Guide to Library and Information Agency Management

Citation

Smith, K. (2008), "Guide to Library and Information Agency Management", Library Management, Vol. 29 No. 8/9, pp. 790-791. https://doi.org/10.1108/01435120810917396

This book contains old wine in new bottles. The foreword claims it is an interpretation of research into practice though the research basis of the “guide” is either through extensive research of the literature or cleverly disguised. Yet it does drawn on some wisdom from management writings and practice.

Interestingly, and unlike another book from the same publishers by Pugh, its approach is based on what librarians would recognise as characteristics of libraries and their management from the library point‐of‐view: the origin, dissemination, acquisition, properties, classification, organization, storage, retrieval and interpretation of information. The introduction contains a useful summary of how different types of libraries might go about these activities.

The authors' subsequent approach offers considerable advice and information for managerial conduct. Issues covered include communicating with and among others, leading and managing, managing staff, behaving politically, managing the budget, learning from experience, learning from management history, experiencing the external environment, managing mistakes and managing the paradoxes. Managing information in the context of information policy and knowledge management also rate a mention as does “Managing issues you will not see in other management texts”.

This book is different. It is addressed to the manager and managers who read it will find familiar situations described. But are there any answers? Yes, but these are couched in the mores and morals of the authors and some might seem a little unrealistic. Take, for example, behaving politically. We are advised that while political behaviour is a vital part of organizational structure there are certain aspects of it which, when used inappropriately, are not. These include creating and maintaining a favourable image, developing power coalitions, associating with influential persons, and creating obligations and reciprocity. So where do we draw the line? This is a matter for each manager to decide given the circumstances and context under which s/he is operating. We are told that those who develop inappropriate use of these characteristics disguise them well and often get away with the behaviour for some time. From my own experience: such is life. And normally managers (and all people for that matter) who exhibit such behaviour(s) rarely know how to operate differently. More importantly, in my view is advice to staff on avoidance and coping strategies when these situations arise.

There are useful practical and realistic problems for the reader to work through in their own “managerial” way and these are a strength of the title. It is a “guide” and as its authors state: “it is good to have a guidebook handy” (p. xi) to deal with the daily contradictions in managing today's library.