Discusses the development of a management technique that combats the impact of organizational retrenchment and its practical applications within special libraries and as an aid to survival of the parent organization. Five major classes of strategies are outlined--resource development, productivity, economy measures, interorganizational…

Discusses the background and theory of the Critical Success Factors (CSF) management method, as well as its application in an information center or other special library environment. CSF is viewed as a management tool that can enhance the viability of the special library within its parent organization. (FM)

Describes power and its sources, and identifies factors that can contribute to the organizational powerlessness of special librarians: nature of work; contributions difficult to measure; underdeveloped utilization of expertise; removal from circle of management elite; and small staff. This situation can be mitigated by awareness, planning, and…

Reports on interviews with 25 information professionals regarding their experiences in corporate information centers and the value of information to the organization. Topics addressed include (1) knowing the organization; (2) marketing services; (3) financial planning; and (4) being/having a boss. A directory of subjects interviewed is included.…

Discusses several pitfalls that face corporate special librarians, including: defining the library role; management control; decentralization; budgeting; user expectations; purchasing control; organizational propaganda; reporting; clerical staffing; and end-user searching. (five references) (MES)

The Alberta Government Libraries' Council Job Specifications Committee presents an all-inclusive checklist of tasks which might be performed in a special library. Designed as a tool to aid in the development of job descriptions in a library setting, it is organized into three categories: library management, technical services, and public services.…

Describes the benefits and drawbacks of the use of OCLC in the one-person library at the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C. Cataloging functions, interlibrary loan, retrospective catalog conversion, dial access to online databases, and training problems are discussed. (JL)

Examines issues of special library management and the emphases in SLA (Special Libraries Association) continuing education courses dealing with these issues. Five courses taught for SLA are described, including one-day courses on management communications, delegation, and effective supervisory skills, as well as seminars dealing with human…

Distinguishes five main categories of special libraries in Singapore: those of private organizations, foreign governments, government departments, statutory boards, and regional organizations. Statistical data are provided for library holdings, professional staff employment, and subject profiles, and suggestions for improving various aspects of…

Because of the researcher's greater appreciation for library services, it has been generally assumed that special libraries operate more effectively reporting through research than through management. Experiences during the recent wave of industrial retrenchments make re-examination of this assumption appropriate (2 references) (Author)

Discusses two ways that perceptions concerning effectiveness of special libraries and information centers can be changed--change methods used to account for library financially and change provision of services to better meet users' needs. Seven steps for increasing real and perceived value of library to organization are proposed. (11 sources) (EJS)

As technology permeates the special library, new requirements will emerge to integrate staff, equipment, and systems and establish connections between information resources and people. Being library managers in special libraries of tomorrow means mastering fundamentals of cost accounting, strategic planning, technological change, and behavioral…

Planning and moving procedures that facilitated the relocation of a medical center library collection of 30,000 book and journal volumes and 600 audiovisuals are detailed in four areas: space planning, avoidance of service disruptions, library staff morale, and physical handling of materials. An 8-item bibliography is included. (EJS)

Recounts the use of the industrial engineering technique known as "operational audit" to determine the staffing needs of a U.S. Air Force technical library. The methodology and evaluative techniques employed during an operational audit are discussed. Two tables and a reference list accompany the text. (JL)

Archival collections of Edison, Olmsted, Morristown, and Longfellow National Historic Sites offer examples of how documentary collections have been handled in the past, and of ways in which National Park Service is beginning to address cultural resource management issues (arrangement, preservation, cataloging, research use) of archives and…