CEO vs. Head Librarian

Tulsa City-County Library

The Tulsa World Editorial Board weighs in.

Link to November 23 editorial, "Name game: A librarian should run the library". (via LISNews)

Excerpt: The library board met last week to talk about what its looking for in a new library boss, who will be earning $130,000 to $150,000 a year.

The responsibilities include fundraising, strategic direction and policies, long-range planning and community relations.

Those are important jobs, and we don't begrudge the planned salary, but the title CEO bothers us.

There's a name for the chief executive officer of a library — head librarian.

Titles are important. They reflect assumptions and duties to the public.

Chief executive officer is a good title for the bosses of business and industry.

Library bosses are different. The the top person might be the chief, and might be an executive, but the public needs to know the person running the libraries as a librarian. It reflects the traditional elements of what the institution is about.