Practical and Effective Management of Libraries

Book description

Aimed at library science students and librarians with newly assigned administrative duties the book is about improving one’s thinking and decision making in a role as a library manager. Most librarians get very little exposure to management issues prior to finding themselves in a management role. Furthermore, most library science students do not expect that they will need to understand management yet they quickly find that there is a need to understand this perspective to be effective at almost any library job. Effective library management is about having some tools to make decisions (such as a basic understanding of management theory and how it applies in the library environment, understanding common traps we all fall into, etc.), knowing yourself, being able to motivate others, fostering a diversity (especially within workgroups), being able to communicate effectively, and having an understanding of one’s organizational culture. The book touches on all of these aspects of library management.

  • Provides a concise understanding of theories from management, psychology, etc. and applies them to practical every day library issues
  • Contains real world cases for considering how theoretical concepts might apply in real library-related situations
  • Cuts out much of the extraneous material often found in books of this kind and focuses more on what you actually need

Table of contents

  1. Cover image
  2. Title page
  3. Table of Contents
  4. Copyright
  5. About the author
  6. List of acronyms
  7. Introduction
  8. Chapter 1: History of managerial thought: a brief overview
    1. Frederick Winslow Taylor and scientific management
    2. Max Weber and bureaucratic management
    3. Henri Fayol and the five functions of management
    4. Elton Mayo and the Hawthorne studies
    5. Doug McGregor and Theory X and Theory Y
    6. Kurt Lewin and open systems theory
    7. Contingency theories
    8. Robert Greenleaf and servant leadership
    9. Conclusion
    10. Thoughts for consideration or discussion
    11. Case study: Diane takes on a challenge
    12. Project ideas
  9. Chapter 2: Psychology and knowing oneself: how do these affect management and decision-making?
    1. General personality tests
    2. Annual performance reviews/appraisals
    3. 360-degree feedback
    4. Informal feedback and coaching
    5. Daniel Goleman and emotional intelligence
    6. Robert Greenleaf and servant leadership
    7. Stephen Covey and the seven habits
    8. Thoughts for consideration or discussion
    9. Case study: Jekyll and Hyde?
    10. Project ideas
  10. Chapter 3: Motivating employees and fostering diversity
    1. Needs theories
    2. Motivator-hygiene theory
    3. Equity theory
    4. Victor Vroom and expectancy theory
    5. Edwin Locke and goal-setting theory
    6. Other ways to motivate
    7. Diversity and respect
    8. Thoughts for consideration or discussion
    9. Case study: John needs to light a fire
    10. Case study: action needed
    11. Project ideas
  11. Chapter 4: Organizational culture and socialization processes
    1. Organizational culture: what is it and where did it come from?
    2. Organizational culture: how do we know what it is in a given organization?
    3. Subcultures
    4. The socialization process
    5. Maintaining and fostering change in organizational culture
    6. Thoughts for consideration or discussion
    7. Case study: Mary wants to hear… or does she?
    8. Case study: Lisa learns her way
    9. Project ideas
  12. Chapter 5: Communication
    1. Fundamentals of communication
    2. Traditional ways of communicating
    3. New ways of communicating
    4. Listening
    5. Directional communication
    6. Networking
    7. Thoughts for consideration or discussion
    8. Case study: she said what!? …to whom!?
    9. Case study: they posted what!?
    10. Case study: who is in charge here?
    11. Project ideas
  13. Chapter 6: Decision-making and leadership
    1. Some pitfalls and biases in decisionmaking
    2. Some models for making decisions
    3. Assessments
    4. Leadership
    5. Leading change
    6. Final thoughts on leadership
    7. Thoughts for consideration or discussion
    8. Case study: the Winslow Homer Institute for Art
    9. Project ideas
  14. Appendix: sample of a basic annual plan
  15. References
  16. Index

Product information

  • Title: Practical and Effective Management of Libraries
  • Author(s):
  • Release date: January 2010
  • Publisher(s): Chandos Publishing
  • ISBN: 9781780630236