Exemplary Public Libraries: Lessons in Leadership, Management, and Service

(Hardback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

An inside view of 10 exemplary public libraries What does it take to have a great library The right leader A great team A wonderful facility The best services How can you transform your library to better meet the demands of tomorrow Joy M. Greiner visited 10 exemplary public libraries in the Great Britain and the United States, from Dunfermline Carnegie Library in Scotland and Croydon Public Libraries in England to Chicago Public Library and San Francisco Public library in the US, to find answers to these questions. She interviewed directors and key staff, researched archives, and observed facilities, operations, and interactions. The results of her explorations are contained in this volume, providing readers with nuts and bolts information on public library management along with general insights into what libraries have been, are today, and can be in the future. Each chapter begins with background information on the library's location, community, and facilities, as well as its mission statement, history, and organization. Interviews (or, in some cases, summaries of interviews) with directors and key staff follow. Chapters close with the author's observations about distinguishing features of the library; and those comments are summarized in a final chapter - "The Public Library: A Tradition of Service, A Future of Performance". A selected bibliography, historical timelines, and black and white photos of each of the libraries help make this a unique and treasured resource for library administrators and staff, as well as faculty and students in courses on public libraries, library history, management, and facilities. It will be of interest to anyone interested in library history, library management, and the future of public libraries. Part of the Libraries Unlimited Library Management Collection Based on the author's personal visits to the featured libraries Includes interviews with library directors and staff

Reviews

Greiner provides background information on each library's location, community, and mission; includes interviews with the director and key staff; and gives her own observations about the distinguishing features of the profiled libraries.-American Libraries
Lessons learned are presented as benchmarks or service to their communities in the hope that they will inspire new generations of public librarians to pursue service with diligence. Recommended for all public libraries or academic libraries that support a library school curriculum.-Booklist/Professional Reading
"Greiner provides background information on each library's location, community, and mission; includes interviews with the director and key staff; and gives her own observations about the distinguishing features of the profiled libraries."-American Libraries
"Lessons learned are presented as benchmarks or service to their communities in the hope that they will inspire new generations of public librarians to pursue service with diligence. Recommended for all public libraries or academic libraries that support a library school curriculum."-Booklist/Professional Reading

Author Bio

Linda and Roger Flavell have been studying the oddities of English for over 25 years. Their other books for Kyle Cathie are Dictionary of Idioms (of which a completely revised edition will be published in May 2005), Dictionary of Word Origins and Dictionary of Proverbs.