Choosing to Lead: The Motivational Factors of Underrepresented Minority Librarians in Higher Education. Edited by Antonia P. Olivas. Chicago: ACRL, 2017. 151 p. Paper $38 (ISBN 978-0-8389-8887-9).
Leadership is a topic regularly discussed in library circles. Day-long preconference sessions are dedicated to the subject. Library associations offer webinars and host institutes on leadership development and best practices. Also of continued interest is diversity in the workplace, particularly with regard to recruitment, retention, and promotion of libraries from underrepresented groups, as evidenced by the burgeoning number of residency programs at academic libraries. Yet despite all the institutes and initiatives, minority librarians express frustration in securing leadership roles. Choosing to Lead addresses the intersection of diversity and leadership through essays by minority librarians who actively sought leadership opportunities within and outside their libraries.
Based on Olivas’s doctoral research, this collection is bookended by chapters on the theoretical framework, the motivation to lead. However, the crux of the collection is in the other eight chapters, in which librarians recount how they created a leadership road map. Readers will appreciate the range of voices presented. Not all hold the title of “Director,” and they work in public, private, and community colleges as subject specialists and professors. Additionally, the leadership paths presented vary from the laser-focused plan shared by Shannon Jones to Michelle Baildon’s path of progressing from a leadership experience in a minority-focused library association to a position in the association of her subject specialty to a leadership role in her university system.
Several themes emerge from the essays, including the notion of “position-less leadership,” self-care, and skill-building. Several authors stress that leadership can happen regardless of one’s title or position within an organization. Committee members can lead just as much as committee chairs do—what’s needed is the willingness to take on a leadership role. As one takes on more and increasingly challenging leadership roles, one must be mindful of self-care, which influences the ability to lead effectively. The authors also remind us that taking on leadership roles is a way to build skills; in fact, building a particular skill may be reason enough to assume a leadership position.
This book is recommended for any librarian who identifies as a minority as well as for library managers. Its stories and recommendations are applicable across library settings. The collection’s authors were asked to share their motivation to lead and stay in the profession, and this can be used as a point of reflection for readers, but what may be even more useful is the story of how the authors act on that motivation. Because each chapter includes citations from librarianship, business, and organizational psychology, Choosing to Lead also serves as a reference source for librarians interested in leadership. Librarians will return to the stories offered here for guidance when presented with a leadership opportunity, for inspiration when faced with the frustration of being the sole librarian of color at an institution, and for support during what still may be a long road ahead for minority librarian leadership.—Africa Hands, doctoral candidate, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
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