This discussion of potential uses of mediation as a management and communication tool focuses on the library setting. The nature of conflict is considered, and the concept, basic principles, and applications of mediation as a form of conflict resolution are presented. The four steps in the mediation process are then described: (1) Introduction,…

This paper surveys the history and development of some of the major theories and concepts of leadership: (1) the trait approach--research focusing on personality characteristics presumed to set leaders apart from others; (2) leader behavior--what leaders actually do; and (3) situational variables--characteristics of the particular situation.…

This paper examines the use of language as a tool to gain a position of leadership, to improve the caliber of leadership, or to expand the territory of leadership in any situation, and in libraries in particular. The discussion begins with a brief analysis of the process of spoken, written, and nonverbal communication, with an emphasis on…

This paper presents a simple model of the communication process and discusses the transmission of meaning from the sender to the receiver of a message. The model is applied to the library organization, and problems which may arise from various interpretations of messages are considered. The relationship between information and meaning is then…

Based on the relocation of the University of Tennessee Knoxville (UTK) Library, this paper explores the importance of communication in project management. Definitions of project management are followed by an overview of the UTK move and discussions of the role of the project director, possible causes of mismatches between responsibilities and…

This paper argues that role models from popular children's literature, such as Nancy Drew, can be used to resolve some of the current difficulties that women in the library profession have with leadership and communication. Some statistics and brief historical background on women in library administration are presented, the leadership qualities…

Developments in technology, in organizational structure, and in higher education are placing increasing demands on library managers. The library director, once primarily concerned with finances, and the management of collection, staff, and facilities, must increasingly be concerned with the articulation of values. The formulation and promulgation…

This paper briefly describes the effects of changes instituted by new library administrators and discusses the roles of both upper and middle level library managers in the process of adapting to change. Suggestions based on the experience of the authors as new middle level managers at a time when extensive changes were occurring in a university…

Argues that problems of managing coexistence of collegial and hierarchical governance structures in university libraries may include accountability, lack of organizational flexibility, time requirements, communication between structures, lessening of librarian's interest in function of line management, potential for goal conflict, and lack of…

Various concepts from "In Search of Excellence" are described in context of authors' personal styles. Discussions address thinking in terms of options, using statistics, learning value of corporate politics, a bias toward action, productivity through people, the "lean-machine" concept, staying close to client, entrepreneurship…

This paper focuses on the role of feedback in effective communication and ways in which feedback can assist library managers at all levels in performing their role as leaders. The various kinds and sources of feedback are discussed, and the relationship between feedback and goal setting are considered, as well as the effects of goal setting and…

This discussion of the mentor/protege relationship in the library setting begins by examining the benefits of mentoring for both individuals and the organization. Characteristics of mentors, guidelines for self-assessment of strengths and weaknesses for a potential mentor, and protege characteristics that will attract a mentor are outlined.…

Discusses collection development policy as means to express and systematize guidelines for collection building that fulfill three basic functions: the referential, the generative, the rhetorical. Division of policy into subject categories, and use of "collection levels" to rank the collection and collecting effort for each subject are…

In response to an ambitious acquisitions effort at Trinity University's Elizabeth Coates Maddux Library during 1980/81, the library's cataloging department quintupled its monographic processing output while increasing its staff only by the addition of seven permanent and two temporary support staff members. Production standards, initially…

This paper examines the role of communication in library leadership. The discussion is organized into 14 sections: (1) multidimensional approaches to effective leadership communication and varying communication style to the situation; (2) the importance of conciseness; (3) streamlining library communication; (4) the vision being communicated by…