Following a review of the contributions of computers and managerial science/operations research to the management of libraries, this paper introduces the concept of decision support systems. DSS, a blending of these techniques, can lead to more effective decisions by library managers. A case study of the utilization of a DSS in the budgeting…

The California Library Authority for Systems and Services (CLASS) was formed by a Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement in June, 1976, to assist in developing and implementing a system for library program development and resource sharing. As a cooperative public agency, CLASS serves academic, public, and special libraries. The first annual report…

Twelve functions are briefly described which should be included in planning space for library staff. They are: (1) Administration, (2) Other Supervisory Offices, (3) Work Rooms, (4) Circulation Desk, (5) Reference Desk, (6) Staff Lounge, (7) Custodian Space, (8) Bookmobile Staff, (9) Books by Mail, (10) Interlibrary Loan, (11) Reserve Room, and…

The Western Interstate Library Coordinating Organization (WILCO) received a grant from the United States Office of Education to develop and demonstrate a statistical data base system for library decision makers. The first quarter was devoted to obtaining background information, scheduling, organization, planning, and design. Achievements included…

Examines the concept of young adult services in public libraries, concentrating on lack of adequate professional personnel and training, administrative rigidity, and future directions for these services. (CWM)

Describes the problems associated with the management of part-time library employees and some solutions afforded by a job sharing arrangement in use at the Greater Victoria Public Library. This is a voluntary work arrangement, changing formerly full-time positions into multiple part-time positions. (JVP)

Flextime was an experiment at the Claremont College libraries to bridge the widening gap between employees' work and their lives. Other benefits include more efficient use of equipment, less parking congestion, and higher employee productivity. The guidelines for flextime are included. (JAB)

In an experimental survey of an academic library, staff perceptions of an administrator were compared with his self-evaluation to determine what, if any, discrepancies existed. (Author/PF)

The performance of an interlibrary loan network is characterized by the probability of satisfying a request, delay in satisfying a request, total and unit costs, and processing load on each network member. In this article, a distributed queueing network is used to model this situation. (Author)

A semimathematical model for library circulation control. The application is intended to contribute to a more structured yet flexible approach to library circulation management. It includes provisions for circulation policy analysis and management, recording, and controlling of circulation transactions. (Author/KP)

Discusses several economic concepts and principles important for librarianship--opportunity cost, resources, assets, and investment--and notes the difficulty of placing a monetary value on patron benefits. The law of diminishing marginal returns is applied to the relationships between library services and collection size, and between investment in…

Presents a model which merges the concepts of entrepreneurship with those of strategic planning to create a library management system. Each step of the process, including needs assessment and policy formation, strategy choice and implementation, and evaluation, is described in detail. (CLB)

Suggests that gender is irrelevant to good library management, questions the argument that women make better managers because they are more nurturing, and stresses the need to challenge preconceptions about the roles of working parents if representation of the sexes among library managers is to reflect the librarian population. (EM)

A Canadian librarian relates her experience of being expelled from the United States, where she had an eight-month library job, after her four-month B-1 visa expired. Immigration laws and regulations affecting employment of Canadian librarians by U.S. libraries are explained and potential problems for both librarians and employers are described.…

This essay aimed at large and medium-sized public libraries discusses library administration as a low-level function meant to support, rather than rule, the nonadministrative staff; management and administration as separate functions; the delegation of responsibility; and tasks of the administrator. (EJS)