Library Management, a la George Needham

George Needham has a must-read article on WebJunction: Forget the OPAC: Why Does Library Management Suck?  I recommend it for anyone in any way related to library management: managers, would-be managers, library school professors teaching management classes, library school students taking those classes, everybody.  He talks about how the only opportunity for advancement in salary in libraries (like schools) is promotion, and how that takes staff who are really good at what they do (be it cataloging or reference) and makes them managers.  And none of us are prepared.  If we took a class in library school about management, it didn't teach us what we needed to know, and more likely than not, we skipped that class in favor of something that seemed more practical at the time, like "Dialog searching."  He gives us four questions to think about, areas where he seems room for growth in library managers:

1. Can you be honest with your governing authority?
2. Can you talk with your staff about their performance?
3. Can you share information?
4. Can you let go?

Go read the article.  It's a goodie.