Silvia Vong, "Critical Management Studies and Librarianship" (Library Juice Press, 2024)

Feb 2, 2025

Silvia Vong, an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto’s iSchool and former librarian, dives deep into critical management studies and their application in librarianship. She critiques traditional management education, advocating for a human-centric approach that champions inclusivity, especially for women of color. Vong emphasizes the need for socially responsible practices in library management and highlights the importance of diverse leadership roles, even for those without formal titles. The discussion beautifully ties theory to real-world scenarios, pushing for equity in library services.

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Intro

00:00 • 2min

Rethinking Library Management Education

01:35 • 15min

Reimagining Management in Academic Libraries

16:38 • 8min

Rethinking Leadership in Librarianship and the Value of Unofficial Roles

24:23 • 2min

Bridging Theory and Practice in Management

26:52 • 10min

Critical Management Studies and Librarianship: Critical Perspectives on Library Management Education and Practice (Library Juice Press, November 2024) introduces key concepts in the field of critical management studies (CMS) and critiques dominant theories and concepts in the management field. The aim of CMS is to denaturalize dominant theories in the management field by introducing works and research from other fields (e.g., queer feminist theories, postcolonial studies, critical race theory). In this edited volume, Silvia Vong brings together contributions that offer critical perspectives on dominant CMS issues contextualized in LIS management education and practice such as strategic planning, consumer and assessment culture, and management institutes to name a few. In addition, the book includes discussions around approaches to leading using research and literature outside of the business and management literature to redress epistemic injustice in management education and provide inclusive and diverse perspectives on leadership.

Silvia Vong is an Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream at University of Toronto’s iSchool. She was a professional librarian for 15 years in various roles at different Canadian universities ranging from liaison librarian to head of public services to associate dean of scholarly, research, and creative activities. Her experience in teaching, collections, scholarly communications, and management contributed to her research as a professional in critical management studies in librarianship as well as addressing anti-racism in the profession.

Jen Hoyer is Technical Services and Electronic Resources Librarian at CUNY New York City College of Technology. She is co-author of What Primary Sources Teach: Lessons for Every Classroom (2022) and The Social Movement Archive (2021), and co-editor of Armed By Design: Posters and Publications of Cuba’s Organization of Solidarity of the Peoples of Africa, Asia, and Latin America (2025).

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