jfconsultLibraries exist to serve their communities, yet many struggle internally with challenges that keep them from reaching their full potential. One of the most common barriers is the presence of silos — when departments or individuals operate in isolation, focusing on their own priorities rather than shared organizational goals.
While silos may provide a sense of order within a single unit, their long-term effect is damaging. Silos weaken communication, limit collaboration, and reduce innovation. The result? Staff frustration, duplicated efforts, and programs that fail to engage the community as effectively as they could.
Why Silos Hurt Libraries
When departments work in isolation, even the most dedicated staff can find themselves disconnected from the bigger picture. Silos lead to:
- Missed opportunities for collaboration. Departments repeat efforts instead of building on one another’s strengths.
- Weakened communication. Staff become less aware of what others are doing and more prone to misunderstandings.
- Reduced innovation. New ideas often require cross-departmental input, but silos keep creative thinking locked away.
Over time, this division erodes trust and makes it harder for libraries to adapt to the evolving needs of their communities.
Moving Toward Collective Leadership
To overcome silos, libraries need more than just new projects — they need a new way of leading. Collective leadership is one such approach. Instead of relying solely on top-down decision-making, collective leadership empowers teams to share responsibility for planning, problem-solving, and accountability.
By building cross-departmental teams focused on shared priorities, libraries can create cultures where staff contributions are valued, innovation is encouraged, and goals are pursued collectively rather than in isolation.
Why It Matters
Breaking down silos is not just an internal exercise. When staff communicate openly and work collaboratively, the impact ripples outward: programming improves, patron engagement grows, and the library strengthens its role in the community.
The message is clear: strong libraries require collective leadership. By moving beyond silos, libraries can build organizations that are more innovative, resilient, and responsive to the people they serve.
First Steps for Library Leaders
For leaders seeking to address silos, here are some starting points:
- Acknowledge where silos exist. Naming the problem is the first step toward fixing it.
- Create cross-functional teams. Assign projects that require input from multiple departments.
- Invest in leadership development. Build staff capacity in areas like communication, emotional intelligence, and collaborative planning.
- Encourage transparency. Regular updates and open dialogue help build trust across the organization.
Final Thought
Silos may feel safe for individuals or departments, but they weaken the organization as a whole. By adopting collective leadership, libraries can shift the focus from “my department” to “our library,” creating stronger teams and better outcomes for their communities.
✍️ This post is part of a Library Leadership & Culture mini-series: Part 1 – Breaking Down Silos, Part 2 – Cliques Are Not Collaboration, and Part 3 – When Leadership Is the Problem.
