Many people have a false belief that the Library Administration and Management Association (LAMA) of ALA is for upper management only. LAMA programs and other activities focus on skills and issues relevant to people in all stages of their career. For example, LAMA programs cover a large spectrum of topics, such as leadership, communication, strategic planning, public relations, marketing, or building design. A perfect example of how LAMA programs can benefit all library personnel is demonstrated by the new Dialog with Directors Discussion Group.

After the success of the Dialog with Directors program at the 2004 Annual Meeting in Orlando, a discussion group was created to continually nurture the learning environment. The Dialog with Directors Discussion Group will provide a venue for funneling questions and concerns towards current and retired directors, in order to educate members about the roles and experiences of administrators. Possible conversation topics could include leadership, library school education, issues facing directors, preparation for administrative roles, positives and negatives of directing a library, and the day-to-day experiences of managing a library. The Dialog with Directors Discussion Group is open to everyone, and would benefit current directors, aspiring directors, library school students, or anybody with the desire to understand managers in order to improve their professional relationships and communication skills.

At the ALA Midwinter Meeting in Boston, approximately 50 people attended the inaugural meeting of the Dialog with Directors Discussion Group. The participants included retired directors, current administrators, aspiring leaders, library school students, and many others interested in improving their professional relationships with colleagues. A variety of topics were discussed as the conversation was directed by the interests and concerns of those in attendance.

Gaining Experience & Demonstration of Skills
A substantial portion of the dialogue was centered on how a person could gain leadership and administrative experience. The current directors made it very clear that there is no one route to becoming an administrator, as the types of libraries, politics, geography, education, and many other factors vary greatly. Two types of paths to administration were discussed. First, a person could end up on the "fast track" if they are assisted by a mentor and/or the right project falls into their lap. It was repeated many times how involvement in projects, especially those that are collaborative or cross-department in nature, is the easiest way for a person to demonstrate their skills and career desires. By taking on a hard project, one becomes highly visible in the eyes of administrators. The alternative career path involves a developed personal plan. Experience is gained naturally by involvement over a longer time period.

* Formal continuing education in finance, human resources management, strategic planning, and communication
* Reading professional literature (library, business, and management)
* Participation in workshops and conferences
* Publishing
* Participation in leadership roles outside a person's organization
* Developing mentorship relationships

Tips to Success
* Keep eyes on the horizon, what is the next big thing
* Be able to disagree without being close-minded, be inviting in order to work towards a solution
* Use politics to your advantage, it is just another communication channel
* Go beyond the library walls to get involved (campus, community, etc.)
* Know the "players" in your organization, who do people follow and respond to
* Develop a leadership development program within your organization
* Take risks
* Balance the presentation of knowledge to others so you do not develop a resistance among staff (i.e. you know too much)
* Build consensus rather than controlling everything
* Key to supervision is giving credit to others, identifying others strengths
* Know the factors that control your library, know the data/statistics
* Be diverse in your thinking so you can accept change
* Do not just complain but offer solutions

Words of Wisdom & Thoughts for Further Discussion
* Do we make students and new professionals pick their career directions too soon (type of library, specialty, etc.)?
* Do not let others define your professional role (subject, skills, etc.)
* Find your happiness and comfort zone, be comfortable with yourself
* Good leaders are also good followers
* Use your strengths, develop your weaknesses
* Integrity, collegial, empowering of others
* Be careful in everything said, because profession is small enough that everyone knows everyone else
* In general, libraries are not being approached by new employees that know they want to be supervisors and directors
* Organizations are growing leaders from within
* Consider lateral moves to another organization in order to open future possibilities

Suggested Readings
Richard Nelson Bolles and Mark Emery Bolles. What Color Is Your Parachute? 2005: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers, Ten Speed Press (2005).

Peter Hernon, Ronald R. Powell, and Arthur P. Young, "Academic Library Directors: What Do They Do," College and Research Libraries 65:6 (Nov. 2004).

Suggested Trainings
Frye Leadership Institute, http://www.fryeinstitute.org

ACRL/Harvard Leadership Institute for Academic Librarians

HERS Management Institute for Women in Higher Education Administration

Looking Forward to ALA Annual in Chicago
The next meeting of the Dialog with Directors Discussion Group is tentatively scheduled for Monday, 1-3pm, at the ALA Annual Meeting. Look for more details to follow, including a theme to define the discussion and the establishment of a listserv.

Brian C. Gray
Chair, Dialog with Directors Discussion Group
University of Akron Libraries, Science & Technology Library
Library Associate Sr.
bcg@uakron.edu