Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Project Management In Libraries, Jennifer A. Bartlett

Library Faculty and Staff Publications

This issue's "New and Noteworthy" column focuses on several books, journal articles, and websites that will serve as an introduction to project management in library and information organization settings.

Challenges Of Managing University Libraries In Contemporary Digital Environment, Uchechukwu Victoria Victoria Enweani

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Purpose: The paper focuses on x-raying the challenges of managing university libraries in contemporary digital environment. Design/methodology/approach: The paper adopts a combination of the desk research approach and interview sessions. Inferences were drawn from extensive literature review and content analysis. Highlights of the paper: the changing scenario of the library environment, the need for effective management of university libraries in digital era and the basic concepts in the paper were highlighted. Findings: demands for new skills, cost/funding, managing of new generation of learners, lack of skilled manpower, lack of confidence in the face of increasingly information technology, lack of maintenance …

Design Thinking In Libraries, Jennifer A. Bartlett

Library Faculty and Staff Publications

This issue's New and Noteworthy column summarizes recent publications on design thinking, an iterative and collaborative problem-solving methodology finding applications in public, school, academic, and other library settings.

Practical Management Or Practical Magic: A Conversation With Lance Werner And Julene Jones. Managing Dysfunctional Environments, Julene L. Jones

Library Presentations

Presentation and discussion on the topic of working in or managing dysfunctional environments.

Getting To Tier 1 By Revitalizing A Special Collections Program With Cultural Competence, Mark L. Shelstad

Journal of Contemporary Archival Studies

Seeking to revitalize a special collections program at a Tier 1 aspirant university, the author introduced a variety of contemporary and innovative management strategies along with new outreach opportunities to demonstrate its value toward fulfilling the university's strategic plan. The revitalization efforts included creating a manuscript and rare book collection development policies that incorporated web harvesting, making connections with the community, and finding new audiences using social media. The dramatic increase in collection use and collaboration demonstrated the value of special collections to the community and the university.

Picking Up The Pieces: Managing People During And After A Reorganization, Catherine B. Soehner

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Libraries need to change rapidly in response to advances in technology, expectations of users, funding, and other pressures from both inside and outside the library. Often library administration/management reorganizes personnel, duties, and departments to accomplish new goals and to shift focus of library services. Both during and after a reorganization, employees respond to the changes in a wide variety of ways, ranging from acceptance and positivity to anger and resistance. Fortunately, administrators and managers have a variety of tools available to help employees deal with change and to move them toward success. There are many books and articles on the …

Practical Management Or Practical Magic: A Conversation With Julene Jones And Nyama Reed. Difficult Conversations With Those You Supervise, Julene L. Jones

Library Presentations

Presentation and discussion on the topic of difficult conversations between supervisors and those they supervise.

20/20 Hindsight: Mistakes Made And Lessons Learned From A New Director, Cori Wilhelm

ACRL New England Chapter Annual Conference

Do you ever look back on decisions you made, and wonder, “What was I thinking?” Hindsight can be 20/20, particularly after a major transition such as starting a new leadership position.

This brief talk will explore one new director’s experience in her first four semesters as director of a small academic library, including mistakes made that helped lead to lessons learned. Topics include preparing for the transition, relationships with supervisors, setting team expectations, and communicating with staff. Participants can expect to learn from someone else’s mistakes, and take away real-world, applicable advice that can potentially save them from making the …

Making The Most Of Student Workers: Creative Approaches To Staffing, Kathleen Spring

Faculty & Staff Presentations

When considering and launching an institutional repository, staffing is often the first question on people’s minds. Many libraries are eager to embark on this project but are anxious they’ll need to hire someone to take the wheel. The good news is many institutions have come up with creative staffing solutions that ensure repository growth and development with far less than 1 FTE. In this presentation, Kathleen Spring shares how she manages Linfield College's institutional repository with the vital contributions of student workers. She discusses some of the carefully designed workflows that meet Linfield’s repository needs and talks about how other …

You Too, Can Prevent Librarian Burnout, Jennifer A. Bartlett

Library Faculty and Staff Publications

Contrary to popular opinion, libraries present numerous challenges and stressors to their employees that can contribute to occupational burnout. This New and Noteworthy column presents recent resources including books, journal articles, and online resources discussing the unique issues of librarian burnout.

Book Review: Sustainable Thinking: Ensuring Your Library’S Future In An Uncertain World, Jennifer A. Bartlett

Library Faculty and Staff Publications

Although the concept of “sustainability” has many possible meanings, its connection to environmental issues is perhaps the most familiar. Thus, a reader coming across Rebekkah Smith Aldrich’s new book might assume that it is primarily about how libraries can best demonstrate stewardship of environmental resources. While this is certainly one important piece of the discussion, Sustainable Thinking has a much larger goal: advocating the capacity of libraries to build communities, whether it be through environmental, financial, leadership, political, or other initiatives.