Discusses Total Quality Management (TQM), benefits to libraries, and possible barriers to its adoption. An overview is provided of 13 articles included in this issue on (1) library approaches to TQM; (2) implementing a TQM program; (3) supporting TQM efforts; and (4) learning from the experience of others. (EAM)

Discusses factors that contribute to Santa Monica Public Library's excellence, including supportive city government and citizenry, city council, library board, lean top management, and the basic management team. Specific management principles and techniques, public relations, and measures of service at Beverly Hills Public Library are also…

Describes management experiences at University of California--Los Angeles (UCLA), University of Minnesota Biomedical Library, and California Institute of Technology. Discussions include development of ORION (UCLA's online technical processing and information system); organizational changes occurring as result of large-scale automation;…

Examines the Total Quality Management (TQM) activities at a federal government agency (i.e., the Defense Fuel Supply Center) using the following criteria established by the Federal Quality Institute: top management leadership and support; strategic quality planning; customer focus; training and recognition; employee empowerment and teamwork; and…

Provides a review of the total quality management movement and process, and advocates applying it to higher education as a solution to current problems. Customer emphasis, continuous improvement, developing human resources, and using tools for process development are described; and examples from specific academic institutions are included.…

Examines the use of Total Quality Management (TQM) in the federal government setting. Topics covered include federal corporate culture, benefits to employees, early programs in productivity improvement, governmentwide implementation, the information network on TQM applications maintained by the Federal Quality Institute, and barriers to…

Describes the Oregon State University library's experience with Total Quality Management (TQM) from initial training and development of two teams to its use as an impartial problem-solving tool which anyone can use. Staff concerns and fears about TQM are discussed, and benefits are explained. (Contains five references.) (EAM)

Outlines the problem-solving team training process used at Harvard University (Massachusetts), including the size and formation of teams, roles, and time commitment. Components of the process are explained, including introduction to Total Quality Management (TQM), customer satisfaction, meeting management, Parker Team Player Survey, interactive…

Explains the need for meaningful performance measures in libraries and the Total Quality Management (TQM) approach to data collection. Five tools representing different stages of a TQM inquiry are covered (i.e., the Shewhart Cycle, flowcharts, cause-and-effect diagrams, Pareto charts, and control charts), and benchmarking is addressed. (Contains…

Summarizes the experience of the Harvard College Library (Massachusetts) with Total Quality Management (TQM) and its plans for a pilot implementation and training process. The strength of the approach is shown to lie in the broadly based membership of the steering committee, commitment to group process, and ongoing communication efforts with…

Advocates the need for libraries to identify, nurture, and sustain new partnerships given rapid technological advancements and trends in information economics. Principles of partnerships are described, including Total Quality Management (TQM), negotiation, seamless connectivity, performance data, trust, patience, and perseverance; and steps in the…

Examines trends affecting higher education such as declining enrollments, replacement of faculty, rising costs, competition for enrollments, corporate education, work changes, and greater accountability and relates them to Total Quality Management (TQM). Relevant organizations, the role of leadership, and barriers to greater acceptance are…

Describes a model of Total Quality Management (TQM) developed by the Association of Research Libraries. The issues, elements and processes of a comprehensive TQM-based transition, including commitment by management, linkage to organizational strategic planning, organizational culture, understanding customers, and quality teams are covered.…

Explores the value of Total Quality Management (TQM) for libraries as a management methodology to complement the changing needs of research libraries in light of changing information technology. The planning process for a new academic library which used many TQM elements is described. (EAM)