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Synopsis Leadership as a concept is difficult to define and is often equated with management, which is more narrow and often position specific. What is apparent is the need for those who can provide leadership in organizations, which face many challenges and which must accomplish a great deal in a highly competitive and dynamic environment. A significant number of organizational and societal issues highlight the need for increased focus on the issue of Leadership in the Library and Information Science Professions. This collection of writing addresses a number of the most significant issues related to leadership by offering insight to inform practice and to further the understanding of leadership issues – priorities, which clearly must be addressed within the arena of library and information services in the future. The authors have addressed many of the more difficult and substantive issues related to leadership, including the identification of the challenges to be faced and opportunities to be addressed in relation to the leadership in organizations, the importance of identifying and addressing the professional development needs of leaders and future leaders, including the determination of knowledge and competencies required of effective leaders in relation to information technology and financial management. In addition, the importance of leadership evaluation and assessment is addressed, as is the role of technology-related organizations in providing and helping to ensure effective leadership in the profession.