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Edmon Low Library

Leadership Expectations

June 2, 2022

The Oklahoma State University Library seeks creative personnel with a passion for both learning and teaching who are eager to drive their own projects, innovate and take on challenges. We spent several years involving all employees in the exploration of new roles for the library within the university. As a result, most of our employees' jobs and responsibilities changed, and they understand change will be a constant going forward. The library's leadership team must be able to articulate and lead that change. Associate deans, department heads and initiative directors are expected to join that effort and help library faculty and staff transition smoothly by embracing, advocating for and communicating about change.

"Effective leadership is a mix of knowledge, skill, inspiration, a passion of purpose and an essence of care and joy."

-Roy Schroeder, Inside Higher Ed, July 24, 2019

When recruiting individuals to join our leadership team, we look for individuals who:

  • inspire trust
  • can effect organizational change in positive ways
  • work well with students, staff, faculty, administration, alums and donors
  • value diversity and inclusiveness and actively support their role in all areas of the library
  • respect contributions from library staff and faculty, board members and the OSU community
  • create an atmosphere of enjoyment in the work to be done so employees look forward to their work
  • are interested in helping all library personnel build careers, gain new skills and advance
  • are willing to make tough personnel decisions while retaining an empathy with individuals affected by those decisions
  • can be trusted to hold confidences while generally being open and transparent about operational processes, goals and activities
  • have a broad understanding of library services and the new directions we need to take going forward
  • embrace land-grant institution values and goals
  • are advocates of open access and fair-use
  • have a sense of humor
  • are familiar with social media
  • are willing to take leadership roles in state and national professional organizations supporting the practice of librarianship in a technology-rich environment
  • are excited about the future of libraries

Related Materials

URL: https://library.okstate.edu/about/dean-of-libraries/leadership-expectations

Last Updated: 23 June 2023