Abstract
The academic library profession is experiencing a large turnover in leadership. To date, information on differences in the generational expectations about how to lead is scarce and the research is contradictory. This article presents a scoping review of the literature on generational expectations of academic library leaders. Based on predefined eligibility criteria, the authors searched twelve bibliographic databases and performed a broad web search. 5,435 articles were located and considered for inclusion, however, only four eligible articles were identified and included for analysis. There is little empirical evidence that generational differences are evident in the academic library setting or in individual leadership expectations. There is a lack of original research on generational differences in leadership in libraries, however, anecdotal and opinion literature is drawing attention to this topic in ways that cannot be validated.
Keywords
Leadership, Library Directors, Generations, Baby Boomer, Generation X, Millennial, Academic Libraries, Succession Planning
Date of this Version
2019
DOI
10.1016/j.acalib.2019.102054
Recommended Citation
Eldermire, Erin R. B.; Heyns, Erla P.; and Howard, Heather A., "Unsubstantiated Conclusions: A Scoping Review on Generational Differences of Leadership in Academic Libraries" (2019). Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research. Paper 224.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2019.102054
Comments
This is the author accepted manuscript (AAM). The published version is available in The Journal of Academic Librarianship.
Full citation:
Heyns, E., Eldermire, E. R. B., & Howard, H. A.(2019) Unsubstantiated Conclusions: A Scoping Review on Generational Differences of Leadership in Academic Libraries, The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 45(5). DOI 10.1016/j.acalib.2019.102054