Neil Gaiman: Why our future depends on libraries, reading and daydreaming; Guardian, 10/15/13

Neil Gaiman, Guardian; Neil Gaiman: Why our future depends on libraries, reading and daydreaming: "I was lucky. I had an excellent local library growing up. I had the kind of parents who could be persuaded to drop me off in the library on their way to work in summer holidays, and the kind of librarians who did not mind a small, unaccompanied boy heading back into the children's library every morning and working his way through the card catalogue, looking for books with ghosts or magic or rockets in them, looking for vampires or detectives or witches or wonders. And when I had finished reading the children's' library I began on the adult books. They were good librarians. They liked books and they liked the books being read. They taught me how to order books from other libraries on inter-library loans. They had no snobbery about anything I read. They just seemed to like that there was this wide-eyed little boy who loved to read, and would talk to me about the books I was reading, they would find me other books in a series, they would help. They treated me as another reader – nothing less or more – which meant they treated me with respect. I was not used to being treated with respect as an eight-year-old. But libraries are about freedom. Freedom to read, freedom of ideas, freedom of communication. They are about education (which is not a process that finishes the day we leave school or university), about entertainment, about making safe spaces, and about access to information. I worry that here in the 21st century people misunderstand what libraries are and the purpose of them. If you perceive a library as a shelf of books, it may seem antiquated or outdated in a world in which most, but not all, books in print exist digitally. But that is to miss the point fundamentally. I think it has to do with nature of information. Information has value, and the right information has enormous value. For all of human history, we have lived in a time of information scarcity, and having the needed information was always important, and always worth something: when to plant crops, where to find things, maps and histories and stories – they were always good for a meal and company. Information was a valuable thing, and those who had it or could obtain it could charge for that service... Libraries really are the gates to the future. So it is unfortunate that, round the world, we observe local authorities seizing the opportunity to close libraries as an easy way to save money, without realising that they are stealing from the future to pay for today. They are closing the gates that should be open... We have an obligation to support libraries. To use libraries, to encourage others to use libraries, to protest the closure of libraries. If you do not value libraries then you do not value information or culture or wisdom. You are silencing the voices of the past and you are damaging the future."

Why Management Training Doesn’t Work; Chronicle of Higher Education, 10/15/13

David Evans, Chronicle of Higher Education; Why Management Training Doesn’t Work: "Let me note here that I am not anti-training—I think that there are many areas in which aspiring administrators both need and can make practical use of thoughtfully designed training that helps them learn to manage processes and people and to lead effectively in complex circumstances. I especially liked the suggestion offered by one reader of a yearlong seminar-type program which has as its “lab” the actual concurrent job duties of the participants, a model that could work especially well at a larger institution where there is a regular supply of new administrators being promoted from within and arriving from outside. I do, however, take exception to the idea, expressed by a couple of commenters, that the lack of such training is why many institutions of higher education are in serious trouble right now. I am quite certain that this claim cannot be empirically verified... The ultimate point is that yes, training is important. Administrators absolutely must understand the processes and legalities of their positions, how to manage crises and finances, and learning these by trial and error is the surest route to disaster—I would never argue otherwise. At the same time, as the examples above show, training is not the be-all and end-all of institutional success. People are people, by turns noble and venal, clever and stupid, honest and devious, competent and inept. Character matters, brains matter, empathy matters, work ethic matters. Training can sharpen these, but if an administrator doesn’t have them in the first place, no amount of training is going to fix the problem."

10/23/13 Library Leadership & Management Association (LLAMA) Webinar: "Library Security: The Basics and Beyond"

10/23/13 Library Leadership & Management Association (LLAMA) Webinar: "Library Security: The Basics and Beyond" Wed., Oct. 23, from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. (Central time) Description: This webinar will provide the skills necessary to manage threatening situations in the library. Discussion will address theoretical concepts, behavior policies, working with local law enforcement both in and out of the library, library banning policies, staff communication tools, and assessment for dangerous behavior. In addition, strategies for avoiding threatening behaviors will be reviewed. Presenter: Sydney McCoy, Branch Administrator III, Frederick County Public Libraries, Frederick, MD By the end of this webinar participants will: •be able to identify three ways to prevent escalation of bad behavior. •be able to identify at least four ways reverse an escalated patron interaction. •recognize the importance of consistent policy enforcement. •be able to explain a progressive banning procedure. •be able to identify at least five disruptive library behaviors. •be able to list at least 3 benefits to having a consistent and progressive banning procedure. Fees: LLAMA member: $49 Non-LLAMA member $59 LLAMA group rate (5 or more people at one site) $199 Non-LLAMA group rate (5 or more people at one site) $239 Register online: http://tinyurl.com/3zhtecm Register with a purchase order or by mail: registration form (PDF, 1 pg.)."

Let's talk about failure; Guardian, 10/13/13

Heather Long, Guardian; Let's talk about failure: "It's refreshing in an era where we mostly see our friends' and acquaintances' triumphs: their resumes and promotions via LinkedIn, their television chef worthy dinners on Pintrest and their smiling family and vacation photos on Facebook. We are all PR spin masters about our lives. Yet anyone who has ever been in the work world and certainly relationships knows that you often learn the most from your mistakes and setbacks... Some people's mistakes are more public than others', and some failures are more damaging to careers or personal lives. But as a society, it's not ideal to only stress our successes... Perhaps it's too much to hope that anti-resumes become a trend, but often, they're a lot more telling than what's on the real CV."

Be Yourself, but Carefully; Harvard Business Review Magazine, October 2013

Lisa Rosh and Lynn Offermann, Harvard Business Review Magazine; Be Yourself, but Carefully: "“Authenticity” is the new buzzword among leaders today. We’re told to bring our full selves to the office, to engage in frank conversations, and to tell personal stories as a way of gaining our colleagues’ trust and improving group performance. The rise in collaborative workplaces and dynamic teams over recent years has only heightened the demand for “instant intimacy,” and managers are supposed to set an example. But the honest sharing of thoughts, feelings, and experiences at work is a double-edged sword: Despite its potential benefits, self-disclosure can backfire if it’s hastily conceived, poorly timed, or inconsistent with cultural or organizational norms—hurting your reputation, alienating employees, fostering distrust, and hindering teamwork. Getting it right takes a deft touch, for leaders at any stage of their careers."

Is Music the Key to Success?; New York Times, 10/12/13

Joanne Lipman, New York Times; Is Music the Key to Success? : "Mr. Todd, now 41, recounted in detail the solo audition at age 17 when he got the second-highest mark rather than the highest mark — though he still was principal horn in Florida’s All-State Orchestra. “I’ve always believed the reason I’ve gotten ahead is by outworking other people,” he says. It’s a skill learned by “playing that solo one more time, working on that one little section one more time,” and it translates into “working on something over and over again, or double-checking or triple-checking.” He adds, “There’s nothing like music to teach you that eventually if you work hard enough, it does get better. You see the results.” That’s an observation worth remembering at a time when music as a serious pursuit — and music education — is in decline in this country. Consider the qualities these high achievers say music has sharpened: collaboration, creativity, discipline and the capacity to reconcile conflicting ideas. All are qualities notably absent from public life. Music may not make you a genius, or rich, or even a better person. But it helps train you to think differently, to process different points of view — and most important, to take pleasure in listening."

Interview with Jeff Fluhr, chief executive of Spreecast; New York Times, 10/10/13

Adam Bryant, Corner Office, New York Times; Interview with Jeff Fluhr, chief executive of Spreecast, a social video platform: Finding Employees Who Fit: "Q. Tell me about your approach to hiring at your current company. A. I’ve found that the softer characteristics of a person — the cultural fit, the chemistry fit, their personality traits, their level of optimism — are far more important than somebody’s experience. What I was often doing at StubHub as the company grew was to say, “O.K., we need a V.P. of marketing and we want somebody who’s been a V.P. marketing at another consumer Internet company, and hopefully, they’ve done these certain things because that’s what we need.” But the reality is that if you get somebody who’s smart, hungry and has a can-do attitude, they can figure out how to do A, B and C, because there’s really no trick to most of these things... Q. What career advice would you give to a graduating class of college seniors? A. One of the things I tell people is that experience is overrated. I still sometimes find myself falling into the trap of thinking, when I’m trying to fill a role, “Has the person done the work that the role requires?” That’s the wrong question. It should be, “Let’s find a person who has the right chemistry, the right intellect, the right curiosity, the right creativity.” If we plug that person into any role, they’re going to be successful."

Cheating’s Surprising Thrill; New York Times, 10/7/13

Jan Hoffman, New York Times; Cheating’s Surprising Thrill: "When was the last time you cheated? Not on the soul-scorching magnitude of, say, Bernie Madoff, Lance Armstrong or John Edwards. Just nudge-the-golf-ball cheating. Maybe you rounded up numbers on an expense report. Let your eyes wander during a high-stakes exam. Or copied a friend’s expensive software. And how did you feel afterward? You may recall nervousness, a twinge of guilt. But new research shows that as long as you didn’t think your cheating hurt anyone, you may have felt great. The discomfort you remember feeling then may actually be a response rewritten now by your inner moral authority, your “should” voice. Unethical behavior is increasingly studied by psychologists and management specialists. They want to understand what prompts people to abrogate core values, why cheating appears to be on the rise, and what interventions can be made. To find a powerful tool to turn people toward ethical decisions, many researchers have focused on the guilt that many adults feel after cheating. So some behavioral ethics researchers were startled by a study published recently in The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology by researchers at the University of Washington, the London Business School, Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania. The title: “The Cheater’s High: The Unexpected Affective Benefits of Unethical Behavior.”"

Accessibility Makes Incremental Gains | Reinventing Libraries; Library Journal, 10/9/13

Char Booth, Library Journal; Accessibility Makes Incremental Gains | Reinventing Libraries: "Spaces. Services. Digital content. Collections. Learning experiences. Interfaces. Any way you consider it, there is no library practice that doesn’t intersect with accessibility. Accessibility is the principle that the fullest use of any resource should be given to the greatest number of individuals. More than compliance with laws and guidelines, accessibility is a form of social justice. As the most established cultural providers of public space and digital content, libraries share a responsibility to promote universal access to our full range of services for all users, regardless of whether they rely on adaptive technology or not... The work to create inclusive libraries will never end, but small and large actions can continue to advance the cause. For those of us who don’t experience disability personally, one of the best ways to understand the importance of inclusive design is by attempting to experience the path users with different types of disabilities take through our stacks, sites, and learning materials. Try accessing and navigating an ebook or online journal article using screen-reading software or another assistive technology, engage with a video tutorial with no sound or visuals and see if you can follow the content, or accompany a patron who negotiates your library with a mobility aid such as a wheelchair or service animal. While you will not be able to experience truly their path, you will perceive why removing barriers to access of any sort should be a priority of all librarians."

A Crisis Of Leadership - What's Next?; Forbes, 10/10/13

Mike Myatt, Forbes; A Crisis Of Leadership - What's Next? : "I’ve often said, leaders who fail to be accountable to the people will eventually be held accountable by the people. But this assumes the people are strong enough to hold themselves accountable for the past transgressions of turning a blind eye from what we know to be right. We must once and for all learn that what we fail to require of ourselves will be hard to ask from others. We must demand more from ourselves and more from those whom we place in positions of responsibility. Whether we’re talking about executives, politicians, educators, healthcare professionals, or any other class of citizenry, we must stop tolerating those who place self-interest over service beyond self."

Leaders, Drop Your Masks; Harvard Business Review, 10/7/13

Peter Fuda, Harvard Business Review; Leaders, Drop Your Masks: "In my work with executives, I’ve found the mask metaphor to be particularly relevant with women. Take Christine, the highly articulate and ambitious CEO of a credit reporting and debt collection company that had been acquired by a private-equity firm... “I wish I had listened to my instincts sooner instead of going through the motions of being tough. I’ve learned that authenticity comes from confidence, and confidence comes from taking risks but you can’t take risks unless you’re prepared to be vulnerable.”

It’s Easy to Say ‘I Need This.’ It’s Harder to Find Solutions; New York Times, 10/3/13

Adam Bryant, Corner Office, New York Times; Interview with Lars Albright, C.E.O. of SessionM, a mobile advertising platform: It’s Easy to Say ‘I Need This.’ It’s Harder to Find Solutions: "Q. How do you hire? A. The most important thing for me is seeing how someone connects with people. Part of that is how they connect with me as an interviewer, but more deeply it’s about whether I can get evidence of connections with people in other parts of their life. So I’ll ask people about their families. I’ll ask about their friends, past colleagues. How do they interact? Do they have strong relationships? Are they someone who can be flexible with different types of people? I typically get a sense very early on if someone’s going to be a fit. First impression for me is very important — that gut feel you have about their excitement and also their style and approach. Q. Anything you have an unusually low tolerance for in terms of behavior? A. The “I need” syndrome, where people say: “I need this. I need that.” And part of me thinks: “But then what? What’s your solution? What are you going to do about it?” Because it’s easy to say, “I need 10 more employees.” I think there can be this syndrome of people feeling like they should get a star for saying, “I figured out what I need.” But they’re not helping push the conversation through to what’s going to solve the problem."

Four Tips for Better Strategic Planning; Harvard Business Review, 10/1/13

Ron Ashkenas, co-author Logan Chandler, Harvard Business Review; Four Tips for Better Strategic Planning: "No great strategy was born without careful thought. That’s why the process of planning a strategy itself is an important vehicle for setting priorities, making investment decisions, and laying out growth plans. But for many companies, the activity has devolved into either an overexplained budget or just bad amateur theater – lots of costumes in the form of analysis, charts, and presentations – but with very little meaningful substance that can be translated into action. As a result, many strategic plans end up as shelf decorations or hard-to-find files in crowded hard drives. Since this is the season when many companies are engaged in strategic planning, it’s just the right time to break bad habits. Here are four steps that you can take to make better use of the hard work that goes into planning a strategy."

Collaboration for Hard Times; Library Journal, 10/2/13

Irene Gashurov and Curtis L. Kendrick, Library Journal; Collaboration for Hard Times: "People have always known that they can often achieve more working with others than they can alone. Today collaboration is a vital feature of organizational life, but finding the right partner for a supportive relationship is still no simple matter. There are risks and costs, along with the tension between self-interest and resource sharing. Once the right partner is found, the team must figure out how to make the relationship work... Importance of common culture While many business transactions are the product of collaboration—particularly in our knowledge-based economy, which depends on diverse teams with different expertise to complete projects—research shows that partnerships between companies succeed only about 40 percent of the time. In their pursuit of profit, such business partners often fail to find a match with their companies’ values, goals, and cultures. One of the largest deals in American business history, the AOL–Time Warner merger, might have had the best financial rationale on paper, but the combined company fell to one-seventh of its former $350 billion valuation a decade after the merger. Pundits still argue about what caused the combined company to collapse, but a major contributing factor was the failure to close the then-substantial divide between the cultures of print journalism and digital media. The companies continued to work as separate entities, and the divisive cultural differences led to a fatal lack of trust between them."

An Interview with Skip Prichard; American Libraries, Sept./Oct. 2013

American Libraries; An Interview with Skip Prichard: David “Skip” Prichard became president and CEO of OCLC on July 1, succeeding Jay Jordan, who retired after 15 years at the helm of the nonprofit library consortium. He had most recently served as president and CEO of Ingram Content Group in Nashville, and before that was president and CEO of ProQuest Information and Learning. "What’s the biggest challenge facing OCLC this year? The challenges facing OCLC are many of the same challenges facing libraries. Information technology continues to move at an extraordinarily rapid pace, and we have to make sure we are providing the services to help libraries make the most of those technologies and, at the same time, reduce costs. As library users’ expectations continue to grow, we have to make sure we meet and exceed those expectations, whether the user is in the library, at home or in the office, or tapping into library resources using a mobile device. There are lots of leadership styles. What’s yours and how will it help OCLC? I am passionate about my work, and inclusive in my approach to guiding an organization. Leadership is about leveraging strengths and creating new opportunities. I enjoy and look forward to doing both."

Books in Dumpsters Spark Debate on Future of Fairfax County, VA Libraries; Library Journal, 9/25/13

Ian Chant, Library Journal; Books in Dumpsters Spark Debate on Future of Fairfax County, VA Libraries: "Community outrage over having weeded a quarter of a million books into dumpsters isn’t the kind of public relations brouhaha that any library relishes dealing with. That scandal, though, may be the least of the problems for the Fairfax County Public Library, VA, (FCPL) where the library’s Board of Trustees has pressed pause on implementing a strategic plan that was supposed to help guide the library forward... The controversy has served to kick-start a wider-ranging conversation in Fairfax County about the future of its libraries. That conversation centers on what’s known as the Beta Project, a slate of changes to library staffing and operation that was scheduled to begin a test run in two FCPL libraries—busy Reston Regional and smaller, newly built Burke Center—this September. The most controversial item in the Beta Project would see librarian and library assistant positions scrapped in favor of a customer-service specialist position, which would not require applicants to have an MLS, MLIS, or even a bachelor’s degree. The minimum requirement for a job as a customer service specialist is an associate’s degree and at least two years of experience in retail customer service, relaxed educational requirements that have some worried. Speaking before the library Board of Trustees in June, Great Falls Library branch manager Daniela Dixon expressed some of those concerns. “The argument is made that, not to worry, the library will hire people who love books, who love providing “good customer service,” said Dixon, according to minutes from the meeting. “I am skeptical that this will be sufficient to maintain the high level of professional knowledge that librarians provide today.”"

Employers and Public Favor Graduates Who Can Communicate, Survey Finds; Chronicle of Higher Education, 9/18/13

Dan Berrett, Chronicle of Higher Education; Employers and Public Favor Graduates Who Can Communicate, Survey Finds: "Americans adults and employers want colleges to produce graduates who can think critically and creatively, and can communicate orally and in writing, according to the results of a public-opinion survey released by Northeastern University here on Tuesday. Respondents were far less interested in having students receive narrow training and industry-specific skills."

Nice or Tough: Which Approach Engages Employees Most?; Harvard Business Review, 9/11/13

Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman, Harvard Business Review; Nice or Tough: Which Approach Engages Employees Most? : "Clearly, we were asking the wrong question, when we set out to determine which approach was best. Leaders need to think in terms of “and” not “or.” Leaders with highly engaged employees know how to demand a great deal from employees, but are also seen as considerate, trusting, collaborative, and great developers of people. In our view, the lesson then is that those of you who consider yourself to be drivers should not be afraid to be the “nice guy.” And all of you aspiring nice guys should not view that as incompatable with setting demanding goals. The two approaches are like the oars of a boat. Both need to be used with equal force to maximize the engagement of direct reports."

Bob Moritz, on How to Learn About Diversity; New York Times, 9/14/13

Adam Bryant, Corner Office, New York Times; Interview with Bob Moritz, chairman and senior partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers: Bob Moritz, on How to Learn About Diversity: "In my sixth year, I went off to Japan for a couple of years. It was amazingly difficult, and it taught me big lessons that I actually have developed into a leadership style. Q. Please walk me through them. A. First, it taught me about diversity. Over there, I was the minority. I was the guy outside of the circle. I couldn’t speak the language. I was the guy who was discriminated against. So it gave me a different perspective of diversity, and it influenced the diversity agenda we have now. The second thing it taught me was about diversity of thought and cultural diversity. In Japan, you respect titles. You respect age. And you don’t challenge authority. If you’re going to do your job in Japan, how can you ask challenging questions to get the right answers without making people feel threatened? In the role I’ve got today, diversity of thought is hugely important. How do you get people to understand global business practices and do it in a way so that people feel good and not threatened? How do you set that tone and that environment?"

Maggie Forbes returns to familiar Carnegie library post; Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 8/7/13

Megan Guza, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review; Maggie Forbes returns to familiar Carnegie library post: "Sargent said the position of executive director will take on a different focus this time. “The way we're envisioning the executive director position going forward is that that person is charged with more of the development side of the library,” she said, referring to raising funds, “rather than day-to-day library operations."

New York Public Library Rethinks Design; New York Times, 8/27/13

Jennifer Maloney, New York Times; New York Public Library Rethinks Design: "The New York Public Library, responding to outcry over its plans to demolish century-old book stacks, will this fall unveil a new design that preserves a significant portion of them, its president, Anthony Marx, said Tuesday. The library disclosed its plans in response to questions from The Wall Street Journal about alternatives it had considered to the $300 million renovation, which has sparked two lawsuits brought by scholars and preservationists, including a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, aiming to block the stacks' destruction."

Four Steps To Becoming a More Decisive Leader | Leading From the Library; Library Journal, 8/21/13

Steven Bell, Library Journal; Four Steps To Becoming a More Decisive Leader | Leading From the Library: "Decisive is full of good stories and simple but effective strategies for learning how to be a better decision maker. The big takeaway from Decisive for those who want to learn to be better leaders is that leadership requires deep thinking about developing actions that seek to achieve the optimal outcome in a decision situation by doing some of option A and some of option B to come up with an even better option C. Or, perhaps, neither A or B, but some completely new C. For all the reasons that both limit and warp our ability to see all our options clearly, as leaders we need to have multiple strategies to aid our decision-making methods. Whether in higher education or other industries, or even in our own and other libraries, we are exposed to an endless stream of stories about bad decisions that lead to troubling and sometimes disastrous results."

What It Takes to Make New College Graduates Employable; New York Times, 6/28/13

Alina Tugend, New York Times; What It Takes to Make New College Graduates Employable: "“There’s always been a gap between what colleges produce and what employers want,” she said. “But now it’s widening.” That’s because workplaces are more complex and globalized, profit margins are slimmer, companies are leaner and managers expect their workers to get up to speed much faster than in the past... “When it comes to the skills most needed by employers, job candidates are lacking most in written and oral communication skills, adaptability and managing multiple priorities, and making decisions and problem solving,” the report said... “Universities are not in the job of vocational training but they are in the job of evolving,” Ms. LaVelle said. “The magic lies in finding a model that’s appropriate for students to build skills, but palatable and effective for employers as well.”... A global study conducted last year of interviews with 25,000 employers found that nine out of 10 employees believed that colleges were not fully preparing students for the workplace. “There were the same problems,” she said. “Problems with collaboration, interpersonal skills, the ability to deal with ambiguity, flexibility and professionalism.”"

Colleges should teach work skills; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 5/16/13

Mark Bauerlein, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Colleges should teach work skills: "Yet, it turns out, professors don't coddle students and overlook youthful flaws. Another survey by York College finds that professors think the same thing as employers do. It's the 2012 "Professionalism on Campus" survey, a questionnaire about juniors and seniors answered by 415 college and university faculty members. Professors generally agree that professionalism includes attentiveness, punctuality and a work ethic, and 37 percent think it has declined over the past five years, while only 12 percent see an improvement. Even more than employers, fully 64 percent of professors observe an increase in a sense of entitlement in recent years, while only 5 percent say it has decreased. The students text-message during class, send emails to teachers with grammar and spelling errors, and act "unfocused." Faculty members identify parents as the main cause, though American culture in general and grade inflation in high school also receive blame."

Netflix Looks Back on Its Near-Death Spiral; New York Times, 4/26/13

James B. Stewart, New York Times; Netflix Looks Back on Its Near-Death Spiral: "In the annals of corporate missteps, there are few parallels to such a rebound from what once looked like a death spiral, especially in the momentum-driven world of technology. Zynga, the online game maker, and Groupon, the Internet coupon company, are struggling with brutal competition. In an old-economy industry like retail, J. C. Penney was in the midst of a similarly bold attempt to reposition the company when it fired its chief executive, and is now fighting to survive. How did Netflix simultaneously manage both a fundamental transformation of the company and a public relations disaster?"