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Purpose The purpose of this column is to express a viewpoint about stackable micro-credentials in the library profession.Design/methodology/approach This is an opinion piece.Findings There are no formal research findings.Originality/value This is an original viewpoint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – Evaluating a situation and circumstance to make a decision is an essential managerial skill. Experienced managers can use nudging to influence decisions that subordinate and embed the practice within the institution as a learning organization. Adopting a nudge theory perspective changes the workplace environment, so that individuals make decisions that are helpful to themselves for job satisfaction and professional growth as well as positive for the organization. Research suggests that nudging has positive results that contribute to increased productivity, higher morale and decreased expenses. Design/methodology/approach – This is an opinion piece. Findings – This is an opinion piece. Research limitations/implications – This is not a research article. Practical implications – Administrators can use the recommendations in this column. Social implications – Administrators can use the recommendations in this column. Originality/value – This is an original viewpoint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this column is to explain the importance of succession planning. Departures of retiring employees and colleagues moving to another workplace can have significant consequences on the organization. A well-designed and coordinated succession plan that is integrated with leadership development can enable the library administrator to avoid reliance on a replacement process that is narrowly focused on finding a new version of the departed colleague. Selecting the most qualified and well-prepared candidate for a leadership position is a critical decision because of its paramount impact on current and future activities. The library or information center benefits when transitions and professional development become opportunities to embed succession planning into the organizational culture. Design/methodology/approach – The column is an opinion piece based on literature review. Findings – A well-designed and coordinated succession plan that is integrated with leadership development can enable the library administrator to avoid reliance on a replacement process that is narrowly focused on finding a new version of the departed colleague. Originality/value – This is an original article with perspectives not frequently found in library literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this column is to examine the onboarding process and its importance for new hires. A well-designed and coordinated onboarding process assimilates new employees into the organization and equips them with the tools and resources needed for professional and personal success. Design/methodology/approach -- Recognizing the importance of prudent expenditures within tight budgets, decreasing the time and money for new hires can result in reduced duplication of efforts, accelerating the time to productivity and increasing the satisfaction levels and retention potential among new employees. Findings -- The column highlights five steps that a library administrator can take to design and implement an effective onboarding process. Originality/value -- Original opinion piece. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- Technical services librarians, catalogers and metadata specialists serve as the integral managers of comprehensive integrated systems designed to facilitate the ingestion, annotation, cataloging, storage, retrieval and distribution of organized, discoverable resources. Yet, despite the escalating costs to upgrade integrated library systems, maintain authority control for name and subject heading points of access and create original surrogate records for new library resources, technical services departments did not grow. Design/methodology/approach -- The goal of sharing metadata is to reduce the local cost of its creation with minimal changes. However, research suggests that catalogers and metadata specialists review and authenticate the standards-compliant work of others, thus negating the goal of sharing and increasing the cost of building and maintaining online catalogs and discovery tools. How can a library administrator encourage the acceptance of metadata created at other information organizations and make prudent investments to support technical services functions? Findings -- There are four strategies that administrators can adopt regarding these issues. Research limitations/implications -- All libraries can benefit from considering the four strategies. Practical implications -- First, cultivate a robust community of practice within the information organization. Second, recognize the importance of accepting standards-compliant bibliographic metadata with few modifications. Third, provide opportunities for managers to become skilled at coaching their team members. Fourth, inspire confidence. Social implications -- Librarianship is a profession that an individual enters through graduate education in library and information science. As a new entrant, an individual becomes of a member of the community of practice and assumes personal responsibility for learning and mastering technical skills and competencies through experience, mentoring, professional development and continued actions (or tasks) comprising activities situated in a library or information environment. Originality/value -- This is an original opinion piece. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss that development and recognition of human capital is a shared responsibility reflecting a delicate balance with employees on one side and the organization on the other. Conveying the message that employees matter, are valued contributors and will be rewarded improves morale, builds trust and expands opportunities for growth, through challenging assignments, improving performance and furthering skill development. Design/methodology/approach – The typical organizational structure in a library is made up of three key components: formal reporting relationships, the identification of groupings of individuals into departments or teams and the design of systems that ensures effective communication, coordination and integration of efforts across units. What steps can a library administrator take to reimagine and implement a responsive rewards system? Findings – There are five recommendations for library administrators to develop and implement a rewards system. Originality/value – New thought piece on this topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to share insightful comments about the importance of librarians participating in external grant process. Design/methodology/approach – Opinion and literature review. Findings – Suggested readings listed. Originality/value – Original column. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This is a regular thought-provoking column. Design/methodology/approach – Thoughts with suggested references for more information. Findings – Lots more to learn. Originality/value – New thoughts this quarter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]