Management: Managing a Career in Place

For the past ten years, I have had the pleasure of serving as editor of RUSQ’s Management column. In this space, I have enjoyed showcasing myriad perspectives on management broadly interpreted, articulated by an array of both aspiring and seasoned authors. As I prepared to hand off this responsibility after this issue, I realized that I have filled this role for longer than I ever spent at any one institution to this point in my career—which reminded me that an aspect of management I always wanted to present here is an entire career spent in one library. Managing a career in place, while not extinct, is a practice that waned over the years that our society became increasingly mobile and the notion of moving for opportunity took root. But in fact, a single library—if it’s the right one—can offer the chance to try new things, satisfy a sense of possibility, and advance one professionally, without all the packing and relocating. In this interview, former RUSA President Diana Shonrock shares the story of how she happened into her start in librarianship—and realized a fulfilling, multi-faceted career—all in one place: Iowa State University (ISU) in Ames, Iowa.—Editor