By Strategic Management for Public Libraries: A Handbook (Libraries Unlimited Library Management Collection)

Drawing on Hayes's previous work in Strategic Management for Academic Libraries, this professional reference addresses the unique circumstances and needs of public libraries and provides thorough guidance on how to manage change successfully in the community library environment. The volume provides a conceptual framework for strategic management, identifies its major concerns and relationships to the tactical and operational management of public libraries, discusses the particular problems and needs of community libraries, and details the assessment of the library's strategic position. The final section of the book offers extensive practical information for formulating and implementing strategic management in the public library setting. Public libraries must operate in a time of increasing change, both within the library community and throughout the larger social and economic environments in which the library must function. All community libraries, regardless of size, must prepare for the strategic changes that are occurring, such as the National Information Infrastructure and the onrush of electronic information. Planning for change is not enough. Change must be managed strategically, through the library's recognition of its needs and objectives in relationship to the shifting contexts in which it must operate. This professional reference is a comprehensive guide to the strategic management of change in community libraries. Drawing on Hayes's work in Strategic Management for Academic Libraries, this volume addresses the unique circumstances and needs of public libraries and provides thorough guidance on how to manage change successfully in the community library environment. The volume provides a conceptual framework for strategic management, identifies its major concerns and relationships to the tactical and operational management of public libraries, discusses the particular problems and needs of community libraries, and details the assessment of the library's strategic position. The final section of the book offers extensive practical information for formulating and implementing strategic management in the public library setting. Review ?I recommend this book highly. It presents a managerial process with which anyone who develops or manages collections is going to have to come to terms.?-Collection Management ?The authors provide a conceptual framework for the use of strategic planning to manage change.?-American Libraries ?The role of librares in the information economies is the focus here, stressing strategic management rather than strategic planning. Strategic management is defined as the emphasis of an organization on relationships with external environments and an orientation toward long-range institutional goals. The ideas here deal with community problems and needs, users and their needs, the external environmental pressures on a library, and techniques for assessing strategic position, future position, library operational costs and services, and community information economies...the ideas presented are a welcome addition to public librarianship...?-Library Journal ?The strength of Strategic Management for Public Libraries is its focus on broad issues and methodologies. This title and its companion academic volume have a niche in the library literature as source monographs on strategic management.?-Technical Services Quarterly "I recommend this book highly. It presents a managerial process with which anyone who develops or manages collections is going to have to come to terms."-Collection Management "The authors provide a conceptual framework for the use of strategic planning to manage change."-American Libraries "The strength of Strategic Management for Public Libraries is its focus on broad issues and methodologies. This title and its companion academic volume have a niche in the library literature as source monographs on strategic management."-Technical Services Quarterly "The ro