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- Description
- Table of Contents
- About the author
- Reviews
Moving into a library management position can feel like a daunting and solitary pursuit. Graduate school courses in management are expensive and often hard to find, and even having a mentor at hand is no guarantee of a successful transition. To help library managers improve their skills and acumen, renowned speaker and trainer Hakala-Ausperk presents a handy self-study guide to the dynamic role of being a boss. Organized in 52 modules, designed to cover a year of weekly sessions but easily adaptable for any pace, this workbook
- Covers major management topics such as success with stakeholders, staffing, customer service, planning, funding, leadership, and more
- Offers an inexpensive alternative to seminars and classroom instruction
- Requires an investment of as little as an hour per week, and is completely self-paced
- Includes challenging questions and exercises, and a Web-based template to record learning progress
Suitable for all levels of management, from first-line supervisors to library directors, this book lays out a clear path to learning the essentials of being a great boss.
Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction
First Month: Attitude
Week One: The Attitude You Display
Week Two: How to Treat Others
Week Three: Instill Confidence
Week Four: Lead, Model, and Motivate
Second Month: Success with Stakeholders
Week One: Your Board
Week Two: Your Community
Week Three: Your Industry Peers
Week Four: Your Staff Leaders
Third Month: Staffing
Week One: Hiring and Firing
Week Two: Evaluating and Developing
Week Three: Scheduling
Week Four: Mentoring and Motivating
Fourth Month: Communication
Week One: Any Way You Can
Week Two: Meetings
Week Three: Writing
Week Four: What Not to Say
Fifth Month: Customer Service
Week One: The People
Week Two: The Place
Week Three: Virtual Service
Week Four: Baby Steps
Sixth Month: Planning
Week One: Why Plan?
Week Two: Basic Foundations
Week Three: Your Library's Style
Week Four: Results
Seventh Month: Friends and Allies
Week One: The Community
Week Two: Your Staff
Week Three: Colleagues
Week Four: Corporate Culture
Eighth Month: Training
Week One: Newcomers
Week Two: Career Development
Week Three: Keeping Sharp
Week Four: The Finish Line
Ninth Month: Funding
Week One: Basic Budgeting
Week Two: The Process
Week Three: Keeping Budgets Real
Week Four: Adding Value
Tenth Month: People
Week One: Ground Rules
Week Two: Policies and Practices
Week Three: Discipline
Week Four: The Art of Negotiating (with Anyone)
Eleventh Month: Leadership
Week One: Leaders Share Their Vision
Week Two: Leaders Make Decisions
Week Three: Leaders Take Action
Week Four: Leaders Know Who They Are
Twelfth Month: Your Future
Week One: Damage Control
Week Two: Habits and Crutches
Week Three: A Strategic Career
Week Four: Back to Attitude
Appendix: Workbook Template
Notes
Bibliography
Index
"For anyone who has ever attended a management seminar that bore little if any relevance to managing in a library, this book, written in a friendly, accessible style and grounded in real-life library experience, is like having your very own management mentor. Recommended for new and veteran library managers alike."
--Booklist
"Any library director, whether experienced or not, will definitely benefit from this book."
--Information Today
"You are essentially writing your own book of every aspect of a boss's job. The process of scheduling time to fill in the worksheets each week and formulating your answers will help you to become the great boss you want to be."
--Journal of Hospital Librarianship
"The methodical lessons are straightforward, with an emphasis on interpersonal skills and relationship-building. Despite their simplicity, these lessons are thought-provoking and include a worksheet and a few reading recommendations at the end of each week ... This professional reference is recommended for any type of library."
--VOYA
"Any library director, whether experienced or not, will definitely benefit from this book. The readings are long enough to contain plenty of good material but brief enough to read fairly quickly."
--Gwen M. Gregory, AllBusiness.com
"The worksheet portion of the workbook is definitely a bonus. The tasks are creative, practical, and developed in a manner that can inform and result in benefits for the library manager and library as a whole ... Ultimately, the workbook is beneficial for a manager at any type of library."
--Serials Review
"This book is an excellent resource ... Not only are the tips and topics succinct, personal, and vital, but the author has also provided exercises and questions in the form of worksheets to record progress and solidify learning."
--Public Services Quarterly