Rebecca Miller, LibraryJournal.com; Data-Driven Libraries: Moving From Outputs to Outcomes:
"Something special happens when 150 public library directors, deputy directors, and trustees gather in one room to talk about what their communities get from their libraries. The ideas and examples whip back and forth, as do equally intense questions about roadblocks to all sorts of challenges and strategies for overcoming them. The headiness of this to and fro was palpable at LJ’s third Director’s Summit, held at Columbus Metropolitan Library (CML), OH, December 5–6, 2011. (For more perspective on the discoveries from this event see Francine Fialkoff’s editorial “Moving to Outcomes,” p. 8.)
These library leaders came to discuss the urgent need to reshape how library service is evaluated in order to articulate outcomes better to stakeholders and share success stories with the community. Pure data such as gate counts, computer uses, and more aren’t as satisfying to those who hold the purse strings as are measurements that articulate impact. “It’s pretty simple,” said Jeanne Goodrich, executive director, Las Vegas–Clark County Library District, NV. “Why we do what we do drives what we do. An outcome answers the question, ‘So what?’”
Friday, January 27, 2012
Thursday, January 26, 2012
ALA Midwinter 2012: When Looking for a Job, Remember to Smile; LibraryJournal.com, 1/23/12
Michael Kelley, LibraryJournal.com; ALA Midwinter 2012: When Looking for a Job, Remember to Smile:
"Job seekers in the library field need to remember that recruiters often highly value “soft skills.”
“First and foremost, I look at how they present themselves, how well they communicate, and I like when they smile a lot,” said Megan Alpaugh, a staff recruiter for the Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, GA...
“When I’m hiring I’m not necessarily trying to match up ‘Oh, have you used this system or have you done x, y, or z’ as much as does this person have good communication skills, can they be an effective member of a team, do they have leadership skills, are they enthusiastic in learning new things,” said Ewa E. Barczyk, the director of libraries at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. “Those are the kind of things you can’t teach somebody,” she said."
"Job seekers in the library field need to remember that recruiters often highly value “soft skills.”
“First and foremost, I look at how they present themselves, how well they communicate, and I like when they smile a lot,” said Megan Alpaugh, a staff recruiter for the Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, GA...
“When I’m hiring I’m not necessarily trying to match up ‘Oh, have you used this system or have you done x, y, or z’ as much as does this person have good communication skills, can they be an effective member of a team, do they have leadership skills, are they enthusiastic in learning new things,” said Ewa E. Barczyk, the director of libraries at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. “Those are the kind of things you can’t teach somebody,” she said."
Friday, January 20, 2012
The New Normal: Annual Library Budgets Survey 2012; LibraryJournal.com, 1/16/12
Michael Kelley, LibraryJournal.com; The New Normal: Annual Library Budgets Survey 2012:
"The 388 libraries that responded to the survey projected a negligible overall decrease in their total 2012 operating budgets (0.7 percent). Materials budgets are down 1.2 percent. And personnel budgets are relatively flat, with an uptick of just 0.2 percent.
But most libraries have still not recovered from the massive cuts inflicted since the financial crisis of 2008, and when this depressed starting point meets with the rapid evaporation of state aid and the inexorable rise of expenses, then the numbers often translate to stressed staffs, fewer materials, and reduced service hours."
"The 388 libraries that responded to the survey projected a negligible overall decrease in their total 2012 operating budgets (0.7 percent). Materials budgets are down 1.2 percent. And personnel budgets are relatively flat, with an uptick of just 0.2 percent.
But most libraries have still not recovered from the massive cuts inflicted since the financial crisis of 2008, and when this depressed starting point meets with the rapid evaporation of state aid and the inexorable rise of expenses, then the numbers often translate to stressed staffs, fewer materials, and reduced service hours."
After Furor, Harvard Library Spokesperson Says ‘Inaccurate’ That All Staff Will Have to Reapply; LibraryJournal.com, 1/19/12
Michael Kelley, LibraryJournal.com; After Furor, Harvard Library Spokesperson Says ‘Inaccurate’ That All Staff Will Have to Reapply:
"Uncertainty about the status of Harvard Library staff spread across Twitter and other social media sites late Thursday afternoon after a series of Town Hall meetings held earlier in the day on campus to discuss the library’s massive restructuring plan, which was approved in September.
“The nature of academic and research librarianship changed today. Today, all Harvard librarians were essentially given pink slips, asked to participate in a website that has tips on rewriting your resume and changing your career, and also asked to basically re-apply for their jobs,” wrote E. Keathley, who said she has worked for the library system, in a Google+ post...
Earlier, the library transition website had a listing of workshops on resume writing and ways to determine transferable skills, but late Thursday this information had been removed from the site along with a video of the Town Hall meeting (which wasn’t working)."
"Uncertainty about the status of Harvard Library staff spread across Twitter and other social media sites late Thursday afternoon after a series of Town Hall meetings held earlier in the day on campus to discuss the library’s massive restructuring plan, which was approved in September.
“The nature of academic and research librarianship changed today. Today, all Harvard librarians were essentially given pink slips, asked to participate in a website that has tips on rewriting your resume and changing your career, and also asked to basically re-apply for their jobs,” wrote E. Keathley, who said she has worked for the library system, in a Google+ post...
Earlier, the library transition website had a listing of workshops on resume writing and ways to determine transferable skills, but late Thursday this information had been removed from the site along with a video of the Town Hall meeting (which wasn’t working)."
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Tip for Getting More Organized: Don't; Harvard Business Review, 1/12/12
Michael Schrage, Harvard Business Review; Tip for Getting More Organized: Don't:
"IBM researchers observed that email users who "searched" rather than set up files and folders for their correspondence typically found what they were looking for faster and with fewer errors. Time and overhead associated with creating and managing email folders were, effectively, a waste."
"IBM researchers observed that email users who "searched" rather than set up files and folders for their correspondence typically found what they were looking for faster and with fewer errors. Time and overhead associated with creating and managing email folders were, effectively, a waste."
Sometimes, You Need to Blow the Fuses; New York Times, 1/14/12
Adam Bryant, Corner Office, New York Times; Interview with Bill Kling, founder and president emeritus of the American Public Media GroupSometimes, You Need to Blow the Fuses:
"Q. What do you consider the most important leadership lessons you’ve learned?
A. Let me start by answering the question this way: I don’t think that there is one formula for leadership. There are cheerleaders who are really good at motivating people. There are innovative leaders who are really good at conceiving of products or spotting talent and who have a great vision for the company. There are leaders who are strong on personality, leaders who are strong on creativity. Some of the most effective leaders don’t fit a mold. The ones who I think make a real difference tend to be totally different from the standard definition. I think the strongest criterion is creativity or innovation."
"Q. What do you consider the most important leadership lessons you’ve learned?
A. Let me start by answering the question this way: I don’t think that there is one formula for leadership. There are cheerleaders who are really good at motivating people. There are innovative leaders who are really good at conceiving of products or spotting talent and who have a great vision for the company. There are leaders who are strong on personality, leaders who are strong on creativity. Some of the most effective leaders don’t fit a mold. The ones who I think make a real difference tend to be totally different from the standard definition. I think the strongest criterion is creativity or innovation."
The Rise of the New Groupthink; New York Times, 1/13/12
Susan Cain, New York Times; The Rise of the New Groupthink:
"To harness the energy that fuels both these drives, we need to move beyond the New Groupthink and embrace a more nuanced approach to creativity and learning. Our offices should encourage casual, cafe-style interactions, but allow people to disappear into personalized, private spaces when they want to be alone. Our schools should teach children to work with others, but also to work on their own for sustained periods of time. And we must recognize that introverts like Steve Wozniak need extra quiet and privacy to do their best work."
"To harness the energy that fuels both these drives, we need to move beyond the New Groupthink and embrace a more nuanced approach to creativity and learning. Our offices should encourage casual, cafe-style interactions, but allow people to disappear into personalized, private spaces when they want to be alone. Our schools should teach children to work with others, but also to work on their own for sustained periods of time. And we must recognize that introverts like Steve Wozniak need extra quiet and privacy to do their best work."
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
10 Secrets of a Hiring Manager; US News via Yahoo Finance, 1/10/11
Alison Green, US News via Yahoo Finance; 10 Secrets of a Hiring Manager:
"Ever wonder what the hiring managers who are screening your resume, interviewing you, and--maybe--making you an offer are really thinking throughout the hiring process? Here are 10 secrets that most hiring managers share..."
"Ever wonder what the hiring managers who are screening your resume, interviewing you, and--maybe--making you an offer are really thinking throughout the hiring process? Here are 10 secrets that most hiring managers share..."
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Interview with Christine Fruechte, president and chief executive of Colle + McVoy; New York Times, 1/7/12
Adam Bryant, Corner Office, New York Times; Interview with Christine Fruechte, president and chief executive of Colle + McVoy: Where Ideas Are Always on the Wall:
"Q. Can you share your thoughts on how you build a corporate culture?
A. An effective culture is grounded in having a collective purpose. And a culture also is deeply rooted in core values. You know what your principles are, so if you hire someone and they’re not operating by your core values, even though they may be incredibly talented, they’re going to be rejected from the culture. If you don’t act quickly, they’re not going to be healthy for the culture and it will turn cancerous very, very quickly. You have to live by the core values, and reinforce them constantly. We remind people what the core values are anytime we have agency meetings, and they’re built into our performance reviews. If you’re not living by the core values of the organization, you’re not going to be allowed to advance.
Q. What are those values?
A. One is integrity. I have a very short fuse for anyone who is not going to operate with high integrity. If they step over that line and start to do things that are suspect when it comes to ethics, they’re out immediately."
"Q. Can you share your thoughts on how you build a corporate culture?
A. An effective culture is grounded in having a collective purpose. And a culture also is deeply rooted in core values. You know what your principles are, so if you hire someone and they’re not operating by your core values, even though they may be incredibly talented, they’re going to be rejected from the culture. If you don’t act quickly, they’re not going to be healthy for the culture and it will turn cancerous very, very quickly. You have to live by the core values, and reinforce them constantly. We remind people what the core values are anytime we have agency meetings, and they’re built into our performance reviews. If you’re not living by the core values of the organization, you’re not going to be allowed to advance.
Q. What are those values?
A. One is integrity. I have a very short fuse for anyone who is not going to operate with high integrity. If they step over that line and start to do things that are suspect when it comes to ethics, they’re out immediately."
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