Operations Handbook for the Small Academic Library: A Management Handbook

(Hardback)

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Description

Gerard McCabe's Operations Handbook for the Small Academic Library fills a real need. It should be of substantial benefit to many librarians working in such settings. The editor has done a good job of identifying the issues, finding a range of skilled practitioners to write intelligently and succinctly about those issues, and arranging and presenting the material in a straightforward fashion. . . . The information and advice is consistently sound and reliable, which makes this a text that can be recommended as a solid manual for those responsible for the management of small academic libraries. Wilson Library Bulletin Designed as a companion volume to The Smaller Academic Library: A Management Handbook (Greenwood Press, 1988), this book outlines specific suggestions for the efficient day-to-day operation of the small institution that has limited resources yet often must serve a broad cross section of academic and community interests. Written by experienced library management specialists, it is intended for library staffs at all levels as well as other readers who have an interest in libraries and their operation. Administrative functions, including cost data presentation and the use of bibliographic networks, are examined in the first several chapters. The authors next look at personnel issues and present guidelines on the design of jobs, recruitment and selection of librarians, staff training, and the employment of student workers. Circulation, the interlibrary loan, and off-campus library services are discussed in detail, and practical advice is given on the selection and utilization of technical services. A section on technology shows how to integrate new services and technoloy in the smaller institution and provides information on microcomputers, software, CD-ROM, and electronic book ordering. Other topics considered are the material selection process, periodical acquisition and budget control, the selection of monographs, and issues in library facility planning, such as interior design, furniture selection, and the utilization of space. The volume concludes with a bibliographic essay. Clear and readable, this book offers a systematic approach to revitalizing the diverse services, functions, and daily routines that make up the operation of the small academic library.

Reviews

. . . the Operations Handbook will serve as a reference source for library school students and other librarians interested in the small academic library, or for librarians interested in exploring areas outside their own expertise. Most academic library literature continues to be geared toward large university and research libraries; McCabe is to be applauded for his second addition to the work of librarians in small academic environments.-Library Resources and Technical Services
. . . Each chapter is well-written, and includes further relevant references. Also, considerably more attention has been paid to the "peculiar needs" of the smaller academic library than was the case in the companion work. Finally, not only does the handbok contain some downright good advice (on the Library Advisory Committee, staff training, and preservation programs, for example) but includes helpful articles on issues either infrequently addressed in the literature (e.g. student workers) or relatively new (e.g. micrcomputer personal productivity software, electronic book ordering). Recommended for the libraries of colleges, small universities and schools of library and information science.-CLJ
. . . Two other chapters of exceptional merit are worth mentioning: one on off-campus library services, which speaks to the importance of bibliographic instruction and one-on-one service, and one on planning and using microcomputers in the small library, which advises against automating just for the sake of automating. Librarians who feel their libraries are technologically outmoded should read this chapter before making decisions regarding the use of microcomputers. This collection would make a worthy addition to library science holdings and those of small to medium-sized academic libraries. The price can easily be justified since it is aimed at most library employees, who should be encouraged to read the chapters pertaining to their interests and responsibilities.-The Journal of Academic Librarianship
." . . the Operations Handbook will serve as a reference source for library school students and other librarians interested in the small academic library, or for librarians interested in exploring areas outside their own expertise. Most academic library literature continues to be geared toward large university and research libraries; McCabe is to be applauded for his second addition to the work of librarians in small academic environments."-Library Resources and Technical Services
." . . Each chapter is well-written, and includes further relevant references. Also, considerably more attention has been paid to the "peculiar needs" of the smaller academic library than was the case in the companion work. Finally, not only does the handbok contain some downright good advice (on the Library Advisory Committee, staff training, and preservation programs, for example) but includes helpful articles on issues either infrequently addressed in the literature (e.g. student workers) or relatively new (e.g. micrcomputer personal productivity software, electronic book ordering). Recommended for the libraries of colleges, small universities and schools of library and information science."-CLJ
." . . Two other chapters of exceptional merit are worth mentioning: one on off-campus library services, which speaks to the importance of bibliographic instruction and one-on-one service, and one on planning and using microcomputers in the small library, which advises against automating just for the sake of automating. Librarians who feel their libraries are technologically outmoded should read this chapter before making decisions regarding the use of microcomputers. This collection would make a worthy addition to library science holdings and those of small to medium-sized academic libraries. The price can easily be justified since it is aimed at most library employees, who should be encouraged to read the chapters pertaining to their interests and responsibilities."-The Journal of Academic Librarianship

Author Bio

GERARD B. McCABE is Director of Libraries at Clarion University of Pennsylvania. He is the editor of The Smaller Academic Library: A Management Handbook (Greenwood, 1988).