Guide to Library and Information Agency Management

by Charles Curran, Lewis Miller

This guide identifies major concerns and involves interested parties in thoughtful consideration and discussion of challenges and opportunities embedded in managerial and administrative practice. By talking about the management of information places and with managers and mangers-to-be, authors Curran and Miller provide a more thorough and realistic outlook on the managerial experience. The authors assert that:

· Information agencies of all stripes share a common purpose
· The act of deciding is the primary administrative/managerial responsibility
· Knowledge Management must replace mere acquisition, storage and dissemination
· The budget process is every bit as important as the budget document
· Interpersonal issues dominate
· Meetings soak up time

Tackling many issues that other management books won't touch (e.g. sex in the office place, cliques, emphasis on political behavior, specific mistakes that cripple managers, and managing contradictions and paradoxes), this book is an excellent resource for all administrators.

368 pages, Paperback

First published October 28, 2005

Reviews

[Ellen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Years ago, I had the author of this book as a professor for a library management course. He assigned his own book, which wasn't allowed at the time, but he went through with anyway. He must have loved the sound of his own writing voice, because we had to report each week on the chapters in his book, which were sadly written by someone who had never worked in, or probably even set foot in, a library before. If he had, it was probably back in the 1970s, and it certainly wasn't as a manager. He actually had us spend valuable time in class watching Gung Ho!, a terrible movie starring Michael Keaton, because it featured Japanese management style. He was by far the worst professor I've ever had, and it's a shame I had to waste money on that class.

Alas, this isn't a review of him, because I wouldn't even throw one star up on that. This is a review of his repetitive, poorly researched, and incredibly generic book on "library" management. I've been a manager in libraries for 8 years now, and have worked in them for 13 years, and have never, ever, put a lame word he wrote into practice.

[Heri Susanto]

sir/madam, i am sorry. i need your help to my reserach. i will conduct research about community language learning so that i need this book to support theory.. thank you

[Susie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm taking a management class this term (required for my degree) and this is the book we have to read.

Real question from this book:
"Despite your warnings, cousel and imposed penalties, Chris is continually tardy...how might you employ Maslovian principles to address this problem?"

I realize this class and book are all about learning management theories, but I can't help but want to raise my hand in class and bring up some of the reality of dealing with people - Maybe Chris has dreams of doing something other than this job? Maybe Chris started this job as a way to pay the bills until he could achieve those dreams but as the years have passed he's come to the dark realization that this job has now become his career? And maybe there's nothing Maslow can suggest that's going to make getting out of bed in the morning and dragging himself into the constant reminder of that any easier or more timely?

Okay, maybe I'll learn something from this class/book. Or maybe I just shouldn't be in management ever again.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

For school, for my Intro. to the Management of Libraries course that I took with Dr. Curran.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Textbook for my Management of Libraries, Information and Media Centers class with Dr. Curran. One of the better textbooks for my classes, had some really good points in so I'll probably keep it.