Annotation
Number

Keyword

Annotation

Labours lost. (2002). The Economist, 363(8277), 78.

In an affront to conventional thought, the study discussed here indicates that common ideas of productivity may be wrong. Working hours in various countries are compared for productivity. The article indicates that there is no strong link between long hours and productivity. For comparison, the national work habits of Japan and France are compared. Japan, has some of the longest work hours in the world, yet they have experienced a weak economy for almost a decade. France, on the other hand, has shorter workweeks but employees must make up for that by being more productive. For productivity, working smarter may replace the idea of working longer. 4

Dobe

Blanchard, K., & Johnson, S. (1982), The One Minute Manager. New York: William Morrow and Company. 4

This is a book that demonstrates three different management techniques through the telling of an easy-to-read short novel. Each section is followed by a brief summary of the lesson learned. The latter chapters of the book explain why each of the techniques works. The book concludes with a small chart that demonstrates the issues discussed in the book. 4

-AJ

Pitroda, S. (2001). Managing Risk. Siliconindia, 5(1), 108-109. Retrieved March 8, 2003 from EBSCOhost's Business Source Premier.

This article discusses the issue of risk and risk management, which has two dimensions: resources and ecosystems. Resources include people, products, processes and markets. The ecosystem relates to all support systems for the business. Pitroda discusses each of these areas in detail and then asserts the need to be able to evaluate risk. He concludes with a discussion of projecting and managing risk. 4

-AJ

Wolf, Thomas. (1999). Managing a nonprofit organization in the twenty-first century. NY: Simon & Schuster, Inc., pp. 43 - 81.

Entitled "The Board," this chapter details the pros and cons of working for a nonprofit board of trustees. As most public libraries are governed either by a private board or are run directly by a branch of local government, any graduate engaged in a job hunt should scan this book section. There are guidelines on creating well-run boards and policies, but since few librarians get to create their own boards, it is the rest of the chapter that should be required reading.

Responsibilities and duties of trustees are listed but equally valuable are the detailing of areas where their responsibilities should end. Boards can easily be made up of the more powerful or influential townspeople, personal agendas can run an organization, and professional staff may have little official recourse of action. Knowing where the "line in the sand" should be may aid in job-related disputes caused by this environment. 4

Sapphire

Schiffman, Stephan. (2003). Seven foundations of effective customer service. American Salesman, 48, (2), 8-10. Retrieved February 22, 2003 from EbscoHost database.

A large part of a library's function is service. The quality of that service provided to its patrons, or customers, can influence everything from the library's reputation to the level of funding it receives. Customer service is as important to nonprofits as it is to financial businesses. Passing around a copy of this article at the next library staff meeting can help to identify and correct problem areas that employees may not even be aware existed. In an effort to prevent patrons from crossing the line of "public use" to "public abuse" of library staff, some employees' defense mechanisms or interpersonal skills may be sending out unintentional messages damaging to customer service levels. This article is a good way to begin discussion on the topic or reemphasize old skills. 4

Sapphire

Wahlgren, Eric. (December 3, 2002). Getting up to speed at a new job. Business Week Online. Retrieved February 22, 2003 from EbscoHost database.

Countless occupational studies tell us that we will change jobs 6, 8, 10 times or more before we hit retirement age. The days of growing with one company are in the past. Wahlgren passes on ideas for the newly hired to better and more quickly acclimate themselves to new positions. He notes that although some companies will "brag" about orientation sessions and job-training programs, most training comes from the "trial by fire" method. Stressful for the employee, unproductive for the organization, there are better ways to adjust to new employment situations. Some suggestions are obvious; some would seem counter-productive, such as volunteering for key projects when you are not even sure where the restrooms are located. However, the article also reminds the existing staff of their part in creating a niche for the "new kid on the block." 4

Sapphire

McLagan, P. (2003, January). The change-capable organization. T & D, 57, 50-58. Retrieved March 1, 2003, from EbscoHost Academic Search Elite database.

The author has conducted a review of international research in the concept of change management. She summarizes findings related to the behaviors of successful organizations, or those with ?an inbuilt capacity of change, ? and lists the behaviors: ?link present and future, make learning a way of life, actively support and encourage day to day improvements and change, ensure diverse teams, encourage mavericks, shelter breakthroughs, integrate technology, and build and deepen trust.? McLagan concludes by making a case for reorienting the concept of the organization from a 17th-century mechanical model to an organic one based on living, biological systems. 5

Rainey

LaClair, J. A. & Rao, R. P. (2002). Helping employees embrace change. McKinsey Quarterly, 4, 17-20. Retrieved March 1, 2003, from EbscoHost Business Source Premier database.

Rainey

Holdway, A. (2001, May). Delighting customers: understanding needs starts with employees. Canadian Electronics, 16. Retrieved March 3, 2003, from EbscoHost Academic Search Elite database.

This manager from Agilent Technologies promotes the notion that investments made in employee satisfaction pay off in terms of customer satisfaction. He encourages managers to monitor employee satisfaction on an ongoing basis, both formally and informally, and to ensure that all employees, not only those who work directly with ?customers,? receive high-quality training, rewards, and recognition, so they will be highly motivated to understand what the organizations? customers need and to provide it for them. The most interesting part of this article is his claim (undocumented!) that ninety percent of unhappy customers, given a choice, will never return to the same supplier. Additionally he claims that most of these ?defectors? are not turned off by price or product, but by an ?attitude of indifference? shown by an employee.

This article is written for the private sector, sales-oriented market, but it is interesting to think about a parallel in library services. Is it true that 90% of people who are unhappy with the library, and feel they have other choices, would never return? And that most of these people have been disappointed by how they were treated by library staff, not by the services themselves? Given that training for staff receives short shrift at my local library, it seems likely, as employees are generally poorly informed, and have received no guidance as to how to help patrons. Years before I started working at my library, I had a terrible experience as a patron, and it greatly influenced how I thought about and treated patrons once I was on the other side of the counter.

Holdway?s message that unhappy employees can?t be expected to ?delight? customers also holds up in my library setting, where frontline employees are excluded from all decision-making, receive little guidance and support, and are treated as ?units? rather than people. 5

Rainey

Russell, V. (2000). Working Smart. Journal of Management in Engineering, 16, 5.

In this article, the author, Russell, interprets four ways to ³Work Smart.² Russell enforces the issue of not working hard but working smart. Within this, she focuses on the five types of tasks:

• Urgent: to work smart you need to decide what should be done by you and what can be delegated
• Unpleasant: hard things first
• Unfinished: lasts things first (what has not been accomplished)
• Unfulfilling (dull things) (getting it out of the way, reading e-mail, organizing desk, and then focus on the important
• Ultimate: First thing first, the important items

The key to becoming more efficient according to Russell knows how to prioritize your things to do list, not just checking items off. 4

Cookie

Linke, L. (2000). The librarianıs understudy. American Libraries, 31, 78-81.

Dealing with a specific case group C encountered the need for a successful volunteer program. In order to ³provide an incredible supplement to professional staff success relies upon:

• High quality training program
• Management by a professional librarian (making it clear that they cannot be replaced)
• Recognition of customer service as a top priority
• Acceptance of volunteer as partners
• Substantial and challenging work assignments
• Support by administration and staff

Linke continues to provide ³tips² for successful volunteer programs. 5

Cookie

Carlson, R. (1998). Donıt sweat the small stuff at work. (pp. 63) New York: Hyperion. 5

According to Carlson, listening is one of the most effective tools for almost all aspects of life. How do we know we are truly listening? Chapter 22 of Donıt Sweat the Small Stuff at Work² details effective strategies to be attentive listeners. As you adopt these skills, attentive listeners are usually sought after. Meaning you have people to help you. ³Good listeners are easy to be around,² you will make people feel acknowledged and respected and the feeling will work vice versa.

Carlos continues to list the many rewards that good listening skills will bring. Try it. 5

Cookie

Anderson, A.J. and Burnett, B.P., et. al. (1998) Hello Marylou, good-bye Art. Library Journal, 123 (2), pp. 57-58. Retrieved 2/23/2003 from EbsoHost, Academic Search Elite.

This article includes a case study along with 2 different responses to the issue at hand. The case study details a scenario in which the new director, Marylou Dovekiller, has made a decision to cut the arts program at the Nelson Public Library. The director informs Lois Houston, the librarian who has spent a lot of time and effort with the program, of the news two days before a new exhibit is scheduled to open. Houston is bothered by the news and briefly tries to reason with Dovekiller, but the decision has been made and appears to be finalized. The first analysis, "Protect the Library?s Status", states that the director "has some serious problems with management, communications, and human interaction skills." (Burnett) The analysis recommends communication, including contacting her direct supervisor who then can talk to the director. The second analysis of this case, "Houston, We have a problem", suggests that the director is still rather recent to the job and has a "lack of appreciation for the important niche the arts program fills in the community." (Carswell) This analysis recommends that Houston should enlist the help of outside supporters who can then approach Dovekiller to reconsider. 4

Acadia

Smith, S.D. (2002). When the boss is away? Public Libraries, March/April, pp. 79-80.

The author in this article recounts her unique experiences of being responsible for her library during a time when the director was away. The system at this library is one where "one of the department heads is designated as Person in Charge and is responsible for the place" while the director is gone. (Smith) In this particular instance, the fill-in encounters a series of bizarre circumstances. One such instance is when a patron flushes a set of keys down the toilet. Additional situations include staff members breaking dress code, broken master keys, plumbing problems in the restrooms, as well as patrons who object to certain materials in the collection. She ends her article with this statement: "for those of you who, like me, have found their niche, and never, ever, want to be responsible for all the mayhem a director must face every day, I offer this suggestion: try to be gone when the boss is." (Smith) 5

Acadia

Tapping delegation skills. (2002) New Straits Times-Management Times. Retrieved March 7, 2003 from EbsocHost, Business Source Premier.

This article outlines the definition and key principles of delegation. Delegation includes effectively assigning tasks to appropriate staff, being clear and concise in instructions, giving "empowerment" to the staff member, as well as knowing what tasks can not be delegated. When considering an assignment to give, the article suggests that the manager should thoroughly consider the situation: "what the final project should look like, what methods are used to evaluate performance, what the projected date of completion is; what the budget allocation for the project is; how much authority is given to the employee on the project; and how much control the manager retains." (Tapping?) In addition, it is recommended that other staff members should support the person who has become responsible for the task. Finally, the article lists a few instances when something should not be delegated, including: when the task will give more authority than the manager, very personal manners that a manager should only handle, and things in which the employee is not have the potential resources to do well. 5

Acadia

Stueart, R. D. & Moran, B. B. (2002). Types of formal organizations ? today and in the future. In Library and Information Center Management, 6th ed. (pp. 175-206). Greenwood Village, Colorado: Libraries Unlimited.

Libraries are most commonly organized with a bureaucratic hierarchy. However, in recent years many organizations have reorganized to add features of an organic structure, creating a flatter organization and a broader range of control for the library director. Some commonly used modifications include committees, task forces, matrix organizational structures, quality circles, and self-managing teams. One organizational structure is not better than another; the key is to find the right combination to fit the individual organization and current administration. Many structural changes are ineffective because the new organization is no longer compatible with administrative management styles. It is important to remember that with any structural change, all administrators need to be retrained in management techniques that will work within the new structure. 4 [Do not use In]

Storygirl<.p>

Hill, L. A. (1992). Critical resources for the first year. In Becoming a Manager: Mastery of a New Identity (pp. 209-244). Boston: Harvard Business School Press.

The new managers in this study that were able to build relationships with other managers found a network of support that made their transition easier. Many new managers could rely on past bosses for advice and encouragement. Some found that their peer managers were also a great resource for dealing with people problems and gaining inside knowledge of the organization. A few new managers found that they could turn to their current bosses for help, although most were reluctant at first to do so. Those managers who were promoted from inside the organization built this network of relationships more quickly. Strong relationships with superiors and peers, along with timely feedback, were the most critical resources for new managers in the first year and greatly enhanced the new managers? abilities to learn from their experiences. 4 [Do not use In]

Storygirl

Wolf, T. (1999). Financial statements and fiscal procedures. In Managing a Nonprofit Organization in the Twenty-First Century (pp. 209-232). New York: Simon & Schuster.

Controls are established procedures for ensuring that all money is handled appropriately internally. Controls outline procedures for receiving, recording, depositing, and expending funds. Establishing fiscal controls is one of the major responsibilities of the board of trustees. Suggested controls including monitoring the budget, documenting and filing all processed payments, limit the number of bank accounts, require two signatures on all checks for specified large amounts, require two signatures if the check is written out to one of the signers, divide the process for processing incoming funds so that they are handled by two people, purchase bond insurance, fireproof all filing cabinets and safes, and back-up all electronic files. 4 [Do not us In]

storygirl

Bell, C. R. (1996). Managers as mentors: Building partnerships for learning. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.

A leader successfully influences people. Managers at all levels are in a position to develop strong mentoring relationships within their organization. Mentoring requires the ability to enrich experiences with insight, advice and interpersonal skills. An honest and consistent mentoring experience requires commitment on the part of both parties involved. Grounded in the partnership philosophy, mentoring information in this book offers a basis to build a connection between two people that will benefit them and their company or organization. Mentor self-check tests and variety of brief actual mentoring anecdotes are included. 5

Marv

Kusack, J. M. (2002). Fostering collaborative Learning and group work in libraries. In Library Administration & Management. 16(2), 79-82.

Collaborative work brings diversity and a variety of perspectives into experiences allowing participants to make informed policy-making decisions. Library teams are uniquely positioned to encourage interdisciplinary research and the article focuses on areas where teams may be very influential in making changes: facility improvements; software enhancements; staffing; policy and attitude. Groups can be made up of all staff members or a combination of staff, students, patrons, business people or board members. Coordinated team discussion is a valuable opportunity to explore new ideas and foster creative decision making. 4 [Do not use In]

Marv