Honest talk about finance in director recruitment.

Purpose - This paper aims to provide an overview on how important funding is to what can be accomplished by a library director, and how it impacts library management decisions. Design/methodology/approach - Using eight financial areas common to all libraries, the importance of adequate funding is presented in the paper and the consequences of different funding levels are examined. Findings - The paper finds that no matter how innovative or progressive a library director may want to be, libraries that are not on solid financial ground will not remain relevant in the future. A library director needs to know the level of funding, where the funds are coming from, and level of continued support they can expect if they are to manage effectively. Originality/value - Great leadership cannot solve an institution's numerous problems when lack of operating revenue is the heart of the issue. Because of this, discussions about the financial health of a library are important when considering to become a library's new director. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]