The author argues that there is a need to reassess the direction of the academic library and the working practices of the staff within it to reclaim our libraries for their users and to examine the epistemology of library and information services. He argues that in order for academic libraries to find their place in the tertiary education culture…

Designed to assist with the management of e-resources, electronic resource management (ERM) systems are time- and fund-consuming to purchase and maintain. Questions of system compatibility, data population, and workflow design/redesign can be difficult to answer; sometimes those answers are not what we'd prefer to hear. The two primary functions…

Ask Here PA is Pennsylvania's new statewide live chat reference and information service. This article discusses the key strategies utilized by Ask Here PA administrators to recruit participating libraries to contribute staff time to the service, the importance of centralized staff training, the main aspects of staff training, and activating the…

The paper describes the introduction of Web 2.0 techniques and tools at the Yarra Plenty public library in Victoria, beginning with library staff. The author argues that as libraries move from Web 1.0 type delivery systems to the social networking world of Library 2.0 librarians need to deploy and make accessible these radically different systems,…

"ARL" is the bimonthly report on research library issues and actions from ARL (Association of Research Libraries), CNI (Coalition of Networked Information), and SPARC (Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition). "ARL" reports on current issues of interest to academic and research library administrators, staff and users; higher…

Librarians often cringe when they hear the word copyright, when it is combined with electronic reserves the immediate impulse is to run away as far and as fast as possible. This paper presents the process used by the Armacost Library staff at the University of Redlands to develop and implement a copyright policy for the electronic reserve…

When the author ran into other recent graduates at the American Library Association (ALA) annual conference in New Orleans in 2006, several told her they were not happy with their jobs. After months of searching, they settled for positions in isolated rural libraries, have jobs with little responsibility, or are expected to manage their staff…

This article explains a two-part plan, created by the people at the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County (PLCMC), to help staff members keep up with the sea change of technology. A core competencies training program was developed. This keeps workers afloat by providing them with the technology skills they need to support the change…

This brief 3-page paper gives a broad outline of the type of qualifications needed for a librarian to become a library director. Four requirements that candidates should meet are suggested: (1) a work record involving both public and technical library services; (2) a second Master's degree or doctoral degree; (3) evidence of initiative as revealed…

An experimental "management-by-objectives" performance system was operated by the Libraries and Information Systems Center of Bell Laboratories during 1973. It was found that, though the system was very effective for work planning and the development of people, difficulties were encountered in applying it to certain classes of employees.…

Enumerates principles and practices helpful in improving library administration while coping with budget cuts. (PF)

Reviews the Purdue University Libraries' experience with the Management Review and Analysis Program technique, a self-study approach developed for libraries. (PF)

This report contains the major recommendations of the Library of Congress (LC) Management and Planning (MAP) committee. The mission and values statement developed by the MAP Committee for LC precedes the main body of the report. The first of two major sections of the report includes recommendations organized into chapters according to the five…

When professional movers are hired to move a library collection, drawing up written specifications becomes the most important part of the planning process. Specifications explain exactly what needs to be done, form the basis for a legal contract, and provide the basis for determining the cost of the job. Precision is an important component of…

This manual, prepared for the UCLA Law School Library, outlines sample policies, procedures, and rules for a law school reference department. The manual consists of (1) a discussion of patron categories and priorities; (2) a statement of the kinds of services to be offered; (3) determination of the means of providing these services via procedures…