LIBPACS@UHUPVM1.BITNET (PACS Forum) (01/15/90)
From->"Beth.Shapiro" <20676BJS@MSU>
Subject->Library Staffing Issues
While library administrators need not be techies, it will become increasingly
important for them to understand basic techological concepts. The ability to
hire excellent technical staff and to then communicate with them will be
essential.
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From->Peter Stangl <peter@krypton.stanford.edu>
Subject->Re: Library Staffing Issues
With reference to Bernie Sloan's question:
As we move into the 1990's, what kind of technical/managerial skills
will library ADMINISTRATORS need in order to be able to make the plans
and decisions needed to support the "electronic library", or the "li-
brary of the future"?
I believe the answer is exactly the same as it would be with reference to the
1960's or 1930's. EFFECTIVE library administrators need (besides standard
management skills like communication, fiscal planning, and organization) two
things. (1) A thorough understanding of the nature, type, format, etc of
information that is useful to the library's user community in the context of
their work or interests, and (2) adequate judgment (i.e., well informed and
generally educated common sense) to assess the efficacy and cost/benefit
aspects of all available methods of delivering such information.
In other words, he or she needs to understand the nature and utility of print,
and a/v, and mrdf, and whatever - rather than be an "expert" in CD-ROM data,
or rare books, and needs to be aware of traditional methods of information
delivery as well as current possibilities offered by technology. The exact
same thing is true, of course, of the effective manufacturing executive or
service company president - just change print and a/v to cars, candy or
plumbing. Look not at 3x5 catalog cards, or COM, or CD-ROM backup to the
OPAC, but at bibliographic control offered in a maximally accessible and easy
interface, depending on all the conditions affecting your users. Look not at
ALA approved ILL procedures, or OCLC-ILL, or in-house e-mail requests, but at
responsive and efficient document delivery.
The bottom line is that no mastering of single sets of "little expertise's" an
effective library administrator (or any other administrator) shall make, and
therefore looking to identify them is a waste of time. They evolve fast - the
challenge is to keep in tune.
Peter Stangl, Director
Lane Library
Stanford University Medical Center
Stanford, CA 94305-5323
415-723-7196
peter@krypton.stanford.edu
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From->B_NIELSEN@nuacc.bitnet
Subject->Library staffing issues
In response to Bernie Sloan's query about administrators' needs for dealing
with the library of the future, I'd suggest reading a symposium published
in LIBRARY HI-TECH last fall on that topic. It came out in V.7#2, 1989 --
I don't have cite for full symposium, but I contributed on pp.109-111.
Brian Nielsen
Northwestern University Library