Lived Experience of Academic Health Sciences Libraries Leaders During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This purpose of this study is to explore the lived experience of academic health sciences libraries’ deans, and directors during the COVID-19 pandemic. The emergence of COVID-19 in the United States in February 2020 required leaders of academic health sciences libraries to navigate numerous changes and challenges to library services and resources. The problem this study addresses is the lack of in-depth knowledge related to how leaders reported their leadership abilities during a time of uncertainty and rapid change. A qualitative phenomenological research methodology was used to explore the lived experiences of academic health sciences libraries’ deans, and directors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Strategic leadership theory is the theoretical framework that functioned as the ‘lens’ through which leadership strategies and practices were examined. The population of interest was deans and directors of academic health sciences libraries in the United States with a physical facility and a virtual presence. Purposive sampling was used with the sample size restricted to ten participants. Semi-structured interview questions were used for data collection. Transcripts were hand-coded for thematic data analysis, and qualitative data analysis software was used to track the themes and patterns identified in the data. Seven overarching themes emerged from the data: (a) effective communication, (b) deciding and prioritizing objectives, (c) continually reevaluating strategies, (d) build a team, (e) prepare relentlessly, (f) awareness of the environment, and (g) creating a roadmap. The findings from this study revealed that library leaders exhibited an ability to learn and adapt to change but needed to be better prepared for any type of future crisis.