Characteristics of Successful Library Manager: Librarians Perspective in Jordan

The purpose of this study was to determine the characteristics of a successful library manager from librarians perceptive and to investigate the effect of librarians characteristics on their perception. A sample of 350 supervisory and non-supervisory employees in public and university libraries was randomly selected and surveyed. For the purpose of this study, a questionnaire was developed and tested for its validity and reliability. The study revealed the importance of all types of skills that are personal skills, planning and decision-making skills, innovation and development skills, information technology skills, human skills, and communication skills. The importance of each category of skills differs according to gender, type of library, specialization, and years of experience. Librarians in universities libraries highlight the importance of communication skills, while those working in public libraries see personal skills more important than others types of skills. Those who are specialized in library science see that the most important skills are innovation and development skills and communication skills. Librarians with bachelor degree or above see the decision making skills and innovation and development skills are a must to be a successful manager.