Creative Management of Small Public Libraries in the 21st Century
Creative Management of Small Public Libraries in the 21st Century

Author: Carol Smallwood

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2014-12-23

Total Pages: 317

ISBN-13: 1442243570

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Creative Management of Small Public Libraries in the 21st Century isan anthology on small public libraries as centers of communities serving populations under 25,000 that make up most of the public library systems in the United States. A wide selection of topics was sought from contributors with varied backgrounds reflecting the diversity of small public libraries. The thirty-two chapters are arranged: Staff; Programming; Management; Technology; Networking; Fundraising; User Services and provide tools to lead a local public library with relevant and successful services. This volume shares a common sense approach to providing a small (in staff size or budget) but mighty (in impact and outcome) public library service. The contributors demonstrate that by turning the service delivery team outward to the community with enthusiasm and positive energy, it is possible to achieve significant results. Many chapters summarize best practices that can serve as checklists for the novice library director or as a review for the more seasoned manager working through new responsibilities. Chapters are tactical, focusing on specific issues for managers such as performance evaluations, effective programming, or e-reader services. Time management is crucial in a small or rural public library as well as the challenges associated with managing Friends and volunteers. While most public libraries do not have the resources to satisfy customer expectations for instant gratification, ultra-convenience and state-of-the-art technologies, The authors of this book details strategies and methods for providing top-notch customer service while moving beyond customer service to the creation of meaningful customer relationships. This volume makes an important contribution to the literature by reminding us that public libraries transform communities of every size. In fact, never before has the role of the public library been a more critical thread in the fabric of community life.

Public Library Staffs (Classic Reprint)
Public Library Staffs (Classic Reprint)

Author: Peter Cowell

Publisher: Forgotten Books

Published: 2017-10-15

Total Pages: 32

ISBN-13: 9780265366462

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Excerpt from Public Library Staffs Although the craft of Librarianship may be said to be nearly as old as books themselves, it is nevertheless true that the Librarian of to-day is a Pioneer - for the field of his work has become so wide as to embrace much untrodden, territory, and he has had' to invent an entirely new equip ment to fit him for his task. There is much experimenting, and there may be many mistakes, but the tendency is in the right direction, and there can be no doubt that both the Librarians and the Readers of the Twentieth Century will owe much to the 'librarian of the Nineteenth. But Committees as well as Librarians owe a duty to the next generation, and they should regard it as an important part of that duty to help forward the. Higher development of Librarianship. They rather retard it when they appoint men without practical experience, and thus proclaim that, in their opinion, Librarianship is not a craft. To point here and there to one or two brilliantly successful Librarians who have had -no practical training, is as absurd as to contemn medicine as worthless, because now and then a sick man recovers by the help of nature alone. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

The Laughing Librarian
The Laughing Librarian

Author: Jeanette C. Smith

Publisher: McFarland

Published: 2014-01-10

Total Pages: 240

ISBN-13: 078649056X

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Despite the stodgy stereotypes, libraries and librarians themselves can be quite funny. The spectrum of library humor from sources inside and outside the profession ranges from the subtle wit of the New Yorker to the satire of Mad. This examination of American library humor over the past 200 years covers a wide range of topics and spans the continuum between light and dark, from parodies to portrayals of libraries and their staffs as objects of fear. It illuminates different types of librarians--the collector, the organization person, the keeper, the change agent--and explores stereotypes like the shushing little old lady with a bun, the male scholar-librarian, the library superhero, and the anti-stereotype of the sexy librarian. Profiles of the most prominent library humorists round out this lively study.