University of Maryland
College of Information Studies
Achieving Organizational Excellence
LBSC 631 ML 01
Course Syllabus
Fall 2014
Dr. Bruce W. Dearstyne
bdearsty@umd.edu
Introduction
Welcome to LBSC 631, Achieving Organizational Excellence! This course is designed to
provide an introduction to the principles, practices and techniques of leadership and management
as they apply to information-based cultural institutions
This course is offered entirely online via the University’s Enterprise Learning Management
System (ELMS), asynchronously. There are no classroom meetings. ELMS is based on the
Canvas electronic system. It is very user-friendly! Teaching and learning in ELMS will be a
rich and rewarding experience. It gives us the ability for online discussions, described below.
Before you begin, if you’re not familiar with ELMS, you might check the website of University
of Maryland Office of Technology/Academic Support: http://otal.umd.edu/elms-services
If you have problems with ELMS, please call 301-405-1400, Monday through Friday, 8:00 A.M.
through 5:00 P.M. or e-mail: elms-support@umd.edu. If you have other questions or problems,
please let me know.
Please read the entire syllabus at the beginning of the course. It provides a roadmap for how the
course is organized and how it will proceed.
Please also access the course web site and become familiar with the material under each heading.
Academic Integrity. The University of Maryland’s Code of Academic Integrity sets standards
for academic integrity for all undergraduate and graduate students. The Code prohibits students
from cheating on exams, plagiarizing, submitting fraudulent documents, forging signatures,
submitting the same paper for credit in two courses without authorization, and buying papers. It
is very important for you to be aware of the consequences of academic dishonesty. Instances of
any suspected academic dishonesty will be reported and handled according to University policy
and procedures. For more information on the Code, visit http://www.shc.umd.edu.
Plagiarism is of particular concern in the networked digital environment. Students must write
their essays and assignments in their own words. Whenever students take an idea or a passage of
text from another author, they must acknowledge their source both by using quotation marks
where appropriate and by proper referencing using footnotes or in-text citations. For further
information about proper citation of sources, consult the UMD Libraries website at
http://www.lib.umd.edu/guides/honesy.html
and
http://www.lib.umd.edu/PUBSERV/citations/index.html
Deadlines. Please note that all assignments must be completed on time. If there are extenuating
circumstances, such as illness or some other unexpected event, please contact me and we will
work something out.
Contacting the professor. If you have any questions during the course, please contact me via
my e-mail on the course web site.
Submitting assignments. Please submit all assignments using the assignments tool in ELMS.
Please submit in Word if possible. PDF is also OK.
Getting started. We would like to get to know you! Please begin by writing a short minibiography (one page or less) with information that you are willing to share with your colleagues
in class, e.g., your name, current position, career goals, subject area interests, management issues
and challenges that most interest you, and any other information you would like to include. This
will help me and your colleagues in class get to know you. Please post to the Class Bio Forum
by September 6.
Discussion Board Forums
I will use the Announcements tool and e-mail to disseminate information to the class, including
information about the course schedule, syllabus or assignments.
We will use three online discussion forums in the course – two for assignments and two just for
information sharing.
1. Weekly Discussion Forums. For most of the units, there is a weekly discussion topic
related to the theme of the week. Please participate in five of these, your choice. These
are discussed below.
2. Class Bio Forum. As noted above, please begin by writing a short mini-biography with
information that you are willing to share with your colleagues in class. Please post by
September 6.
3. Management Issues Discussion Forum. This is an informal forum. Please feel free to
use it to discuss topics related to leadership, management, or administration of
information programs, or other related topics in management that are of interest to you.
Readings
Please note that there is a good deal of choice in what you read for the course. You can select
based on your interests and needs.
Books. Three books are required for the course. Copies are available at the bookstore or you may
order via Amazon or in any other way you wish.
Cheryl Bryan, Managing Facilities for Results. Chicago: American Library Association,
2007
John T. Burke, The Neal-Schuman Library Technology Companion. 4th edition. Chicago:
American Library Association, 2013
Bruce W. Dearstyne, Managing Records and Information Programs: Principles,
Techniques and Tools. Lenexa, KS: ARMA International 2009. This is the central text for
the course, written specifically for information professionals in information programs.
Articles. Articles are available online and can be accessed via the University Library's research
port. You can select databases by subject or name. These databases may be particularly helpful:
Quick Search, Article First, Academic Search Premier, Business Source Complete, Emerald,
Google Scholar, JSTOR, and Library and Information Science Source. If you have any
problems, contact the Library (a good place to start is their Ask Us! page:
http://www.lib.umd.edu/help.html), or let me know.
Some of these articles have long sections on research methodology near the beginning. Often
you can skim this to save time, and concentrate on the findings and conclusions.
There are a few additional optional book chapters, available in PDF on the “Files” section of the
course web site.
Other material. Other items are available online by clicking on the URL provided in the
syllabus.
Assignments
There are two types of assignments: (1) weekly assignments; (2) a research paper.
Please note that there are no exams in this course.
1. Weekly Assignments.
Please read the lecture notes. There are lecture notes for most units. The notes are posted in the
“Files” section of the course web site. The lecture notes provide interpretations and insights;
summarize other experts; and supplement the readings. They also provide a partial basis for the
weekly discussions or written assignments.
Please also read the assigned readings each week.
There are two types of weekly assignments – 4 short written essays and 5 online discussions.
Four written essays (5-8 pages double spaced). There are written assignments, for most of the
units, but please note that you need to submit only four, your choice, based on your time and
interests. You may submit more if you wish, but you will be graded only on the first four you
submit. The essays should work in references to the unit’s readings and other course material as
appropriate. But they should convey your analysis and reflections based on the readings and your
own insights, observations and experience.
These four essays will count for one third of the course grade.
Five online discussions. There are online discussions for most of the units but please note that
you need to participate in only five, your choice, based on your time and interest. You may
participate in more if you wish but you will be graded only on the first five discussions you join.
For each of the units you select, you need to post at least twice – an original post the first day of
the discussion (Wednesday) and at least one more anytime during the discussion. The second
post may be another original post, or it may be a response to someone else. Please refer to the
document Guidelines for Online Discussions on the course web site, which discusses this in
detail.
Your participation in these online discussions will count for one third of the course grade.
2. Research paper on a management or administration topic of interest to you
Please complete a research paper of approximately 15 - 20 pages (double spaced) on a
topic of your choice.
It must relate to leadership, management, or administration of information programs and
must be approved by me. It should be on a topic that interests you and it needs to be
precise enough that you can carry out the research in the time available during the
semester and handle it in a paper of this length. The paper may cover a topic that is
related to your own work situation or career interests. For instance, you might want to do
research on a particular information program management issue, a problem you are
facing or expect to face, some aspect of management effectiveness, or some model
practices or techniques.
The paper must be adequately researched, well organized, clearly written, carefully
proofread, present a clear thesis or argument, include appropriate footnotes in proper
form, and include a bibliography that notes sources consulted.
Please send me a proposal by ELMS e-mail by September 8. The proposal can be short –
a page or less should be enough -- and should address the following:





Your name
Title of the topic
A short description of it (a few sentences), including researchable
questions
Initial list of sources – titles of a few books, journals you expect to consult
(you don’t need to cite specific articles for the proposal), web sites, etc.
This does not need to be a long list; just enough so that it is clear that a
critical mass of source material exists.)
A few sentences on why you are interested in this topic
The final version of the paper is due by December 10. Late papers are not acceptable
unless there are extenuating circumstances. If there are, please contact me in advance.
“Suggestions for Research Papers” in the “Files” section of the course web site provides
some additional suggestions.
The paper will count for one third of the grade.
Grading
As noted above, grades will be assigned as follows:
*
*
*
Unit written assignments
Participating in weekly topic discussions
Research paper
1/3 of grade
1/3
1/3
Course Units
Unit 1. Leadership and Management Challenges in Information Programs
Sept. 2-6
Lecture notes: Leadership and Management Challenges in Information Programs (in the Files
section on the course web site)
Readings: Please read Dearstyne, Managing Records and Information Programs, Chs. 1 and 3
And please peruse any three of the following:
American Library Association, The State of America’s Libraries, 2014.
http://www.ala.org/news/state-americas-libraries-report-2014
American Library Association, Libraries From Now On: Imagining the Future of
Libraries. ALA Summit on the Future of Libraries- Report to ALA Membership.
May 2014. http://connect.ala.org/node/223667
Association of College & Research Libraries, Environmental Scan, 2013.
http://www.ala.org/acrl/sites/ala.org.acrl/files/content/publications/whitepapers/E
nvironmentalScan13.pdf
Brian Hill, “Forrester Research/ARMA International Survey: RIM Tech
Deployment Still a Rough Road,” Information Management, September/October
2011, 42-44, 46-47.
Roger Levien, Confronting the Future: Strategic Visions For the 21st Century
Public Library. ALA Office of Information Technology Policy, 2011.
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oitp/publications/policybriefs/confronting
_the_futu.pdf
OCLC, Taking Our Pulse: The OCLC Research Survey of Special Collections and
Archives (2010).
http://www.oclc.org/content/dam/research/publications/library/2010/2010-11.pdf
Pew Internet and American Life Project, Library Service in the Digital Age.
(2013). http://libraries.pewinternet.org/2013/01/22/library-services
Written assignment: None this week
Online discussion: None this week
Unit 2. The Information Professional as Leader and Manager
Sept. 7-13
Lecture notes: The Information Professional as Leader and Manager (in the Files section on the
course web site)
Readings:
Please read:
Dearstyne, Managing Records and Information Programs, Ch. 2
Sally Helgesen, “Leading in 24/7: What is Required?,” Leader to Leader,
Summer 2012, 38-41
Brian Mathews, “Shifting from a Knowledge Service Provider to a Collaborative
Partner” July 7, 2014
http://chronicle.com/blognetwork/theubiquitouslibrarian/2014/07/07/shiftingfrom-a-knowledge-service-provider-to-a-collaborative-partner-notes-from-an-arlstrategic-thinking-session
(You might also want to take a look at the report on the ARL session he
references,
“ARL
Strategic
Thinking
and
Design,”
http://www.arl.org/storage/documents/publications/mm14sp-strategic-thinkingand-design.pdf)
And any two of the following:
Kathleen DeLong, “The Engagement of New Library Professionals in
Leadership,” Journal of Academic Librarianship 35 (September 2009), 445-456.
Ronald Heifetz et al, “Leadership in a (Permanent) Crisis,” Harvard Business
Review 87 (July/August 2009), 62-69.
Linda A. Hill, “New Manager Development For the 21st Century,” Academy of
Management Executive 81 (August 2004), 121-126.
John P. Kotter, “What Leaders Really Do,” Harvard Business Review 79
(December 2001), 85-96
Allen I. Kraut et al., “The Role of the Manager: What’s Really Important in
Different Management Jobs,” Academy of Management Executive 19 (2005), 122129.
George Mariz et al., “Leadership Skills for Archivists,” American Archivist 74
(Spring/Summer 2011), 102-122. (On the course web site in the “Files” section)
Michael D. Watkins, “How Managers Become Leaders,” Harvard Business
Review 90 (June 2012), 65-72.
Gary Yukl and Richard Lepsinger, “Why Integrating The Leading and Managing
Roles is Essential for Organizational Effectiveness,” Organizational Dynamics
34 (November 2005), 361-375.
Written assignment (due Saturday, Sept. 13, midnight): Please select one of the articles from the
list above and write an analysis, indicating the article’s main thesis or contentions, the adequacy
of its research, whether you found it convincing and why, how it extended or changed your
perspectives, and issues if any that you thought it did not explore deeply enough.
Online discussion (Sept. 10-13): Based on your readings in Unit 1, what are the top issues and
challenges that libraries and other information programs face, and, drawing on the readings for
Unit two, what do you regard as the most important leadership or management skills to address
them?
Unit 3. Gender, Cultural and Ethnic Diversity
Sept. 14-20
Lecture notes: Gender, Cultural and Ethnic Diversity (in the Files section on the course web site)
Readings:
Please peruse:
Association of College and Research Libraries, Diversity Standards: Cultural
Competency
for
Academic
Libraries.
2012.
http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/diversity
Please read any four of the following:
Sandra Rios Balderrama, “This Trend Called Diversity,” Library Trends 49
(Summer 2000), 194-214.
Marie-Helene Budworth, “Becoming a Leader: The Challenge of Modesty for
Women,” Journal of Management Development 29 (2010), 177-186
Alice H. Eagly and Linda L. Carli, “Women and the Labyrinth of Leadership,”
Harvard Business Review 65 (September 2007), 63-71
Alice H. Eagly and Jean Lau Chin, “Diversity and Leadership in a Changing
World,” American Psychologist 65 (April 2010), 216-224.
Susan Eisner, “Leadership: Gender and Executive Style,” SAM Advanced
Management Journal 78 (Winter 2013), 26-41
Herminia Ibarra et al., “Women Rising: The Unseen Barriers,” Harvard Business
Review 91 (September 2013), 61-66.
Teresa Schoch, “Turning the Ship Around With a Four Generational Crew,”
Information Management (July-August 2012), 25-29
Kumea Shorter-Gooden, “The Culturally Competent Organization,” Library
Quarterly 83 (July 2013), 207-211.
Sara D. Smith and Quinn Galbraith, “Motivating Millennials: Improving Practices
in Recruiting, Retaining, and Motivating Younger Library Staff,” Journal of
Academic Librarianship 38 (May 2012), 135-144.
R. Roosevelt Thomas, “Diversity Management: An Essential Craft for Leaders,”
Leader-To-Leader
41
(2006),
1-5.
http://www.hesselbeininstitute.org/knowledgecenter/journal.aspx?ArticleID=94
Written assignment (due Saturday, Sept. 20, midnight): Select one of the articles you read and
briefly summarize the main points and thesis and analyze the article, identifying its strengths and
weaknesses, and indicate whether you agree with the article and explain why or why not.
Online discussion (Sept. 17-20): Please discuss any or all of the following: What is diversity,
why is it important, what are the main challenges and issues in managing for diversity in an
organization, and what are the best ways to manage for diversity? Which is better – the ARL
approach (principles or standards to be followed) or the approach recommended by Thomas –
this is a craft, leaders need to follow their own best judgment?
Unit 4. Managing Organizational Complexity
Sept. 21-27
Lecture notes: None this week
Readings:
Brian Mathews, “Think Like a Startup: A White Paper to Inspire Library
Entrepreneurialism,” 2012. (In the “Files” section of the course web site)
And any three of the following:
Steve Blank, “Why the Lean Start-Up Changes Everything,” Harvard Business
Review 91 (May 2013), 65-70,72
Maria Carpenter, “Cheerleader, Opportunity Seeker, and Master Strategist: ARL
Directors as Entrepreneurial Leaders,” College and Research Libraries 73
(January 2012), 11-32
Jon E. Cawthorne, “Leading From the Middle of the Organization: An
Examination of Shared Leadership in Academic Libraries,” Journal of Academic
Librarianship, 36 (March 2010), 151-157.
Edie Hedlin, “Meeting Leadership Challenges: Lessons from Experience,” in
Bruce W. Dearstyne, ed., Leading and Managing Archives and Records Programs
(New York: Neal-Schuman, 2008), 163-181. (In the Files section of the course
web site.)
Kathleen DeLong, “The Engagement of New Library Professionals in
Leadership,” Journal of Academic Librarianship 35 (September 2009), 445-456.
Lynn Olver, “So You’re the New Director? Twelve Points to Help You Survive
The First Year,” Public Libraries 50 (March/April 2011), 6-7.
Written assignment (due Saturday, Sept. 27, midnight): Mathews’ white paper, “Think Like a
Startup,” advocates continual incremental change. Based on the readings in the first four units,
and your own insights and analysis, discuss whether you agree or disagree with what he is
advocating, and why.
Online discussion (Sept. 24-27): Based on the readings for the first four units, and your own
insights and analysis, please discuss what you believe are the most important leadership and
management issues for information programs and indicate why you feel these are important.
Unit 5. High Performance Organizations
Sept. 28-Oct. 4
Lecture notes: High Performance Organizations (in the Files section of the course web site)
Readings:
Please read any four of the following:
Teresa Amabile et al., “IDEO’s Culture of Helping,” Harvard Business Review 92
(January-February, 2014), 55-61
Teresa Amabile and Mukti Khaire, “Creativity and the Role of the Leader,”
Harvard Business Review 86 (October 2008), 100-109.
Teresa Amabile and Steven J. Kramer, “The Power of Small Wins,” Harvard
Business Review 89 (May 2011), 71-80.
Marilyn Darling, Charles Parry, and Joseph Moore, “Learning in the Thick of It,”
Harvard Business Review 83 (July – August, 2005), 84-92.
David A. Garvin et al, “Is Yours a Learning Organization?” Harvard Business
Review 86 (March 2008), 109-116.
Daniel Goleman and Richard Boyatzis, “Social Intelligence and the Biology of
Leadership,” Harvard Business Review 86 (September 2008), 74-81
Jay J. Jamrog et al, “High Performance Organizations: Finding the Elements of
Excellence,” People & Strategy 31 (2008), 29-38.
Robert S. Kaplan, “Strategic Performance Measurement and Management in
Nonprofit Organizations,” Nonprofit Management and Leadership 11 (Spring
2001), 353-370.
Jon R. Katzenbach et al., “Cultural Change That Sticks: Start With What’s
Already Working,” Harvard Business Review 90 (July/August 2012), 110-117.
James L. Perry et al, “Motivating Employees in a New Governance Era: The
Performance Paradigm Revisited,” Public Administration Review 66 (July/August
2006), 505-514.
Written assignment (Saturday, October 4, midnight): What are the most effective policies,
strategies, and approaches that a program director can use to encourage and foster creativity and
transform it into customer responsiveness and innovation?
Online discussion topic (Oct. 1-4): A number of the readings this week, and several previous
readings, focus on the issue of workplace culture. In your discussion, please indicate how you
would define this concept, how you assess its importance, and how as a manager you would
strengthen it.
Unit 6. Managing Human Resources
Oct. 5-11
Lecture notes: Managing Human Resources (in the Files section of the course web site)
Readings:
Dearstyne, Managing Records and Information Programs, Chs. 5,6,7.
And any one of the following:
Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer, “How Leaders Kill Meaning at Work,”
McKinsey Quarterly 1 (2012), 124-131.
Teresa Amabile et al., “Ideo’s Culture of Helping,” Harvard Business Review 92
(January-February 2014), 55-61
Amy Edmondson, “Teamwork on the Fly,” Harvard Business Review 90 (April
2012), 72-80.
Linda A. Hill et al., “Collective Genius,” Harvard Business Review 92 (June
2014), 95-102.
Amy Wilkins Jordan, “All Stressed Out But Does Anyone Notice? Stressors
Affecting Public Libraries, Journal of Library Administration 54 (May 2014),
291-307.
Jon R. Katzenbach and Douglas K. Smith, “The Discipline of Teams,” Harvard
Business Review 71 (March/April 1993), 111-120.
Guy Kawasaki, “Ten Steps to Enchanting Your Employees,” Leader to Leader 65
(Summer 2012)
http://www.hesselbeininstitute.org/knowledgecenter/journal.aspx?ArticleID=923
Ales Pentland, “The New Science of Building Great Teams,” Harvard Business
Review 90 (April 2012),61-70
Written assignment (due Saturday October 11, midnight): Please address any or all of these
questions:



What are the most effective approaches to developing employees and organizing
work of the program so that employees’ skills are a good match for the work?
When recruiting and hiring new staff, what mix of knowledge/skills/abilities should
you look for?
How should you deal with difficult staff?
Online discussion topic: None this week
Unit 7. Work Processes and Communication
Oct. 12-18
Lecture notes: Work Processes and Communication (in the Files section of the course web site)
Readings:
Dearstyne, Managing Records and Information Programs, Chs. 8, 9, 10
And any one of the following:
Kenneth R. Brousseau et. al, “The Seasoned Executive’s Decision-Making Style,”
Harvard Business Review 84 (February 2006), 110-121.
Jay A. Conger, “The Necessary Art of Persuasion,” Harvard Business Review 76
(May/June 1998), 84-95
John Hamm, “The Five Messages Leaders Must Manage,” Harvard Business
Review 79 (May 2006), 114-123
Lawrence G. Hrebiniak, “Obstacles to Effective Strategy Implementation,”
Organizational Dynamics 35 (2006), 12-31
Andrew Campbell et al, “Why Good Leaders Make Bad Decisions,” Harvard
Business Review 87 (January 2009), 60-66.
Warren Bennis et al, “Creating a Transparent Culture,” Leader-to-Leader 50
(Fall 2008),
http://www.leadertoleader.org/knowledgecenter/journal.aspx?ArticleID=741
Written assignment: None this week
Online discussion (October 15-18): Managers of library and information programs often have to
make critical decisions that affect the future of their programs, sometimes with incomplete or
inconclusive information and under pressure of time. Please discuss any or all of the following:
why decision-making is such an important skill, reasons why it may be inadequate or ineffective,
and the best approaches for a manager to take to ensure effective, sound decisions. Examples
would be particularly welcome
Unit 8. Planning
Oct. 19-25
Lecture notes: Planning (please note that several plans are referenced at the end of the notes; in
the Files section of the course web site)
Readings:
Dearstyne, Managing Records and Information Programs, Ch. 4. (Please also peruse
Appendix A)
Clayton M. Christensen, “Making Strategy: Learning By Doing,” Harvard Business
Review, 75/6 (November/December 1997), 141-156.
Gary L. Neilson et al., “The Secrets to Successful Strategy Execution,” Harvard Business
Review 86 (June 2008), 61-70.
Robert S. Kaplan and David Norton, “Mastering the Management System,” Harvard
Business Review 86 (January 2008), 63-77.
Written Assignment: None this week.
Online discussion (Oct. 22-25): Please discuss the best approaches to developing a sound
strategic plan for an information program. Please refer to plans cited in the notes for this week or
any other library, information, or cultural organization plan that you wish, but please identify
and include URL if possible. Some questions that you might address: What is an effective plan?
What factors do you need to address? How should staff be involved? How would you change the
list of “Traits of a Sound Strategic Plan” in this week’s lecture notes? If you’ve been part of a
strategic planning effort, what went right; what went wrong? What are the best approaches for
executing the plan?
Unit 9. Project Management
Oct. 26-Nov. 1
Lecture notes: Project Management (in the Files section of the course website)
Readings: Dearstyne, Managing Records and Information Programs, Ch. 12
And any three of the following:
Char Booth, “Managing Technology Projects,” Public Services Quarterly, 5
(January – March 2009), 59-63
Center for Technology in Government, SUNY Albany. Making Smart IT
Choices: Understanding Value and Risk in Government IT Investments. April
2004. http://www.ctg.albany.edu/publications/guides/smartit2/smartit2.pdf
Alton Chua and Wing Lam, “Why KM Projects Fail: A Multi-Case Analysis,”
Journal of Knowledge Management 9 (2005), 6-27.
Kevin P. Grant, William M. Cashman and David S. Christensen, “Delivering
Projects On Time,” Research Technology Management 49 (November/December
2006), 52-58.
Paul Legris and Pierre Collerette, “A Roadmap for IT Project Implementation:
Integrating Stakeholders and Change Management Issues,” Project Management
Journal 37 (December 2006), 64-75.
Andrew Longman and James Mullins, “Project Management: Key Tool for
Implementing Strategy,” Journal of Business Strategy 25 (2004), 54-61.
Tonya M. Peterson, “Motivation: How to Increase Project Team Performance,”
Project Management Journal 38 (December 2007), 60-69.
Hans Thamhain, “Managing Risks in Complex Projects,” Project Management
Journal (April 2013), 20-35
Written assignment (due Saturday, Nov. 1, midnight): Please address any or all of the following:
How would you define the role of the project manager? How is it similar to, and how different
from, program management in general? What are the best approaches to ensure an effective
project team? How would you define success for a project? What are the most important causes
when a project is less than successful?
Online discussion None this week.
Unit 10. Information Technology in a Program Setting
Nov. 2-8
Lecture notes: Information Technology in a Program Setting (in the Files section of the course
web site)
Reading: John T. Burke, The Neal-Schuman Library Technology Companion. 4th edition. Chs. 19
Written assignment: None this week
Online discussion: None this week
Unit 11. Managing Information Technology
Nov. 9-15
Lecture notes: None this week
Reading: John T. Burke, The Neal-Schuman Library Technology Companion. 4th edition. Chs.
10-18
Written assignment (due Saturday, Nov. 15, midnight): How do you define information
technology and how would you assess its importance and impact in a library or other information
program?
Online discussion (Nov. 12-15): What are the factors that make managing information
technology in libraries and other programs so challenging and, as a manager, how would you
deal with them? In the discussion, please draw on the readings for units 10 and 11 as well as
earlier units’ readings as appropriate.
Unit 12. Managing Financial Resources
Nov. 16-22
Lecture notes: Managing financial resources (in the Files section of the course web site)
Readings:
Dearstyne, Managing Records and Information Programs, Ch. 11
And any three of the following:
Jennifer Weil Arns and Evelyn H. Daniel. “Cutback Management in US Public
Libraries: Deliberations, Decision Spaces, and Reflections,” Advances in
Librarianship 34 (2011), 37-58
Bruce W. Dearstyne, “Facing the Economic Storm: Navigating RIM Programs
Through Hard Times,” Information Management 43 (March/April 2009), 24-26,
28-30.
Charles I. Guarria, “The Recession, Budgets, Expectations and Realities,” The
Bottom Line: Managing Library Finances 24 (2011), 200-217.
Betsy Kelly, “Applying Return on Investment (ROI) in Libraries,” Journal of
Library Administration 52 (September – December 2012), 656-671
Mott Linn, “Cost-Benefit Analysis: Examples,” Bottom Line: Managing Library
Finances 24 (February 2011), 68-72
Lynda James-Gilboe, “Raising the Library Profile to Fight Budget Challenges,”
Serials Librarian 59 (October-December 2010), 360-369.
Charles Lowry, “Year 2 of the ‘Great Recession’: Surviving the Present by
Building the Future,” Journal of Library Administration 51 (January 2011), 3753.
Charles Lowry, “ARL Library Budgets After the Great Recession, 2011-2013,”
Research Library Issues. 2013. http://publications.arl.org/rli282/2 (Please note:
click on the down arrow to the left of the first page to access this document.)
Carla J. Stoffle and Cheryl Cuillier, “From Surviving to Thriving,” Journal of
Library Administration 51 (January 2011), 130-154.
Written Assignment: None this week.
Online discussion (Nov. 19-22): Libraries and other information programs face considerable
budget and resource challenges in these difficult economic times. Please discuss any or all of the
following about how you would approach these challenges as a manager of such a program:
Developing a budget that is economical but also provides adequate services and builds
for the future.
Identifying ways to economize, e.g., increasing efficiency, making more use of
technology, volunteers, other strategies.
Defending your program’s budgets against reductions but, if reductions are imposed,
scaling back in a way that protects program priorities and staff.
Keeping up staff morale in difficult budgetary times.
Any other strategies you would like to introduce for how to develop a budget for libraries
and related information programs.
Please work in references to the readings as appropriate
Nov. 23-29. Thanksgiving vacation. Enjoy!
Unit 13. Marketing and Advocacy
Nov. 30-Dec. 6
Lecture notes: Marketing and Advocacy (in the Files section on the course web site)
Readings:
Please read any two of the following articles:
Carol Lee Anderson, “Moving the Library Agenda Forward: Librarians
Collaborating With the Chief Library Administrator to Cultivate Campus
Constituencies,” Journal of Library Administration, 51 (February – March 2011),
179-188
Lewis Bellardo, “Observations on Thirty Years of Advocacy,” in Larry Hackman,
ed., Many Happy Returns (Chicago: SAA, 2011), 86-106 (in the Files section on
the course web site.)
Kerry Cole et al, “Marketing the Library in a Digital World, ” Serials Librarian
58 (January – June 2010), 182-187.
Ivan Gaetz, “Collaborative Librarianship: New Light on a Brilliant Concept,”
Collaborative Librarianship (2009), 1-12.
Carol Ann Germain, “A Brand New Way of Looking at Library Marketing,”
Public Services Quarterly 4 (2008), 73-78.
Joan Giesecke, “The Value of Partnerships: Building New Partnerships for
Success,” Journal of Library Administration 52 (January 2012), 36-52.
Barbara Haws, “Advocating Within the Institution: Twenty-five Years for the
New York Philharmonic Archives,” in Larry Hackman ed., Many Happy Returns
(Chicago: SAA, 2011), 186-199 (in the Files section of the course web site)
Philip Mooney, “Stranger in a Strange Land: The Archivist and the Corporation,”
in Bruce Dearstyne ed., Leading and Managing Archives and Records Programs
(New York: Neal-Schuman, 2008), 183-203 (in the Files section of the course
web site)
William Saffady, “Making the Business Case for Records Management,”
Information Management 45 (January/February 2011), 38-41.
Please read any of the following examples that are of interest:
American Library Association, A Communications Handbook for Libraries
(2004).
http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/advleg/advocacyuniversity/advclearinghou
se/commhandbook.pdf
Materials on ALA Office of Advocacy page. http://www.ala.org/offices/ola
ALA, “United for Libraries.” http://www.ala.org/united. The Power Guide for
Successful Advocacy is particularly useful.
Association of College and Research Libraries, The Value of Academic Libraries:
A
Comprehensive
Research
Review
and
Report.
2010.
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/issues/value/val_report.pdf
Association of College and Research Libraries, The Value of Academic Libraries
Toolkit.
http://www.acrl.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/issues/value/valueofacademiclibrariestool
kit.cfm
Society
of
American
Archivists,
American
Archives
http://www2.archivists.org/initiatives/american-archives-month
Month.
Written assignment (due Saturday, Dec. 6, midnight): Your choice of either (A) or (B):
A. Strong library and information programs require a good deal of cooperation, support, and
partnering from within the institutions they serve. This is particularly true in an era of the
growing importance of the Web, electronic connections, social networking technologies,
and mobile devices. What are the best strategies for a program manager to use to build
connections that enable the program to better serve the institution and, at the same time,
enable the program to leverage the resources from these connections?
Or
B. What are the best strategies for building a network of supporters and advocates for a
library or other information program?
Online discussion (Dec. 3-6): Drawing on the articles and examples you selected, what are the
best strategies for advocating for information programs, and what are the best themes or
messages to emphasize?
Unit 14. Managing facilities; final wrap-up for the course Dec. 7-13
Lecture notes: None this week
Reading: Bryan, Managing Facilities for Results. Chapters 1-5.
Written assignment (due Saturday, Dec. 13, midnight): Please select a topic related to leadership
or management of information programs that is of interest to you. It needs to be something
relatively modest in scope and different from the one you selected for your research paper. You
will need to carry out appropriate research. You do not need my approval beforehand for the
topic. Write an essay (approx. 5-8 pages, double spaced) describing the topic, identifying the
chief issues, and setting forth your analysis and conclusions.
Online discussion (Dec. 10-13): Looking back over the entire course, and recalling the
discussion in Unit 2, what do you now regard as the most important leadership and management
skills that are needed by managers and leaders of programs in our field, and why do you believe
they are so important?
8/11/2014