Culture is a powerful force in every library and can contribute to or detract from the ability to succeed in meeting strategic goals and objectives. Thoughtful leadership and cultural reinforcements promote staff and organizational success in twenty-first century academic libraries (p. 17).
This book identifies key areas of influence on workplace culture in academic libraries, reflecting three major themes: diversity, communication and leadership. Influences include:
workforce diversity, highlighting the need to develop cultural competencies;
physical environment, including workspace design and workgroup integration;
departmental interaction, focussing on the importance of generating trust through collaboration;
mentoring and coaching;
generational differences; and
conflict management.
The book claims not to be a “how-to” manual, but is organised in such a way that you can work through the 13 chapters separately, identifying approaches and best practice to apply in any academic library setting. It is a useful starting point for exploring the diverse factors which contribute to workplace culture. The culture and leadership issues are universal, with only a chapter on academic tenure being of slightly less relevance to some other countries. Starting with a broad overview of organisational culture, and identifying the distinguishing features of academic libraries, this collection translates well from the North American context.
The chapter on assessment stresses the importance of being able to measure organisational climate in order to identify areas that might be hindering a positive working environment. MacDonald makes a distinction between organisational culture and organisational climate which many will find useful. “Organizational climate concerns policies, practices, and rewards while culture comprises the beliefs, values, symbols, and stories of the workplace” (p. 59).
A major strength lies in the credentials of the editors and contributors. Kelly Blessinger is the Reference Assistant Co-ordinator at Louisiana State University, and Paul Hrycaj is an Instruction and Reference Librarian at Louisiana State University Libraries. With contributions from an impressive list of academic library directors and practitioners from the USA and Canada, this volume adds significant value to any discussion of workplace culture. It highlights the need for clear communication and transparent leadership in order to generate trust and innovation. It should come as no surprise that respect, recognition, co-operation, inclusiveness, trust, and having fun impact positively on staff morale and job satisfaction. This collection brings together useful case-studies and practices which make it a volume worth keeping within easy reach.
