Introduction

This introductory chapter sets the context of leading and supervising teams in information and library services (ILS). The chapter discusses working as a team leader or supervisor; the role and the responsibilities; the context of library and information work; and the background to approaches to management including the strategic planning process.

Working as a team leader or supervisor

Working as a team leader or supervisor normally involves responsibility for a team plus their work. The team may be relatively small or large and may be located in one building or spread geographically across a country. Virtual teams are becoming increasingly common in ILS. Coming into the role of team leader for the first time may involve taking responsibility for an experienced team that has been established over a long period of time. It may involve working as a team leader with staff who perhaps applied for your position and were unsuccessful. Sometimes team leaders are appointed with the task of developing a new team from scratch. Case studies 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3 provide typical examples of team leaders in today's information and library world.

Case 1.1 Information work in a museum

Sam has taken up the role of team leader of a small team made up of two part-time library assistants and an information officer. They work in a specialist information service associated with a museum. Sam has never worked as a team leader before and her main concerns are that she is younger than her colleagues and has little experience of working in the museum sector as her previous experience was as a school librarian.

Case 1.2 Information skills team leader in an academic library

Jane has taken over responsibility for leading a team of six information skills specialists in an academic library. She is confident that she can do the job as she has just moved into her new role from a similar role elsewhere. Her main concern is that one of the team members made an unsuccessful application for the job. She is not looking forward to meeting this person for the first time.