Competency D
"Apply the fundamental principles of planning, management and marketing/advocacy."
Introduction
“Management is the process whereby a complex task is completed satisfactorily with and through the use of other people and resources” (Strum, 2010). For organizations, including libraries, to run smoothly, good leaders are needed to make appropriate decisions for the organization in relation to meeting the organization’s mission, goals, and objectives and serving its target communities while also being attuned to employees’ needs and concerns and budgetary issues.
Managers require human skills, such as clear communication and respect, in order to train, develop, and motivate staff and create a favorable work environment within the organization. Although there are many different types of management theories and practices, current management practices tend to focus on working with others more so than over them. Evans and Ward (2007) indicate that“[f]rom the mid-1960s to 1980, libraries and archives began shifting away from the director-controlled management approach…to [a h]uman relations management approach” (p. 27). This approach can be best described as a team-oriented style in which there is “democratic administration, participative administration, use of committees, and involvement (or apparent involvement) of staff in decision-making” (Evans & Ward, 2007, p. 27). “[C]ontingency theory holds that there are no universal answers,” and composite approaches draw on a variety of choices for management (Evans & Ward, 2007, p. 30-31). The human relations approach and the more mix-and-match styles lend to more collaborative and adaptable work environments.
Managers also require conceptual skills in order to visualize the organization’s big picture and change as their communities change. In order to monitor change and plan for the future, managers must continuously and systematically seek information from customers and information about the community and evaluate the organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. For libraries facing competition from bookstores, Internet cafes, and online giants like Amazon.com, it is increasingly important to engage in this kind of planning and spend time developing a strategic plan for the library to remain a relevant, vibrant entity. An organization’s strategic plan involves “decisions about its future, ensure[s] that procedures and operational policies are designed to achieve the future, and determine[s] how success is to be measured” (Matthews, 2005, p. 57).
Managers must also work to market their organizations’ offerings to its target communities and to potential donors. Marketing is not simply advertising but another form of planning to bring the right product to the right person at the right place and at the right time. Managers must continuously conduct research to determine customer needs and wants to determine the right price, product, place, and type of promotion.
Evidence
As evidence for meeting competency D, I am submitting assignments from LIBR 204 Information Organizations and Management and LIBR 283 to show my understanding and application of working with people as a manager, strategic planning for a library organization, and marketing library services.
LIBR 204: Philosophy of Management
LIBR 204 is one of the four core courses required of all students completing the Masters in Library and Information Science program from San José State University (SJSU). LIBR 204 focuses exclusively on introducing students to the basic concepts of management. The course description reads, “Identifying distinguishing characteristics, culture and relationships of information organizations. Emphasizes theories examining the interaction between human beings and the organizations in which they work” (SJSU, n.d.). Many students indicated that they did not have a desire to work in administrative positions within libraries, but many librarians do have supervisory roles, whether over volunteers, student workers, or part-time or full-time library assistants. Prior to taking LIBR 204, I had not given much thought to management or management literature from both the library and business worlds. At the end of the term, each student was asked to write a short document on his or her philosophy of management. The writing process allowed me to reflect on the theories and ideas I learned throughout the course and the kind of work environment I would like to instill as a manager. My philosophy of management, which can be found below, is nearly two years old, and while I have become better at delegating tasks as a result of the various group projects I have completed as part of the Masters in Library and Information Science program, much of what I wrote still stands— “I want to be someone who recognizes ‘that people are the most important resource of an organization’” (Evans & Ward, 2007, p. 35).
LIBR 204: Strategic Plan for the Mechanics’ Institute Library
One of the major assignments in LIBR 204 was to write a strategic plan for an organization of our own choice. For this assignment, I worked on a team with three other students. Together, we focused our efforts on the Mechanics’ Institute located in San Francisco, California. The Institute, which has a fee-based library, has a rich history but does not have a written mission statement or vision for the future. For this assignment, my teammates and I developed a strategic plan for the Institute that includes a history of the organization and a current description; an analysis of its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats; and three possible directions that the Institute could take to improve as an organization, such as the inclusion of an employee recognition program, better marketing, and creating programs or events that would appeal to young people. From these directions, we selected to write a strategic plan for attracting young adults to the Mechanics’ Institute over a five year period. The plan includes objectives, goals, and planned actions.
LIBR 283: Identifying the Product Mix and Marketing Services Exercise
As part of my coursework, I took two classes that focused exclusively on marketing library organizations and services, including LIBR 282 Seminar in Library Management, which focused on grant writing, and LIBR 283 Marketing of Information Products and Services. While LIBR 282 focused on how to market one’s organization and grant proposal to potential grant funders, LIBR 283 focused more on marketing library products and services to library users. In one unit of LIBR 283, I learned about several challenges library managers face in marketing library services. Services, rather than products, are intangible, inseparable from the producer, variable in characteristics, perishable, and “dependent on the involvement of the customers in its production” (Andreasen and Kotler, 2003, p. 317). A shorter assignment I completed for the course required each student to choose a library and list the types of products and services available, and from one of the services listed, comment on how a manager might try to overcome the five challenges listed by Andreasen and Kotler to effectively market the service. For the assignment, I chose my current employer, the Stanislaus County Library, and focused on the children’s department at the main branch library. I indicated several product lines offered by the children’s department, including books, CDs, DVDs, events/programs, services, and the department as a “place.” I also discussed how I would overcome the challenges in marketing the Spanish and bilingual story time, which is a service that is underutilized at the library.
References
Andreasen, A.R., & Kotler, P. (2003). Strategic marketing for nonprofit organizations (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River,
NJ: Prentice Hall.
Evans, G.E., & Ward, P.L. (2007). Management basics for information professionals (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Neal-
Schuman.
Matthews, J.R. (2005). Strategic planning and management for library managers. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.
SJSU SLIS. (n.d.). Course descriptions. Retrieved from http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/classes/coursedesc.htm
Strum, L. (2010). Lecture 1_managers and their roles [PowerPoint slides].
“Management is the process whereby a complex task is completed satisfactorily with and through the use of other people and resources” (Strum, 2010). For organizations, including libraries, to run smoothly, good leaders are needed to make appropriate decisions for the organization in relation to meeting the organization’s mission, goals, and objectives and serving its target communities while also being attuned to employees’ needs and concerns and budgetary issues.
Managers require human skills, such as clear communication and respect, in order to train, develop, and motivate staff and create a favorable work environment within the organization. Although there are many different types of management theories and practices, current management practices tend to focus on working with others more so than over them. Evans and Ward (2007) indicate that“[f]rom the mid-1960s to 1980, libraries and archives began shifting away from the director-controlled management approach…to [a h]uman relations management approach” (p. 27). This approach can be best described as a team-oriented style in which there is “democratic administration, participative administration, use of committees, and involvement (or apparent involvement) of staff in decision-making” (Evans & Ward, 2007, p. 27). “[C]ontingency theory holds that there are no universal answers,” and composite approaches draw on a variety of choices for management (Evans & Ward, 2007, p. 30-31). The human relations approach and the more mix-and-match styles lend to more collaborative and adaptable work environments.
Managers also require conceptual skills in order to visualize the organization’s big picture and change as their communities change. In order to monitor change and plan for the future, managers must continuously and systematically seek information from customers and information about the community and evaluate the organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. For libraries facing competition from bookstores, Internet cafes, and online giants like Amazon.com, it is increasingly important to engage in this kind of planning and spend time developing a strategic plan for the library to remain a relevant, vibrant entity. An organization’s strategic plan involves “decisions about its future, ensure[s] that procedures and operational policies are designed to achieve the future, and determine[s] how success is to be measured” (Matthews, 2005, p. 57).
Managers must also work to market their organizations’ offerings to its target communities and to potential donors. Marketing is not simply advertising but another form of planning to bring the right product to the right person at the right place and at the right time. Managers must continuously conduct research to determine customer needs and wants to determine the right price, product, place, and type of promotion.
Evidence
As evidence for meeting competency D, I am submitting assignments from LIBR 204 Information Organizations and Management and LIBR 283 to show my understanding and application of working with people as a manager, strategic planning for a library organization, and marketing library services.
LIBR 204: Philosophy of Management
LIBR 204 is one of the four core courses required of all students completing the Masters in Library and Information Science program from San José State University (SJSU). LIBR 204 focuses exclusively on introducing students to the basic concepts of management. The course description reads, “Identifying distinguishing characteristics, culture and relationships of information organizations. Emphasizes theories examining the interaction between human beings and the organizations in which they work” (SJSU, n.d.). Many students indicated that they did not have a desire to work in administrative positions within libraries, but many librarians do have supervisory roles, whether over volunteers, student workers, or part-time or full-time library assistants. Prior to taking LIBR 204, I had not given much thought to management or management literature from both the library and business worlds. At the end of the term, each student was asked to write a short document on his or her philosophy of management. The writing process allowed me to reflect on the theories and ideas I learned throughout the course and the kind of work environment I would like to instill as a manager. My philosophy of management, which can be found below, is nearly two years old, and while I have become better at delegating tasks as a result of the various group projects I have completed as part of the Masters in Library and Information Science program, much of what I wrote still stands— “I want to be someone who recognizes ‘that people are the most important resource of an organization’” (Evans & Ward, 2007, p. 35).
LIBR 204: Strategic Plan for the Mechanics’ Institute Library
One of the major assignments in LIBR 204 was to write a strategic plan for an organization of our own choice. For this assignment, I worked on a team with three other students. Together, we focused our efforts on the Mechanics’ Institute located in San Francisco, California. The Institute, which has a fee-based library, has a rich history but does not have a written mission statement or vision for the future. For this assignment, my teammates and I developed a strategic plan for the Institute that includes a history of the organization and a current description; an analysis of its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats; and three possible directions that the Institute could take to improve as an organization, such as the inclusion of an employee recognition program, better marketing, and creating programs or events that would appeal to young people. From these directions, we selected to write a strategic plan for attracting young adults to the Mechanics’ Institute over a five year period. The plan includes objectives, goals, and planned actions.
LIBR 283: Identifying the Product Mix and Marketing Services Exercise
As part of my coursework, I took two classes that focused exclusively on marketing library organizations and services, including LIBR 282 Seminar in Library Management, which focused on grant writing, and LIBR 283 Marketing of Information Products and Services. While LIBR 282 focused on how to market one’s organization and grant proposal to potential grant funders, LIBR 283 focused more on marketing library products and services to library users. In one unit of LIBR 283, I learned about several challenges library managers face in marketing library services. Services, rather than products, are intangible, inseparable from the producer, variable in characteristics, perishable, and “dependent on the involvement of the customers in its production” (Andreasen and Kotler, 2003, p. 317). A shorter assignment I completed for the course required each student to choose a library and list the types of products and services available, and from one of the services listed, comment on how a manager might try to overcome the five challenges listed by Andreasen and Kotler to effectively market the service. For the assignment, I chose my current employer, the Stanislaus County Library, and focused on the children’s department at the main branch library. I indicated several product lines offered by the children’s department, including books, CDs, DVDs, events/programs, services, and the department as a “place.” I also discussed how I would overcome the challenges in marketing the Spanish and bilingual story time, which is a service that is underutilized at the library.
References
Andreasen, A.R., & Kotler, P. (2003). Strategic marketing for nonprofit organizations (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River,
NJ: Prentice Hall.
Evans, G.E., & Ward, P.L. (2007). Management basics for information professionals (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Neal-
Schuman.
Matthews, J.R. (2005). Strategic planning and management for library managers. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.
SJSU SLIS. (n.d.). Course descriptions. Retrieved from http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/classes/coursedesc.htm
Strum, L. (2010). Lecture 1_managers and their roles [PowerPoint slides].
Files
Below are the files to my pieces of evidence.
LIBR_204_philosophy_of_management.pdf | |
File Size: | 78 kb |
File Type: |
LIBR_204_strategic_plan_for_mechanics_institute.pdf | |
File Size: | 240 kb |
File Type: |
LIBR_283_product_mix_and_marketing_a_service.pdf | |
File Size: | 144 kb |
File Type: |