Conference on Academic Library Management 2026

Mid-career and middle-management librarians occupy a complex and operationally demanding role in academic libraries. Positioned between senior leadership and frontline staff, they are expected to lead from the middle while developing their own managerial practice and supporting the growth and development of others.

This panel brings together librarians from four different institutions to examine the lived practice of middle management, with a specific focus on developing as a manager and leading others through growth and change. Drawing on perspectives from Critical Management Studies (CMS) and practical managerial experience, panelists from public and private institutions with both faculty and non-faculty status will discuss how organizational hierarchies, institutional rhetoric, and cultural norms shape leadership work, decision-making, and professional development opportunities for both managers and the staff they supervise.

Panelists will explore how middle managers balance immediate operational needs with longer-term responsibilities such as mentorship, succession planning, and staff career development, even when advancement pathways may exist outside of their own institutions. Particular attention will be given to mentorship as a core leadership practice, including how managers support growth, navigate developmental conversations, and prepare staff for opportunities both within and beyond their organizations. This session emphasizes actionable leadership strategies for navigating ambiguity, sustaining team engagement, and fostering meaningful professional development in contexts where authority and accountability are not always aligned. Unlike sessions focused on individual skill-building, this discussion centers on managerial growth and the practical work of leading and mentoring others from the middle.

Most librarians do not receive formal management education or training and, as a result, may refrain from pursuing management roles because they believe themselves underprepared or underqualified. Yet librarians often have a rich set of skills that map well to the demands of management roles; they just don’t recognize them as relevant and transferable. In addition to the strong grounding in core services and content knowledge that the everyday work of librarianship provides, the soft skills that librarians develop in this work are precisely the skills that managers need most. In particular, the user-centered focus and relational competencies at the core of daily library work guide and strengthen management practice as person-centered. Seeing professional experience through this perspective can empower librarians to realize and articulate their preparedness for management roles and imagine administrative career paths for themselves.

In this session, panelists will share how the skills they have developed in various areas of librarianship have shaped and supported their approaches to key management responsibilities including: deep curiosity, communication, cultivating belonging, generating buy-in, decision-making, nonjudgmental framing, advocacy, and a growth mind-set. Participants will have the chance to reflect on their own value-driven soft skills, honed as librarians, that could translate into their current or future management practice. This session will stimulate discussion and reflection for both aspiring and current managers around recognizing, cultivating, and advocating for a growth-oriented, person-centered management culture.

When I overheard my daughter, playing with her dolls, declare proudly, “I’m a department head and a mom,” I didn’t know how to feel. Does my work as a library leader intrude so noticeably on family life that my 4-year-old is playing ‘university’? Am I succeeding as a role model and breadwinner if my daughter sees leadership as something worth including in her play? Is it both? Neither?

The U.S. workforce—and higher ed in particular—aren’t easy environments for mothers to navigate. Structures built to accommodate cis male bodies don’t work for fertility treatments, pregnancy, breastfeeding, sleepless nights, and the intangible magic that—for whatever reason—prompts so many children to reach again and again for mama. On top of this, leadership roles require us to be present, emotionally engaged, and unfailingly committed to our organizations. The exhausting reality for many women and non-binary people is that combining leadership, motherhood, and academia can be draining, lonely work. And yet, for many of us, it is work worth doing.

In this session, participants will share and explore our own lived experiences as academic librarian-mothers in leadership roles, breaking down the intense isolation that often comes with these positions. Discussion may include logistical, physical, and emotional challenges, as well as solutions and opportunities for solidarity and support. This is an interactive session where we will prioritize empathy, care, and safety.

All gender and family identities are welcome in this inclusive, support- and solutions-oriented conversation.

This session examines the unique challenges women encounter in management roles and offers strategies for leading with authenticity and impact. Leadership for women often involves more than decision-making—it includes navigating perceptions that influence credibility, authority, and whose voice is heard. We will explore how women can “show up” authentically while maintaining professionalism and influence in library environments. Through case studies, participants will practice techniques for handling difficult conversations that foster constructive dialogue and growth. The session also highlights mentoring practices and team-building approaches that build trust, strengthen collaboration, and boost morale. Attendees will leave with practical insights and actionable strategies to lead with confidence, clarity, and authenticity in today’s library landscape.

Recognizing that most organizations cannot absorb the cost of externally training a large pool of managers, this presentation explores how to leverage existing internal resources to build a leadership development program for managers of all library staff. In the field of library science, graduate programs provide limited managerial training, yet professionals are regularly promoted into leadership roles, often without access to professional development before assuming them. Program design and goals, time commitments, and collaboration are key components in developing a professional development program internally to your library. This session will explore how to identify resources and establish a process for developing a people leader program tailored to your organization’s needs, strategic goals, and while remaining mindful of budget constraints. The presenter will share observations from building an internal staff development program that supplements existing university resources.