘how’ not just the ‘what’ in young learners. Clear, realistic goals that should drive everyone within the organisation.

• School libraries needs thinkers not robots.

Teacher librarians need to personify an image of a listener, motivator, smart worker and service provider who always prioritises students’ interests in its strategic goals. This would then propagate amongst working staff to emulate the same work ethics to direct and spur them to benefit its stakeholders.

• School libraries need to constantly reconstruct hierarchy within its organisation.

Colvin (2000) boldly asserts that managers ought to tap on workers’ strengths by prioritising the formation of working teams based on projects rather than by conventional, rigid hierarchies. Employees would appreciate the recognition and focus on giving their best.

School libraries are not places where competitive and materialistic attitudes thrive amongst its staff. It should be based on humanistic attitudes with increasing students’ learning outcomes as its objective. That deserves a humanistic not an authoritarian leadership.

Reference:

Colvin, G. (2000). Managing in the info era. Fortune, 141(5). http://archive.fortune.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2000/03/06/275231/index.htm?iid=sr-link1.

My understanding of leadership stems from what I had perceived through my teaching experiences in various schools, across different countries and holding various leadership positions in some of them. Setting realistic goals and building relationships mark a good leader. Additionally, being able to be foresee long-term results and instilling ownership in members are rudiments to good leadership. Succinctly, an exemplary leader is able to get everyone to work, to the best of their ability, towards a set purpose. The leader’s success is then, measured not in terms of quantitative gains but on the intrinsic progress made by each individual member and the targeted group.

The Masters in Teacher Librarianship course has been an eye-opener to me in many ways. It has made me realise on how teacher librarians are quintessential in the teaching and learning process and that the library acts as a core agent of a successful educational institution. However, based on my experience, teacher librarians are underutilised in schools. There could be varying factors for this. So, the onus is on us to make a stand and be heard.