Thinking style preferences among the public library directors of Florida

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether public library directors in the state of Florida evidence a preferred style of thinking. Public library directors as listed in the 2001 52^nd edition of the Florida Library Directory with Statistics were contacted. To facilitate this investigation, the Sternberg-Wagner Thinking Style Preferences Questionnaire was distributed in a statewide survey, with the scores analyzed in terms of occurrences and percentage. The study achieved an 85.7% (126) return rate, with a total of 124 surveys used for data analysis. The descriptive analysis gave clear evidence of directors having a profile of styles rather than a single style, and there were was a notable difference between high and low preferences for each of the 13 thinking styles.

Five conclusions addressed are: (a) the potential for the development of the legislative and global thinking styles among Library Directors; (b) the potential for development of a flat thinking style among directors participating in the study regarding internal and external scope of thinking, and liberal and conservative leaning of thinking; (c) why low preference for anarchic, judicial, hierarchic, and local thinking styles might exist; (d) the apparent influence of the library world upon thinking style profiles; and (e) gender and thinking style preference.

Recommendations for future study and ideas for improving Library Director administration were included.