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Purpose - This paper seeks to see how libraries measure up to futurists' predictions of libraries of the future. Design/methodology/approach - Compares the ten points in futurist Thomas Frey's paper, "The future of libraries" with the reality of current library services. Findings - By and large, much of what Frey predicts for future libraries is already a reality. Originality/value - Confirms that librarians and libraries are at the forefront of technology and providing information through different media and methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the elements of a library’s daily operations that contribute to the overall experience visitors to the library hopefully enjoy. Beyond the much discussed element of customer service, there are many other factors that either enhance the experience or detract from it. Design/methodology/approach – This paper used the author’s personal experience as an observer of library organizations from his perspective of a consultant and a workshop presenter. Findings – This paper focuses on the importance of ensuring that every aspect of the library operation functions properly to guarantee pleasant experiences for all visitors. Originality/value – The paper helps the library director, the department manager and the staff librarian to better appreciate the importance of being aware of how the visitor perceives the library experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of the paper is to consider the importance of librarians and library budgets, specifically, what a hierarchy of library needs might look like. Design/methodology/approach - The paper adopts a viewpoint approach. Findings - The budget serves other, ongoing purposes, of course, but the very presence of a budget indicates that the vision is important, worth whatever mulch and compost and labor we can devote to it. Originality/value - The paper presents an original viewpoint of budgeting for libraries in "dark times". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - To begin making the library sustainable requires a vision of what will be created and a description of the outcome of the process. This paper aims to address the issue Design/methodology/approach - The paper provides a viewpoint on developing the sustainable library. Findings - Libraries have important roles to play in the unfolding internet saga, from preserving and organizing knowledge to accelerating and designing learning environments. Achieving sustainability is the new imperative, but the process is difficult, not easy. New mindsets, new strategies of collaboration and networking, widespread professional and staff engagement, and measuring and managing progress are all challenges to be met. Practical implications - In these troubled times clear vision and purpose are needed to maintain stakeholder support. Sustainability provides a model for designing appropriate vision, facilities, and services toward that end. Originality/value - The complexities of designing sustainable libraries requires ongoing discussion and exploration. This paper adds insight to the debate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this article is to discuss the need for librarians to be proactively involved in institutional decisions regarding repurposing or annexation of library space. As libraries transition from print to electronic delivery of journals, especially in STM intensive libraries, administration will begin to question the need to retain large runs of bound print journal volumes, especially in light of the ever-present space crunch faced by many institutions. Design/methodology/approach - The paper provides a viewpoint based on the experience of repurposing library space for alternative use. Findings - Librarians must be proactive when addressing library space issues. It is imperative that librarians are actively involved in defining the direction and future of the library rather than waiting for the decision to be made for them by their institution. Originality/value - The paper advocates the need to be proactive rather than reactive in planning for the future use of library space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose — The purpose of paper one of the two-article series exploration of human capital assessment is to examine the strategies by which library administrators can assess and benefit the human capital performance of their library and to lay the groundwork for the discussion of the strategic challenges of assessing and valuing human capital in article two. Design/methodology/approach — This paper uses a literature review to identify potential strategies and metrics for library administrators to assess human capital productivity. Findings — Human capital is an increasingly essential element of organizational performance assessment. Effectively assessing library staff expenditures (which generally receives the largest expenditure allocations within the library's budget) and the resulting performance generated by the staff, who are the primary knowledge tools and providers of the library's services, is an ever increasing possibility to account for greater amounts of tangible and intangible organizational performance. Library administrators have multiple options for developing effective strategies and metrics by which to assess their libraries human capital performance. Originality/value — Developing an effective human capital assessment process as a standard component of the library's performance and budgetary assessment processes would benefit libraries and their administrators by increasing the organizational performance information available for resource allocation decisions regarding library staff development, recruitment, and retention in the larger overall management decision making and planning processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The aim of this paper is to spotlight the numerous ways librarians publish in the electronic environment. Design/methodology/approach - The paper surveys several web sites written by or about librarians or libraries. Findings - The study finds that while librarians still publish in traditional print formats, the narrow scope of many of their topics lend themselves to web-based publishing better. Originality/value - Even when an author's efforts may result in a book, the narrow focus of a topic, coupled with the stagnate nature of a printed work, are barriers to new or updated information. Web-based publications, both in tandem and independent of print, provide a dynamic environment to keep information up-to-date and current. The web also provides an opportunity to publish material that otherwise would not be published. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to point out the importance, value and the economic status of the public information services (PIS), which are in danger and to propose alternative solutions that the Greek Governmental Officials and Public Sector’s Library Managers can employ to support and promote PIS, their staff value and work and to finance their existence/preservation, plans and activities. Another objective of the paper is to increase librarians’ and library staff morale and encourage their participation and play a more proactive role in finding and securing such financial resources that will benefit all (PIS and librarians). Design/methodology/approach – Considering the deep financial crisis in Greece, the paper presents and analyzes a thorough list of strategies, actions, practical recommendations and measures that public sector’s information professionals could apply in their attempt to promote PIS benefits to the society. Through these actions, they can also approach and convince stakeholders, governmental officials for (more) funding and other people to become sponsors and donors. Findings – The article highlights the bad economic status of PIS, the increasing need for financial support and the fact that PIS and their professional appointments are under serious threat. It provides a combination of not only traditional widely known and applied methods but also a number of new measures and practices “borrowed” from private sector to show ways of finding alternative financing solutions to fund the existence of libraries, the paying of their debts and the salaries of librarians and the library staff. Moreover, it is suggested to politicians and policy-makers that important legislative bills/changes should take place to promote the flexibility in operations of PIS and in financial transactions between PIS and private companies. Practical implications – The paper with the analyzed measures can set a paradigm of changing the organizational culture of PIS. Also, it points management practices to managers such as employee engagement, brainstorming and employee empowerment. Furthermore, it explores ways for librarians to find motivation, to engage more actively and even point to Ministers to give Public Servants the opportunity to accelerate their career development. In addition, it implies that changes in the law should take place to form a more flexible frame of operation for PIS. Finally, it provides a practical strategy to reverse attempted mergers of PIS with each other or other public organizations. Social implications – The paper presents such ideas and suggestions, which come against with certain stereotypes of Public Administration/Management and operation, “old school” and conservative ways of thinking and acting of Public Servants (many of whom have never worked in the private sector and have been working in the same position for over 20 years now), professional and trade unions. The role of politicians and policy-makers and the ethos of private companies toward Public Sector’s services in days of financial hardship in Greece are also discussed. Originality/value – There is significantly limited research in the literature on the identification of threats to the existence, job security and constantly diminishing funding of PIS, in general, and, in particular, in Greece and suggested ways to overcome this. The article recommends to Information Professionals and particularly to those who work in PIS in Greece and worldwide various ways to secure income in an environment of tight budgets and cutbacks. The goal is to provoke thinking along the lines of the function of the private sector and adoption of specific practices to find economic resources and secure continuity of PIS “operation and jobs” preservation, even increase their salaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper's purpose is to outline what goes into a well-done library personnel on-site interview. Design/methodology/approach – The paper reviews the need for planning and doing background checks leading up to the onsite interview and then suggests items to consider in both the planning and execution of a well thought-out onsite visit. Findings – The finding is that planning the onsite interview well is essential to knowing which candidate will work out the best in the long run. Practical implications – Hiring the right person through a well-thought out process can save time, trouble and expense for years to come. Social implications – All job seekers should be treated with respect remembering that all have been in that position and could be in that position again in the future. Originality/value – The value of the paper is in hiring the right person the first time using a process that is beneficial to everyone involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to expose the multiplicity of landscapes involved with making and communicating strategic financial decisions for libraries. Design/methodology/approach – This paper presents a general review. Findings – Library leaders must always focus on at least two distinct landscapes by which all financial matters may be approached and communicated. Originality/value – This paper works to bring readers toward the assumption that all financial matters require a minimal two-pronged approach toward landscapes that are commonly presented to be singular in nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This purpose of this paper is to expound on what makes for solid contacts with applicants. Design/methodology/approach – The paper discusses modes of communication, giving advantages and disadvantages for each, and then focuses on what can and should be accomplished through good communication during the search process. Findings – The paper finds that good communication practices with all applicants will both earn their respect and keep the process on track toward hiring the best fit for the position. Originality/value – The value of the paper is in learning how to use communication as a tool in the search process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to describe books as inventory and suggest lessons which can be learned from business. Design/methodology/approach - Discusses inventory theory and how it pertains to libraries. Findings - New books get most of their use in the first two years on the shelf, as a rule. A book that is unused is "dead inventory" from the perspective of this argument. The small public library that "weeds and turns" its holdings will be highly valued by its patrons. An academic library with 90 percent of its holdings sitting idle may be revered by a core of faculty and friends; but it will likely be totally ignored by many of the net generation who read few books or print journals. This high price in idle inventory cannot continue to be borne if libraries are to thrive in a challenging and fast-changing future. Originality/value - The paper offers an alternative view that may help library adminstrators cope with the challenges they face. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to share successful strategies to enable mid-level management academic librarians and archivists to raise major gifts from individual donors. Design/methodology/approach – The paper demonstrates the growing need for fundraising in university libraries and shows how participating in fundraising activities is an increasing expectation of librarians. Case studies are provided of successful fundraising by librarians and archivists, including their work with donors and collaboration with development professionals. The paper concludes with suggestions for maintaining donor relations. Findings – Fundraising is increasing rapidly as an expected activity of librarians but is a slowly growing part of their education. More literature is also needed on the topic. Successful fundraising is dependent on clear definition of fundraising goals, effective communicational and other interpersonal skills, continuing donor follow up and regular collaboration with development staff. Originality/value – Librarians and archivists can apply to their own fundraising needs the experiences narrated in the case studies of two successful major fundraising efforts, utilizing a team-based approach to raising major gifts from individual donors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to reveal particular unique aspects of librarian pay, retention and hiring issues as a means of advocacy for managers searching for new ways to tackle this function of their work. Design/methodology/approach – The paper gives specific salary negotiation suggestions, and also provides strategic team building concerns on which future planning may be made. Findings – It is found that salary information is shared much more often between librarians at other institutions and this sharing leads to many negative and positive effects for future pay structures within organizations. Originality/value – The paper is original in the sense that it is written for librarians and non-librarians alike. It presents the issue with candor as a means of sparking fruitful conversation aimed at stabilizing and increasing librarian pay through joint understanding of the issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper aims to discuss strategies for a new library employee seeking to deal with difficult people at work, when the difficult people are his/her own colleagues. It seeks to provide a description of several types of situations that may arise, and general strategies for dealing with them. Design/methodology/approach – The column is based on the author's substantial experience dealing with personnel matters in academic, public, and special libraries, including hiring for all types of positions. It is personal opinion, based on lengthy experience. Findings – The paper addresses library personnel issues. This particular installment helps new employees of libraries identify various types of issues one may have with "difficult" colleagues, and also provides various strategies and options for addressing these issues. Originality/value – The column is intended to help people to deal with all types of personnel issues overall; this specific column is intended to help librarians deal with the challenges of working with "difficult" colleagues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide the structure needed to create an in-house training program for libraries as a means for improving staff competencies during periods of economic problems. Design/methodology/approach – The paper pulls information from the business environment and gives a human resources perspective on training programs used in companies that also have limited financial means. Findings – The information and structure provided for development of a training program has had proven results. Practical implications – This information will require action on the part of libraries interested in gaining this advantage. Originality/value – These proven methods and steps can increase a library's case when seeking to justify allocation of resources and will add value to the organization as it serves its primary clientele. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The rise of academic librarian professionalism coincided with the consolidation and centralization of university libraries. The resulting consolidation of the materials budget offered a revenue stream exploited by increasingly large publishers. Since publishers will always attempt to maximize their profits, the only way to restrict unlimited access to library funds is through reverting to decentralization. One such method is the creation of modules without overlapping funding. The purpose of this paper is to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – This paper relies on a wide range of academic library economic literature in an attempt to clarify the structural problem of library budgeting as well as to find means to reverse the slide into budgetary collapse. Findings – Professional librarians have over-centralized academic libraries. This has provided publishers in the past with profitable revenue streams that continue to expand even while the library's ability to maintain funding has contracted. Since publishers will not impose limits on maximizing their profits, it is up to the librarian to impose strictures on available funding. Originality/value – This paper argues that there is a causal relation between the rise of increasingly large for-profit publishing and the rise of the centralized big academic library run by library professionals. It proposes the decentralization of academic library budgets as a means to regain fiscal control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – While the great recession may have concluded more than a year ago, the lingering effects of state and local budget contraction and austerity are having a highly negative impact on libraries and librarians. The future for publicly funded libraries as institutions that promote learning, literacy, knowledge creation and entertainment is increasingly doubtful as publicly funded libraries across the country are seeing unprecedented levels of budget cuts. While the immediate cause of such reduced funding seems rooted in budgetary pressures, the reality is that library financial support is traditionally premised upon a publicly held assumption of goodwill for libraries and the societal benefits they represent. In order for libraries to survive the economic downturn and austerity measures put in place by government budgets, they need to rethink the role, purpose and benefits of library marketing in favor of a more sophisticated approach that conveys the unique value of their library and its offering to their specific user population. This paper aims to address this issue. Design/methodology/approach – Informed by the author's extensive experience in marketing information services, the paper discusses the current trends in library marketing, especially those aimed at conveying the value of libraries, and ties them to relevant scholarship in the areas of services marketing and value creation. Findings – Assumed goodwill is inadequate to the task of competing for financial support in a post-recessionary environment where expenditure of public funds is highly scrutinized. In order to survive long term, libraries of all kinds must take on a more sophisticated view of library marketing that focuses on value creation. Eliminating the old model of presumptive value in favor of one that utilizes the marketing process in order to communicate the competitive viability of libraries as place and content providers to their users in the form of targeted benefits that convey value, is critical. Simply put, if libraries hope to receive continued support in today's challenging fiscal climate they must elevate marketing to a critical operational function while focusing that marketing effort upon communicating the library's benefits and value to the users it serves. Practical implications – As a librarian, adjunct professor of marketing and former sales and marketing manager for a large information company, the author relies on his years of experience to convey a more purposeful sense of library marketing that is directed at communicating a library's unique value or worth to its users based upon an understanding of their needs, the benefits to them specifically as well as the competing options available to them in terms of information acquisition. Originality/value – The paper shares specific ideas regarding the purpose, role and benefits of library marketing that are connected to improving perceptions of the worth of libraries and the perception of value to a specific community as a means of engendering future support for them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - Over time, management theory has shaped the structure of libraries. No matter the current view of management by matrix, when it comes to library organizations, there is always going to be a hierarchical structure. The object then is for transparency to be in place, and a recognized sense of fairness and equality. This study aims to address this issue. Design/methodology/approach - The paper reviews the concepts of the literature on management and organization theory, and details the literature on valuing human capital and its recent application to knowledge management work. It then discusses how the literature and its deployment over the years have resulted in the formation of pay policies, and shows the application of Fay Hensen's predictive validity testing to the pay policy line in the field of libraries through the study of the New Jersey Library Association's Guidelines for Minimum Recommended Starting Salaries for Library Staff from the years 2007 and 2008. Findings - By measuring for internal job values at libraries through one or more of the measures discussed here, one can arrive at an analysis of the pay policy of the institution. Using trendline analysis, the paper was able to calculate just what the value, worth or salary of the positions should be in order to have a predictive, orderly, hierarchical representation of salaries within the library organization structure. Originality/value - By measuring for internal consistency in job values at libraries, one can be assured that there are fair demarcations among Positions, and yield consistent expectations which are transparent to employees, who will then know what must be done to advance within the organization. A consistent organizational structure, with clearly delineated jobs and equal compensation lets a library know where it stands and where it needs to go from there. By periodically creating a pay policy line study for the organization, human resources personnel can make executives aware of how they may or may not have strayed from balance in fairness and transparent compensation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - This paper argues that, while one needs to logically decide on an organization's strategy, it does not need to be a product of a lengthy strategic planning process. Design/methodology/approach - The paper discusses and gives examples to illustrate why an institution does not need to go through an intricate strategic planning process. Findings - A laborious process is not needed to plan a library's strategic direction. Practical implications - A library can more efficiently use its money and time to satisfy its customers than by spending them on a drawn-out strategic planning process. Originality/value - Hopefully, this article will motivate librarians to find the proper balance between having no strategy and wasting too much time and money on creating a lengthy strategic plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose This paper aims to deal with recognizing and reacting to an aging workforce and understanding the value that older workers can still represent to an organization.Design/methodology/approach This article references field literature to support the points addressed.Findings Librarians and library workers have knowledge and experience that can provide value to both their organizations as they approach retirement and afterwards as retirees in a variety of ways.Originality/value This article represents the viewpoint of the author produced from his experiences and understandings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to point out that it is likely that if research is to be done about library finances, working librarians will probably have to take the lead. Design/methodology/approach - The paper discusses why librarians should take charge of doing research about library finances. Findings - More research needs to be done to help librarians maximize their resources. Originality/value - The paper is a call for librarians to take action to overcome the dearth of research done about library finances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the advantages of developing a simulation model of the activities of a university library, in order to balance the available resources with demand for services. Meeting the demand is an essential part of managing a modern library. Inadequate levels of resources will result in excessive waiting times for the patrons. Design/methodology/approach – A simulation modeling approach is undertaken and the library activities of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) are simulated. Simulation modeling is an invaluable tool to understand the resource usage patterns and making intelligent budgeting choices. In the epoch of severe budget cuts, available financial resources must be carefully allocated where there is a critical need. Such a simulation modeling of the critical operations of an academic library of a campus upward of 11,000 students is presented in this study. Findings – A simulation model of the arrivals, flow, and usage patterns of library resources by the patrons described in this research, determined that there were four critical resources: the number of reference librarians, the number of checkout assistants, the number of computers, and the number of electronic gadgets. This study illustrates the need for careful analysis of arrival of patrons, resource levels, and resource usage with the objective of developing a resource level decision strategy that will result in an optimal level of resource usage by patrons. Practical implications – With the application of simulation models, it is possible to determine the needs for the limited resources at the library and coordinate the availability of the resources with the needs. Originality/value – Research in the use of simulation models for the determination of the resource levels that are best suited for an anticipated level of patron arrivals in the libraries is limited at best. This research adds value by providing information to fill this dearth of literature. The results of the simulation provided in this study can be used to develop budget priorities and to validate those priorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – In all projections for 2011, ROI has become of the great challenges of social media marketing for the business environment. However in the case of non-profit organizations, there is no need for such calculations. It is not as necessary to know how the effort made in these media compares to the benefits that can be obtained. This paper aims to compare the parameters governing social media ROI at an enterprise level and at the level of non-profit institutions. Additionally, the use of social media tools in a strategic plan and to save costs in the institution is discussed. Design/methodology/approach – Where ROI is defined as a mere indicator of return on investment, it involves the direct costs and revenues of each transaction. Combining the world of social media marketing, which is full of intangibles, with the current crisis makes knowing "real" return one of the greatest current needs. When demanding returns from institutions that have never been analyzed from this standpoint, it is important to understand how a tool like this can be used to justify an entity's visibility, brand improvement and ultimately, an increase in the institution's quality and use by users. Also, it should be taken into account that while in 2010 branding was the primary goal of communication in social media, this year in view of the increasingly endemic crisis, a ROI analysis can help an institution to evidence how the cost savings inherent in using these as opposed to former marketing tools substantiate their use. However, this interest involves a great risk of simplification. Findings – The analysis used to measure ROI can follow these lines: The consumption by previous users can be compared with that of current arrivals on the network. Comparisons can be made between the behavior of a user prior to following the library on social media and after doing so. The extent to which the success of new developments, events etc. has improved after being communicated in social networks can be measured. The influence of brand perception on users' consumption and the extent to which the new media have changed this perception can be measured. Originality/value – Conducting a ROI analysis of a library's social media marketing campaign can help it evaluate various aspects in the library. Social media can be considered as an interesting information dissemination tool requiring only minimal effort which can be used by the library to promote reading and publicize its informational and cultural efforts. Social media can also be used as dynamic, provision of service and marketing resources with a clear reduction in costs compared to other more traditional types of advertising and publicizing. Given that in the management of these tools, it is the contents and ideas that are essential rather than the economic resources available, social media are particularly useful for small and medium libraries as they provide the possibility of increasing the visibility of the institution and improving its service and its users' experience. Opening a new channel of communication with users on the internet is a challenge for libraries that can be optimized with the development of a strategy for the use of social media. The library should make an effort to manage these resources efficiently and obtain the largest possible return on their use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper seeks to discuss the need for transparency in leadership during tough financial times. Design/methodology/approach – This point-of-view is enhanced with related literature references from the business community. Findings – This point-of-view demonstrates the long-term benefits to transparent behavior. Practical implications – The development of leadership skills related to transparency can lead to improved effectiveness as a leader. Originality/value – This article is reflective of the author's personal experiences in providing effective leadership during tough times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to encourage annual dramatic visual change. Design/methodology/approach – The author incorporates principles of retail merchandising and his experience in retail grocery to make the argument for annual dramatic visual change. Findings – A recent reset of the children's collection led to increased circulation, improved staff contact with patrons, and a project narrative to share with elected officials. Originality/value – The paper offers anecdotal evidence from a unique experience as a grocery retail clerk that annual dramatic visual change boosts the library's status in the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide insights into issues encountered in maintaining library technologies on a limited budget and with limited personnel. Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses real world experiences to report on collection development decisions as they relate to electronic resources in an era of shrinking budgets. Findings – The percentage of library budgets allocated for the acquisition of electronic resources has risen steadily in an online era. As state legislatures across the country cut funding, librarians must cut expenditures accordingly. With electronic resources comprising a large segment of overall expenditures, cuts in this area are unavoidable. Originality/value – This paper examines the decision-making process in the context of renewing or canceling underused electronic resources in an era of shrinking library budgets. It takes a humorous approach in suggesting that librarians need to look beyond emotions and base their decisions on facts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - Like most negotiators, librarians often have the best interests of their institution and constituents in mind when haggling with vendors. Although noble, this mindset frequently leads to acrimony, distrust between parties and an unsatisfactory contract or weak relationship. This paper aims to provide exemplars of non-intuitive negotiating strategies that may strengthen bargaining power and relieve adversarial interactions. Design/methodology/approach - The paper elaborates on a six-month contract negotiation with a courier service meant to reduce library-shipping costs. Three basic strategies were used, and they are presented as exceptional methods for enhancing the bargaining environment. Findings - Mitigating expenditures wherever possible, but especially within a weakened economy, is often a priority for libraries. By using elementary and good faith bargaining methods when negotiating with vendors, librarians may not only meet their goals but surpass them. Originality/value - The paper provides readers with three basic negotiating strategies within the framework of an actual contract negotiation. These strategies are discussed as best practices applicable to any contractual bargaining environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - This paper seeks to argue that when managing strategically it is important for leaders to view situations from multiple perspectives. Design/methodology/approach - Discusses and gives examples to illustrate how one can consider situations from different vantage points. Findings - It is helpful for library directors to consider situations from the multiple perspectives, such as from structural, human resource, political, and cultural points of view. Practical implications - This provides concepts to be considered when a leader attempts to move forward a library's priorities. Originality/value - Hopefully, this article will motivate librarians to use different ways to think about how to better manage their libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to describe a library-based hardship fund for librarians in personal financial crisis. Design/methodology/approach - Discusses the proposal for library-based financial support to sustain librarians' memberships to professional organizations and travel expenses for one year. Findings - Libraries supporting professional development should assist librarians achieve this goal in times of personal financial hardship when a crisis may prevent the librarian from carrying on with his/her normal commitments. Originality/value - Although similar plans exist at the university level, none exist at the immediate, personal level of the library. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose — Aims to provide some answers to the question: ‘What does the future look like for libraries?’ Design/methodology/approach — The paper's approach is a review of various initiatives undertaken in the USA. Findings — All the projects show that a positive use of technology is taken. Originality/value —Provides information of value to all those involved with information management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this article is to consider the appeal and impact of internet social networking sites and reflect upon a likely disconnect between libraries and the current web generation. Design/methodology/approach - Makes reference to previous authors' works relating to social bookmarking and portable bookmarks. Findings - Finds that serious academic researchers now utilize social bookmarking software. Originality/value - Is of value to librarians who might consider using social bookmarking tags to reach out to today's net generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this article is to provide information about many different budgeting systems that are used to allocate resources to libraries. Design/methodology/approach - A number of methods of resource allocation are reviewed. The types of budgeting covered are incremental line-item, formula, mathematical, zero-based, program (including planning, programming, and budgeting systems), performance-based, responsibility center, block-incremental, and initiative-based. Findings - There are numerous types of budgeting systems and each of them functions differently. Research limitations/implications - There are many variations of each of these basic types of budgeting systems. As a result, this article reviews the most prominent ones. Practical implications - This is a very useful source of finding out the fundamentals of each of the basic kinds of budgeting systems. In addition, the article gives many references for finding out more about each of these methods. Originality/value - This paper covers the various types of budgeting systems. This allows librarians to better understand the budgeting system they deal with so that they might better work with it to maximize their library's funding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This article aims to consider what libraries might be used for after machines become smarter than humans. Design/methodology/approach – The article considers how Vernor Vinge's novel Across Realtime and his essay "The coming technological singularity" inform possible library futures. Findings – Libraries might become havens for humans left out of the high-tech future, or museums for defunct technologies, or vanish completely. Originality/value – The article expands discussion of the library's future beyond the foreseeable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - To outline the various metadata schemes and digital initiatives undertaken by the library community to preserve material in digital formats. Design/methodology/approach - Surveys a number of library metadata initiatives and digital repositories to illustrate that, even in the ever-changing technological world, preservation is essential. Findings - Digital technology changes at an ever-increasing rate, which makes it difficult to preserve digital information. Nonetheless, if information digitally created today is to be useful in the future, it is important to save it in many ways, and migrate it to modem formats when possible. Originality/value - This review reminds us that preservation is key if we are to ensure that information created now is still accessible in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information about the closure of a public library. Often, when a business closes, it is because business has fallen off and customers no longer want or need what is being sold. When it is a public library that is the subject of a closure, again it is usually because demographics have changed in an urban context, and merely a branch needs to close, or be relocated, or consolidated with another location. Rarely do one find a case where a library is closed solely as a result of a shortage of revenue, but that is exactly what happened recently in Salinas, California. Apparently, facing a 9 million dollars budget shortfall, the library failed to obtain the votes needed to institute. As a result, 33 librarians will be laid off, and three libraries closed indefinitely. The community didn't want the library to close as many users being from lower income families rely heavily on library services. Even the American Library Association adopted a resolution opposing the closure of the libraries.

Purpose - To show that despite libraries' tendencies to focus all their efforts - even in the online environment - on developing tools, resources, and finding aids for their patrons, some have also used the web to develop resources for staff needs. Design/methodology/approach - Surveys a number of library web sites and highlights online resources that have been developed to assist library staff in areas of training, organization, and professional development. Findings - Ranging from online instruction for new staff, listings of library policies and passwords, and resources for staff development, many libraries have begun to use their web sites to provide valuable information for staff too. Originality/value The examples presented in this column can provide guidance for any library beginning to use their web site to provide information resources for their staff. Several types of information are presented showing both the range of information of use to staff and a variety of methods to convey that information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines that breakthroughs in news relating to dinosaurs will affect library collections much like ripples in a pond. Specifically, news releases on dinosaur discoveries in China. The news from China emphasized once more that the science of paleontology is not set in stone--it is merely written there. The first discovery, and arguably the more important of the two for librarians, is that a fossil of an early ancestor of Tyrannosaurus rex shows the existence of protofeathers--precursors to the feathers on modern birds. The new species, named Dilong paradoxus, marks the first time feather-like structures have been directly observed on a tyrannosaurid, and supports earlier predictions by several paleontologists. The second discovery is that of a sleeping dinosaur. From what is described as one of the most complete skeletons discovered, this dinosaur died a peaceful death while curled up with its head tucked under the forearm, similar to how modern birds sleep. These two discoveries are important because they expand our understanding of dinosaur behavior and appearance.

Purpose - Due to the abundance of blog sites, which run a gamut of topics, from personal diaries to hobbies to legal matters and so on, it is desirable to know their relevance to librarianship. Design/methodology/approach - Surveys a number of library blogs and examines the content of each with the goal of determining their value and usefulness to librarianship. Findings - Ranging from the light-hearted to the more serious, library blogs permit a free exchange of ideas on both general and narrowly defined library topics. Posting on blogs fosters a timely exchange of information that traditional publications cannot offer. Originality/value - Blogs redefine how information is shared, accessed, and published and adds a new dimension to how librarians seek and provide information to users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose-The purpose of this study is to find out the prospects and the factors which militate against the smooth operations of the University of Cape Coast satellite libraries. Design/methodology/approach - A well-structured questionnaire was used to solicit data from all the staff of the 31 satellite libraries on the Campus of the University of Cape Coast. To ensure reliable findings, the survey approach was used. The first part of the questionnaire looked at the status of staff of the satellite libraries. The second part dealt with the information resources of the libraries, services provided by the libraries and staff developmental issues, while the last part solicited information on the challenges of these libraries. The quantitative data obtained mainly from the questionnaire were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Findings - Some of the major findings are as follows: staff of the satellite libraries have the opportunity to upgrade themselves academically; the Main Library organised a series of in-service training for the staff of the satellite libraries; majority of the staff of the satellite libraries were non-professional and inadequate; and the majority of the satellite libraries were ill equipped, lack of simple working materials like accession registers and stamps and lack of recognition of library staff by administrators, lecturers and students. Research limitations/implications - The major components of a library are the building, staff and information resources; however, the study was limited to the staff and information resources, but excludes the building in which the libraries were housed. Practical implications - Functional satellite libraries are required to support the activities of the main libraries. Social implications - Satellite libraries are to support the main library to achieve its vision and mission; hence, their ineffectiveness affects the parent institution. Originality/value - Satellite libraries support the main libraries in accomplishing their vision and mission, but it can be noted that much has been written on the main libraries and is it high time the state, management and challenges of satellite libraries were exposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the author's view about providing for library services to library users. He stated that major changes like what the Library of Congress has done affects many of the catalogers since creating for series authority records would be time consuming and problematic especially when it comes to older materials. He would rather encourage that every library would evaluate its process, considered the costs and benefits and has to decide that its effort was worth the expense in order to serve its users. He has also observed that librarians do not bind to strict standards, creating authority records, controlled vocabularies and classification schemes.

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to develop a mathematical model that can be used to forecast the demand for the inter-library loan (ILL) requests. Accurate estimates of demand are valuable for assisting researchers in their research endeavors. Design/methodology/approach – Data were gathered at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga for a period of 48 months from July 2008 to the end of June of 2012. Using these data, a centered moving average with seasonal variation model was formulated for forecasting the demand for the inter-library loan. These forecasts were then compared with the actual values to determine the accuracy of prediction. Findings – Centered moving average with seasonal variation model proved to be a good predictor of the demand for the inter-library loans. The model proved to be a very good forecasting tool as the actual values seem to follow the forecasts very closely. Originality/value – It is very important to be able to forecast the demand for the inter-library loans. Researchers constantly demand material for their research and librarians try to fulfill their demands. If the demand can be forecast with some degree of accuracy, the process can be expedited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]