New from ACRL – “Interim Leadership in Libraries”

CHICAGO – The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) announces the publication of “Interim Leadership in Libraries: Building Relationships, Making Decisions, and Moving On,” edited by Jennifer E. Knievel and Leslie J. Reynolds. This collection gathers the expertise and experiences of interim leaders in a variety of roles and institutions and helps address the unique challenges of these roles and ways to make a lasting impact.  

It’s common for libraries to use visiting, interim, temporary, and acting roles to solve a variety of personnel vacancies. And with the current, widespread retirements and turnover at the most senior levels of library leadership, more and more libraries are being led by interim leaders. 

“Interim Leadership in Libraries” draws on evidence-based research, professional expertise, and personal experience to address the practical implications that arise from the decision to appoint interim leaders. Authors from a variety of institutions who have served in many different interim roles explore this specific type of leadership in five sections:

• Building Relationships for Interim Leaders
• Leading with Confidence
• Making Long-Term Decisions as an Interim Leader
• Leading Through Contraction: When No One Can Be Hired
• Moving On: When the Dust Settles

Chapters cover topics including serving as a non-librarian interim, leading through a hiring freeze, strategic planning and reorganization as interim, and developing future library leaders. 

Individuals asked to step into interim or acting leadership roles face personal and professional challenges. “Interim Leadership in Libraries” will help these leaders, and those who work with them, learn from the successes and failures of others who came before them in order to have a lasting impact on their organization. 

“Interim Leadership in Libraries: Building Relationships, Making Decisions, and Moving On” is available for purchase in print and as an ebook through the ALA Online Store; in print through Amazon.com; and by telephone order at (866) 746-7252 in the U.S. or (770) 442-8633 for international customers. 

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The Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) is the higher education association for academic libraries and library workers. Representing more than 8,500 individuals and libraries, ACRL (a division of the American Library Association) develops programs, products, and services to help those working in academic and research libraries learn, innovate, and lead within the academic community. Founded in 1940, ACRL is committed to advancing learning, transforming scholarship, and creating diverse and inclusive communities. Find ACRL on the web, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.