Crisis Leadership Characteristics Necessary for Public Library Personnel During Natural Disaster Situations Include Emotional Control, Empathy, Collaborative Coordination, and Community Advocacy

Abstract

A Review of: 

Tu-Keefner, F., Hobbs, A., & Lyons, D. (2025). Libraries on the front lines: The imperative for disaster-ready information professionals. Journal of Library Administration, 65(1), 79–99. https://doi.org/10.1080/01930826.2024.2432230  

Objective – To determine critical leadership characteristics necessary for library staff in times of crisis and disaster. 

Design – Thematic analysis of previous case studies that employed focus groups and interviews. 

Setting – Specific public libraries in South Carolina, Texas, California, and Kentucky (USA) that experienced natural disaster events between 2015-2024. 

Subjects – Library administrators, librarians, and staff members involved in library services during crisis situations. 

Methods – Transcripts from focus groups and interviews, conducted during site visits and online meetings, were thematically analyzed using Boin et al.’s (2005) five critical tasks of crisis leaders and Goleman’s (1998, 2004) five components of emotional intelligence at work. 

Main Results – The authors’ qualitative analysis reveals evidence of five effective crisis leadership characteristics that include: 1) self-awareness and initiative in times of crisis that result in community-first engagement initiatives; 2) the ability to maintain emotional control and empathy in order to prioritize staff and community needs; 3) goal oriented and collaborative decision making and coordination of services; 4) provision of clear and credible communication of information; and 5) learning and growing from experiences in order to make decisions in the moment but also to plan and train for future situations. 

 Conclusion – Based on their analysis, the authors present and prioritize ten key recommendations for crisis and disaster management aimed at enhancing community engagement. The authors also recommend that LIS education programs incorporate instruction on key crisis leadership characteristics and emphasize the importance of continuing education and professional development. They highlight the need for collaborative planning efforts during non-crisis periods to ensure libraries are adequately prepared for future emergencies.