Case Studies in Academic Librarianship Management

Dear Colleagues,

 

We invite librarians, library and information science students and educators to submit a case study for the new book, Case Studies in Academic Librarianship Management, to be published by ALA Editions and edited by Tammy Nickelson Dearie, Michael Meth, and Elaine L. Westbrooks.

 

WHY CASE STUDIES?

In library and information science, case study research has been used to study reasons why library school programs close (Paris, 1988), to understand how to develop a computer literacy course at a University (Price, 2000), and to examine the information seeking behaviors of library and information science faculty (Abouserie, 2007). Researcher Robert K. Yin defines the case study research method as an empirical inquiry that investigates a contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context (Yin, 1984). The three editors have participated in a variety of leadership programs, and we have noticed the absence of case studies written specifically for our context as academic librarians. In order to develop future leaders in our profession, we must provide librarians with the skills necessary to succeed in the complex world of academic libraries today.  The use of case studies to teach leadership skills is one method that can be used to transfer knowledge in a practical way. Case studies provide the basis for the application of ideas because one has examined contemporary real-life situations carefully laid out by experienced professionals. We are looking for case studies from a variety of library practitioners in academic librarianship. Case studies must present a story with data in a publicly accessible way to lead the reader to apply the experience in his or her own library.

 

CASE STUDIES FORMAT

We hope that this collection of case studies will have a broad audience ranging from educators to aspiring and current academic librarians. As such, we are looking for case studies from a variety of library practitioners in academic librarianship. Some potential topics are listed below, but we do not consider this the definitive list. A case study in this publication will be between 10 and 30 pages long. The case study should help the reader gain insight into a vexing problem in academic libraries and how the problem was resolved. Typically, a section of the case study would be dedicated to setting up the context in which the problem occurs, a further section would highlight some of the specific complications and circumstances that make this an issue of interest, and ideally the case study would conclude with a discussion of how the issue(s) were resolved, with a brief commentary on what could have been improved. In terms of style, we are looking for case studies that are engaging and accessible. At this stage of the call, we would like for authors to submit proposals briefly outlining the issue, and explaining why it is important for others to have access to their particular scenario.

Case studies typically are not based on fictional events and characters. As such authors may find themselves in situations requiring a high degree of discretion as they develop their case studies. We encourage all authors to gain the necessary permissions or to sufficiently alter the names, locations, and any other significant elements of their case

study that could lead to identifying personal/confidential information. The editorial team is available to advise and counsel authors. We also reserve the right to request or make changes where we feel potential conflict may arise.

INTENDED AUDIENCE

* Library and Information school educators

* Library and Information school students

* Academic librarians

* Library administrators

* Facilitators or participants of professional development programs

 

TOPICS MAY INCLUDE (BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO)

* Assessment and evaluation

* Change management and organizational culture

* Developing new services and service models

* Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility

* Emotional intelligence

* Engaging Internal and external stakeholders

* Ethics, confidentiality, and privacy

* Facilities management and space planning

* Financial management

* Grants and the grant writing process

* Human resources management

* Information technology management

* Leadership and decision-making

* Leadership development/mentoring

* Managing people

* Marketing and promotion

* Organizational communication

* Outsourcing

* Strategic planning

* Understanding and resolving conflict

 

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION PROCEDURE

Please send a title, up to 200 word abstract, and contact information to the editors at casestudiesinlibrarianship@gmail.com by June 15, 2016. Priority will be given to those who submit their proposals by May 31, 2016. Those selected will be notified by June 30, 2016.  Accepted proposals will be due to the editors by August 15, 2016 and the accepted chapters will be published in Case Studies in Academic Librarianship Management, ALA Editions.  

Inquiries can be forwarded to the editors:
 

* Tammy Nickelson Dearie (tdearie@ucsd.edu)

* Michael Meth (mmeth@fsu.edu)

* Elaine L. Westbrooks (ewestbrk@umich.edu)

 

IMPORTANT DEADLINES

Abstract Proposal Submission Deadline: June 15, 2016

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