Throughout the history of public libraries in the United States, great accomplishments have been achieved through the active participation of local community members. This handbook from the Texas State Library and Archives Commission is addressed to those citizens who attain appointments to their city or county library advisory boards. Its…

Offers practical advice to new library committee chairs on when to call meetings and how to prepare for, conduct, and evaluate them. Discusses the quality of committee leadership in terms of coaching, communicating, and troubleshooting skills. (Author/AEF)

This volume of the "Advances in Library Administration and Organization" offers 11 perspectives to practitioners trying to make sense of the issues that must daily be confronted by library administrators in an environment of ongoing change. This 20th volume includes: "Choice, Responsibility and Work: Rhetoric in a University Library…

This paper presents a brief history of the management of the University of Maryland at College Park (UMCP) Libraries. An Introduction addresses these questions: Why tell a history of the management of the Libraries? Why a history right now? What is the recommended methodology for creating a history of the management of a library? The paper…

Since 1989, the Reference and User Services Association/Management and Operation of User Services Section's Management of Reference Committee has successfully used case studies to foster structured discussions among public service librarians on a wide variety of issues relating to managing change in reference services. The information offered in…

This book offers practical advice to school library media specialists for developing and improving leadership skills. It is asserted that societal crises like illiteracy, poverty, alienation, and socioeconomic divisions make librarians "ecologists" of the mind. Librarians ensure equitable access to others' insights into life's concerns, and…

The public library board of trustees is an example of the great democratic tradition of giving authority for the operation of public agencies to members of the general public. The public library board is legally responsible for overseeing the efficient and effective operation of the public library. The board hires the library's administrator,…

In order to meet today's financial challenges, libraries must be ready, willing, and able to enter the arena of politics and compete for scarce public funding. This book offers librarians, library workers, trustees, and friends' organizations practical advice, case studies, and step-by-step guidance for evaluating the existing local political…