Developing Library Staff for the 21st Century

Developing Library Staff for the 21st Century presents a variety of insightful perspectives on how proper human resources management strategies can provide library staff members at all levels with the skills needed for libraries of the future. The shift of the concept of management from control to development means that library administrators must adapt to a more inclusive definition of the human resources field. In addition to such administration activities as recruitment, wage and payroll management, and benefits, human resources management now encompasses all activities that promote greater job satisfaction and support the development of individuals within the context of the workplace.

This valuable book examines some of the procedures that can help library managers identify the human resources in their organizations; design and implement programs, policies, and procedures to address these issues; and commit the necessary resources to support the full development of all library staff. These perceptive chapters present discussions of the general issues in human resource management and development. They suggest a variety of practical ideas for developing academic library staff at all levels in preparation for the twenty-first century.

Academic libraries must be prepared to face unique challenges in the recruitment of talented, qualified individuals to the library profession, the provision of adequate pay for the level of knowledge and skill required by library work, and the very nature of library education. Developing Library Staff for the 21st Century presents a wealth of innovative ideas for reshaping library staff at both the organizational and staff level including:

• technological training for staff members
• a model of leadership development based on the library's organizational culture and level of maturity
• a “green movement” for librarianship that presents an action agenda for the creation of librarianship as a learning and self-renewing profession
• research findings about the role of the academic library director and some specific areas that need development
• the changing role of library assistants and the steps libraries need to take to attract, retain, and develop support staff
• practical experiences with the implementation of innovative human resource programs at Yale University and the University of California, San Diego
  
  Administrators, managers, librarians, and staff members will become better prepared for the future with a broad understanding of the various models, approaches, and specific actions described in this book. By making important human resources management changes now, academic libraries will successfully adapt to meet the administrative challenges of the 21st century.