Teacher and librarian collaboration: using servant-leadership attributes to create a culture of collaboration

Date

2013-05-24

Authors

Craig, Sarah

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Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative study is to identify the leadership attributes librarians need to create a culture of collaboration in their school community. A literature review and a scholarly content analysis were conducted on teacher and librarian collaboration (TLC) and Servant-Leadership to explore the role that Servant-Leadership characteristics play in the development and sustainability of collaborative relationships between teachers and librarians. Ten TLC articles were examined through the theoretical framework of Servant-Leadership. The theme of Servant-Leadership was analyzed through the subthemes of the Seven Pillars of Servant-Leadership as identified by Sipe and Frick (2009): person of character, puts people first, skilled communicator, compassionate collaborator, foresight, systems thinker, and leads with moral authority. Servant-Leadership as a search term was lacking in TLC literature; however, attributes of the subthemes were found in the majority of the articles. The themes of trust and building trusting relationships were the most commonly discussed attributes found in TLC literature. Through this research, librarians will gain a deeper understanding of their leadership role in collaborative partnerships and acquire practical suggestions on how to create a culture of collaboration in their school community.

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Keywords

servant-leadership, teacher librarian collaboration, Sipe and Frick framework, leadership

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