Competency D

Apply the fundamental principles of planning, management and marketing/advocacy

Libraries are not businesses in the typical sense of product and profit, but they are still managed with many of the same principals. A library's "product" is information, and its "profit" is usage. The funding may come from the government, but traffic and usage statistics can have a direct impact on how much funding gets approved. Making the most of a limited budget in a way that maximizes usage requires both good planning and management.

Planning

Planning is an attempt to organize and manage the future. It is about analyzing what is currently known and applying this to assumptions made about the future. Plans should be developed for all aspects of library operations, including budgeting, staffing, technology, and organizational structures. The long-term goals can keep managers and employees from reacting to situations on a case-by-case basis, and provide consistency. A plan should be flexible, to be able to accommodate unforeseen changes and new information.

One form planning can take is a strategic plan. This is usually a master plan that is projected several years out, which touches on every major aspect of operations, such as budget allotment, collection growth, and programs. The creation of a strategic plan is usually a major undertaking, and only done every few years, but planning is done on a smaller scale every day. Whether it is written down or not, a plan is made before every event and before each order, and to coordinate day-to-day activities.

Management

Management is the art of directing and facilitating the work of others. It is the manager's job to keep the library running smoothly. Instead of worrying about sales figures, as with a business, the manager of a library deals with services and a fixed budget. The basic duties, however, are mostly the same. These include planning and organizing, staffing, directing, and budgeting.

Ideally, there would be one central authority, and employees would take direction from only that one person. In practice, there is a chain of command that can go from the director, to the branch managers, to the assistant managers, and on down. Problems can arise when there are unresolved differences of opinion in the chain, and employees get conflicting directions. Part of the manager's job is to keep this from happening.

Marketing

The purpose of a library is to serve the community. All communities are unique, and being able to tailor its services and direct its outreach, as well as being able to determine the wants, needs, and perceptions of the market, can help make a library successful.

What makes libraries and other non-profit organizations different from most businesses is the lack of a tangible product. Instead of getting customers to purchase an item, libraries have to get the community to make use of their services. The "cost" to the patron and the "profit" for the library are less tangible, but still important. Marketing is used to convince the patron that the product, information or entertainment, will be worth the cost, which is time and effort.

Because communities are not homogenous, libraries might need to employ several different marketing strategies. In the business world this is called differential marketing, but it applies to libraries and other non-profits as well. Different groups tend to use different aspects of the library. Tailoring promotions to emphasize to each group the services and programs they're likely to use can save time and money, and also has a greater chance of success.

The first piece of evidence is the public version of the strategic plan I did for my class on information organizations and management. Unfortunately I couldn't locate the full strategic plan I did for this class, but this public version provides a summary of sorts. It touches on the initiatives and goals planned for the next five years, as well as stating the (fictional) library's mission and vision.

The second piece of evidence is a hypothetical memo to a subordinate that I did for the same class. The assignment was to take the role of a supervisor or manager, and address a behavior or issue that would require disciplinary action. The issue I chose was habitual tardiness. This illustrates the sort of problem that a manger would have to deal with in order to keep a library running smoothly.

Reference:

Evans, G., Ward, P., & Rugaas, B. (2000). Management Basics for Information Professionals. New York, NY: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc.