Dear colleagues,
Can anyone offer any advice, or point me in the direction of advice/recommendations, on the professional status of the
person who heads up the library service. I realise that ultimately in all institutions we probably have to report to someone
in senior management who is not a library professional. But is it the case in your institutions that the person running the
library is not a library professional? And in the cases of merged library/IT services where the director may be more of an IT
professional, is it the case that there is still a library professional who reports on behalf of the library?
There is a proposal here at my own institution to remove the position of university/head/chief librarian and have all
library staff report to the Registrar who is not a library professional and, to be honest, knows nothing about running a
university library.
Can you offer any advice on the arguments that might be used to justify why a librarian heading up the library is essential?
E.g. would it make our university seem second rate or damage the reputation of the university if the non-professional
were to take charge (responsible for strategic plans, monitoring performance, assessment, budgets, staffing etc)?
Any help or pointers you can offer would be gratefully appreciated :-)
Frank Trew
University Librarian
Richmond: the American International University in London
Queens Road, Richmond, Surrey TW10 6JP
020-8332-8297
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