Discussion of performance evaluations for administrators focuses on evaluations for library directors. The frequency of evaluations is discussed; reasons to evaluate are described, including identifying areas where improvement is needed and to assist in personal and professional development; evaluation committees are explained; and suggestions for…

Professional librarians working in public libraries are generally evaluated in a number of ways, including standardized forms. By collecting and studying these forms, it was proposed that certain management traits and behaviors could be identified and compared. A total of 115 libraries serving municipalities with populations of more than 50,000…

A subordinate evaluation instrument was used to identify factors that employees of Dayton-Montgomery County (OH) Public Library value in their supervisors. Results suggest that subordinates place considerable value on supervisors as role models and expect supervisors to treat them with respect and to encourage their opinions. Implications of these…

This manual provides librarians and library managers with a performance appraisal system that measures staff fairly and objectively and links performance to the goals of the library. The following topics are addressed: (1) identifying expectations for quality service or standards of performance; (2) the importance of a library's code of service,…

Types of performance evaluation for academic librarians are discussed, noting strengths and weaknesses--formats, relative ranking system, dimensionalized ranking system, management by objectives, and degree of participation. Use of appraisal program to aid library administration in monitoring ongoing activity, planning ahead, and motivating…

Effective management and the importance of feedback in relation to improvement are becoming critical issues for libraries. Upward appraisal evaluates managers' performance based on input from their staff, rather than the traditional top-down evaluation format in which a manager is evaluated solely by their superior. This paper discusses the…

Intended for use by library managers, this self-study guide provides an introduction to performance appraisal as an effective tool in human resource management, and a review of the extensive management literature on performance appraisal. Topics discussed include: (1) the functions of performance appraisal, which include the provision of…

Discussion of thinking styles in library tasks focuses on a study at Brigham Young University that explored the relationship between thinking styles and library organization. Use of the Squires Thinking Styles Test is described, results that indicate professional librarians tend to be verbally oriented are discussed, and future prospects are…

Describes a performance management approach to library personnel management that stresses communication, clarification of goals, and reinforcement of new practices and behaviors. Each phase of the evaluation process (preparation, rating, administrative review, appraisal interview, and follow-up) and special evaluations to be used in cases of…

Describes the design, implementation, and practice of a personnel evaluation method (performance appraisal) at the Cambridgeshire Libraries. Findings reported include staff attitudes and perceptions of the method, and the overall effectiveness of the evaluation scheme. Various theoretical models of appraisal and practical applications in…

This workbook explains how to define what various constituents connected with a public library want it to do and what doing these things well means in qualitative terms. The book aims to define effectiveness for the public library and to provide guidelines for assessing the library's effectiveness and communicating this to stakeholders. The eight…

This Systems and Procedures Exchange Center (SPEC) kit reports results of a survey of 64 Association of Research Libraries (ARL) institutions conducted in the fall of 1990 to gather information on the performance appraisal of collection development librarians. Data are reported on the frequency of the performance review cycle, reporting…

W. Edwards Deming condemned performance evaluations as a deadly disease afflicting American management. He argued that performance evaluations nourish fear, encourage short-term thinking, stifle teamwork, and are no better than lotteries. This article examines library literature from Deming's perspective. Although that literature accepts…

Describes the development of a model for competency at Rutgers University-Camden's library that can be used in the hiring process as a tool to evaluate job candidates for technical services positions. Interview experiences using the model, both with current employees and with prospective candidates, are discussed. (five references) (LRW)

Describes the methods and objectives of assessment centers, and the benefits to academic libraries that participate in such programs. The discussion covers the usefulness of this process in collective bargaining situations, cost effectiveness, and guidelines for developing an assessment center. (33 notes with references) (CLB)