“I’m Over the Patriarchy”: The Importance of Resisting Metaphors to Build Feminist Academic Library Leadership

Abstract

The challenges women library leaders face are impacted by gendered metaphors and biased language of leadership. Leadership metaphors are often masculine and emphasize war, battle, and sports while metaphors of women leaders focus on the challenges women face as leaders, such as glass ceilings and sticky floors. This reflection explores the impact of metaphors on women library leaders, how metaphors can be challenged, and recommendations for creating new communities of practice.