Vision, innovation, and leadership in research libraries

•The relationship of research library visions and library innovativeness is examined.•The literature suggests that a vision statement can affect organizational performance and employee satisfaction.•Of 50 U.S. research libraries, 66% had vision statements; 18% had neither a vision nor a mission statement.•Library professionals rated vision statements based on established attributes.•Vision statement score was positively and significantly related to library innovativeness.

This study examined the relationship of research library visions, as embodied in a publicly posted vision statement, and the innovativeness of the library. The literature on organizational vision is abundant and generally reveals a positive relationship between vision, visionary leadership, and a variety of organizational factors. Many researchers state that a vision, communicated throughout the organization, is a critical element of organizational success and those entities without a vision are “stumbling in the dark”. In this study, library professionals rated each research library vision statement based on established attributes and it was found that the resulting vision statement score was positively and significantly related to the innovativeness of the library.