Have you been appointed head, assistant/associate director, supervisor, manager, or similar for the first time within the last two years? Feeling out of breath from juggling all of your new responsibilities? Or do you anticipate becoming a leader in the near future and want a glimpse behind the curtain? Join a candid discussion with librarians who have also recently stepped into collections and technical services leadership roles and are right there with you. Panelists will each touch on a different challenge and/or benefit of taking on a library leadership position and then invite attendees to enrich the subject by contributing their own perspectives and experiences.

Attendees can expect to hear tips, tricks, and advice about topics such as training, mentorship, advocacy, communication, workload, staffing, emotional labor, and navigating campus politics. The open dialog format will not only allow attendees to actively participate in and contribute their own ideas to the session, but will also help facilitate networking for participants who are having difficulty finding peer librarians with similar responsibilities now that they are in a new role. Bring your business cards and come prepared to share your struggles and triumphs with the room as we strive to make it a little less lonely and overwhelming at the top.