14 · Survey Results: Executive Summary
and with staff to accomplish objectives. Is results ori-
ented and Ensures that planned action is implemented and
evaluated were also associated with the roles and re-
sponsibilities of those second in command.
Attributes associated with leadership, such as
Develops a campus visibility for the library, Is able to func-
tion in a political environment, Builds a shared vision for the
library, and Manages/shapes change were highly rated in
both studies. However, Changes/shapes the library’s cul-
ture appeared near the bottom of the rankings on the
Hernon, Powell, and Young list, and was the attribute
most highly rated as desirable for senior administra-
tive personnel in this study of qualities and attributes
for those who manage 21st century research libraries.
The attribute Is an advocate for the library, which was
highest on the Hernon, Powell, and Young list, was
near the middle of attributes for senior library admin-
istrators identified in this study. These discrepancies
seem to highlight the differences between roles of
library directors who have a primarily external fo-
cus and those of senior library administrators who
work to manage and change organizational culture
to support accomplishing the library’s internal goals
and objectives. However, the high degree of concor-
dance of desirable attributes and qualities for library
directors and senior library administrators overall
is noteworthy, and seems to validate the perspective
that the senior-level roles in research libraries do act
as a pipeline to director positions, assuming that the
candidate does indeed possess and can demonstrate
these characteristics.
A few of the other qualities and attributes that
were identified by survey respondents are personal
traits focused on setting a tone within the organiza-
tion. For instance, Bravery, A strong sense of right and
wrong, High expectations of individuals and teams, and
The promotion of civility and collegiality within the or-
ganization were all mentioned. These are somewhat
analogous to the list of personal characteristics also
identified by Hernon, Powell, and Young but not used
for this survey’s purposes. For example, Treats people
with dignity/respect, Is honest, and Inspires trust were
all most highly ranked by the Hernon, Powell, and
Young respondents. Seemingly, both library direc-
tors and senior library administrators are expected
to exhibit similar personal characteristics and traits.
Case Studies
The survey asked respondents to select one of the
positions that was redesigned or created since 2007
and provide additional information about changes
to its responsibilities and scope. The 38 case studies
describe a broad range of senior-level positions. The
associate university librarian and associate dean level
positions are the most frequent. The complete list of
levels is below.
Assistant Dean 4
Assistant Director 2
Associate Dean 9
Associate Director 2
Associate University Librarian 11
Associate Vice Provost 1
Deputy Director 1
Director 6
Officer 1
Project Manager 1
The primary areas of emphasis of these positions
break down as follows:
Academic Affairs 1
Administrative Services 4
Assessment/Planning 1
Budget/Finance 1
Collections 6
Digital Initiatives 2
Facilities/Branches 2
Information Technology 2
Marketing/Communications 1
Public/User Services 3
Research/Education 4
Scholarly Communication 5
Note, however, that some positions creatively com-
bine multiple areas of oversight, such as administra-
tive services and faculty affairs (Case 24), information
technology and finance (Case 26), and public services
and facilities (Case 25).
Responses to the question about when the posi-
tion was created or redesigned indicate that roles
were redefined fairly continuously throughout the
2007 to 2012 period. During this period, the critical
and with staff to accomplish objectives. Is results ori-
ented and Ensures that planned action is implemented and
evaluated were also associated with the roles and re-
sponsibilities of those second in command.
Attributes associated with leadership, such as
Develops a campus visibility for the library, Is able to func-
tion in a political environment, Builds a shared vision for the
library, and Manages/shapes change were highly rated in
both studies. However, Changes/shapes the library’s cul-
ture appeared near the bottom of the rankings on the
Hernon, Powell, and Young list, and was the attribute
most highly rated as desirable for senior administra-
tive personnel in this study of qualities and attributes
for those who manage 21st century research libraries.
The attribute Is an advocate for the library, which was
highest on the Hernon, Powell, and Young list, was
near the middle of attributes for senior library admin-
istrators identified in this study. These discrepancies
seem to highlight the differences between roles of
library directors who have a primarily external fo-
cus and those of senior library administrators who
work to manage and change organizational culture
to support accomplishing the library’s internal goals
and objectives. However, the high degree of concor-
dance of desirable attributes and qualities for library
directors and senior library administrators overall
is noteworthy, and seems to validate the perspective
that the senior-level roles in research libraries do act
as a pipeline to director positions, assuming that the
candidate does indeed possess and can demonstrate
these characteristics.
A few of the other qualities and attributes that
were identified by survey respondents are personal
traits focused on setting a tone within the organiza-
tion. For instance, Bravery, A strong sense of right and
wrong, High expectations of individuals and teams, and
The promotion of civility and collegiality within the or-
ganization were all mentioned. These are somewhat
analogous to the list of personal characteristics also
identified by Hernon, Powell, and Young but not used
for this survey’s purposes. For example, Treats people
with dignity/respect, Is honest, and Inspires trust were
all most highly ranked by the Hernon, Powell, and
Young respondents. Seemingly, both library direc-
tors and senior library administrators are expected
to exhibit similar personal characteristics and traits.
Case Studies
The survey asked respondents to select one of the
positions that was redesigned or created since 2007
and provide additional information about changes
to its responsibilities and scope. The 38 case studies
describe a broad range of senior-level positions. The
associate university librarian and associate dean level
positions are the most frequent. The complete list of
levels is below.
Assistant Dean 4
Assistant Director 2
Associate Dean 9
Associate Director 2
Associate University Librarian 11
Associate Vice Provost 1
Deputy Director 1
Director 6
Officer 1
Project Manager 1
The primary areas of emphasis of these positions
break down as follows:
Academic Affairs 1
Administrative Services 4
Assessment/Planning 1
Budget/Finance 1
Collections 6
Digital Initiatives 2
Facilities/Branches 2
Information Technology 2
Marketing/Communications 1
Public/User Services 3
Research/Education 4
Scholarly Communication 5
Note, however, that some positions creatively com-
bine multiple areas of oversight, such as administra-
tive services and faculty affairs (Case 24), information
technology and finance (Case 26), and public services
and facilities (Case 25).
Responses to the question about when the posi-
tion was created or redesigned indicate that roles
were redefined fairly continuously throughout the
2007 to 2012 period. During this period, the critical
