The Perceptions of Librarians in Regional Universities in Texas Regarding Leadership Development Experiences

Abstract

The purpose of this phenomenological narrative study was to examine Texas regional university librarians’ perceptions of leadership development experiences in order to provide better library services to patrons from all backgrounds. The selected ten academic librarians were interviewed either face-to-face or virtually with in-depth questions about leadership development. The interviews were analyzed to understand the essence of the participants’ experiences and divided into different themes to find patterns. The findings revealed the participants’ perceptions regarding the need for leadership development, their participation in leadership opportunities, and the obstacles to attaining leadership development. Implications included the need for more administrative support and for changes to library school curricula.