Strategic Management for Today’s Libraries

Citation

Odini, C. (2000), "Strategic Management for Today’s Libraries", Library Management, Vol. 21 No. 9, pp. 501-508. https://doi.org/10.1108/lm.2000.21.9.501.3

The book gives a good introduction to strategic management. It stresses the fact that organisations have always needed both strategic and tactical management. Today the emphasis has shifted from tactical to strategic management because the environment itself has shifted and continues to shift even faster with less predictability.

The author asserts that strategic management arms librarians with the ability to work proactively with external changes to achieve the library’s mission. The different forces affecting libraries are outlined and external factors such as political context, innovation, economic issues, the impact of technology and intellectual freedom are explained.

The author observes, for example, that, whether we enjoy politics or not, it conditions our environment and that an understanding of power relationships is useful and sometimes critical in moving an institution forward. Although politics is not the only thing, it is one of the most important.

The third part of the book discusses the concept of innovation and highlights the means of managing it. Innovation is defined as the process whereby an “institution interacts with its environment and in doing so changes internally”. The following five rules for innovation are presented:

1. 1.

   (1) Developing a shared vision.

2. 2.

   (2) Communicating.

3. 3.

   (3) Empowering employees to make a difference.

4. 4.

   (4) Taking limited risks.

5. 5.

   (5) Using technology without necessarily inventing it.

The fourth part of the book deals with economic issues, especially user fees. It is noted that use of user fees to finance select services will lead neither to the salvation of the public library nor to its demise. Public pricing is an economically viable, socially sound way to expand some services and improve others.

The fifth section of the book discusses the impact of technology. The interaction of print and electronic information is examined. Mason observes that books continue to have an important place in the minds, hearts, homes, and libraries of the world. Nevertheless, use of the latest technology to further educate and inform citizens will be of benefit to many countries – socially, politically, and even economically.

Questions are raised in the next section of the book in the areas of illiteracy, what libraries can do to solve the problem and interesting observations are made.

Mason discusses a global role for libraries and observes that the world is now engaged in developing technological superhighways that will link institutions, cities and nations. By networking regionally, nationally and internationally, public libraries can provide their local users with the information they need for work, and to satisfy their personal desire to know more.

Portraits of five US women librarians are given in the ninth section of the book with reference to personal style. The author concludes from her interviews with the women librarians that successful women are intelligent, articulate and professionally aggressive. Women who achieve have strength and confidence in themselves. They know who they are and they know they are women. But they do not confuse femaleness with softness and are willing to assert themselves and their abilities.

The author explains how librarians can transform external forces into positive outcomes. She maintains strategic management can spell the difference between a positive role for libraries in their communities and a library unable to keep up with the forces affecting it. Useful advice is provided on the measurement of success.

The book’s 140 pages are well worth the price. It is packed with information on strategic management for libraries, especially public ones. It has got a comprehensive and easy to use index, which is particularly useful for those who wish to dip into the book rather than read it from cover to cover. Public library managers are particularly encouraged to read this important book.