Emotional Intelligence of Library Leaders and Innovative Library Services in South East Nigeria

Abstract

Innovations are driven by leaders in any organisation. Emotionally intelligent leaders (EI) have the capacity to introduce and sustain innovations because they are adept at perceiving, appreciating, controlling and utilizing negative/positive feelings and using them as indicators to create solutions. This study explored the EI of Library leaders in Anambra and Enugu States and how the array of skills relates to innovative services in libraries. The population of the study was made up of 42 Heads of libraries and different departmental Heads in the two States. The questionnaire was used for data collection. Using the Pearson Product Moment Correlation, it was established that though high levels of some components of EI could be found among the leaders that positively related with innovative services, there was a noticeable lack in the area of interactions with stakeholders outside the library circles. The paper therefore, recommended that library leaders within the States under study should synergize with other stakeholders in the information provision chain to bring about innovations in their libraries. They should be able to lobby within their institutions and government circles to attract funds for creative services, should leverage the use of ICT to enable innovations and finally library leaders need to be more assertive, scale up their social and relationship skills and network within and outside their library workforce to bring about  innovation and creativity in their libraries.