New
Book Provides Guidance for Library Managers
The Accidental Library Manager offers
thorough coverage of the skills and background
new and potential library managers need
to succeed in their positions
January 3, 2005, Medford, NJ—Information
Today, Inc. announced the publication
of the latest title in the “Accidental” series
of books, The Accidental Library
Manager by Rachel Singer Gordon.
The new book addresses the needs of librarians
faced with unexpected management roles,
including those who never realized they
would be going into management, and those
whose education has not fully prepared them for the challenges of management.
Most librarians enter the field intending
to focus on a particular specialty, but
they eventually need to take on certain
supervisory or managerial responsibilities
in order to move forward. The Accidental
Library Manager provides support
and background, showing library managers
how to be more effective in their positions
and how to think about their work in
terms of the goals of their larger institution.
The book includes insights from library
managers working at different levels
and in various types of libraries, addressing
a wide range of management issues and
situations, as well as comments from
library staff who talk about the qualities
they appreciate—and the styles
and attitudes they find counterproductive—in
their own bosses.
The Accidental Library Manager also
gives suggestions on where library managers
can go from their current positions,
urging them to view their current jobs
in the context of an entire career, and,
although they might currently be “accidental” managers,
to think about how they can plan their
next steps. The book’s supporting
Web page is being periodically updated
by the author.
Rachel Singer Gordon is the former
head of computer services and current
part-time librarian at the Franklin Park
(Ill.) Public Library. She is the founder
and Webmaster of the library careers
site Lisjobs.com, from which she also
publishes Info Career Trends, a free,
bimonthly electronic newsletter on career-development
issues for librarians. With Sarah Johnson,
Gordon maintains Beyond the Job, a professional
development Web log for information professionals.
She also writes both the monthly Computer
Media and NextGen columns for Library
Journal. Her published work includes
The Information Professional’s
Guide to Career Development Online (with
Sarah Nesbeitt, ITI, 2002), The Accidental
Systems Librarian (ITI, 2003), and The
Librarian’s Guide to Writing for
Publication (Scarecrow, 2004). She holds
an M.L.I.S. from Dominican University
and an M.A. from Northwestern University.
The Accidental Library Manager (384
pp/softbound/$29.50/ISBN: 1-57387-210-5)
is published by Information Today, Inc.
and is available in print or electronically
(available through netLibrary, $29.50,
ISBN: 1-57387-962-2). For more information
or to order, contact the publisher directly
at (800) 300-9868 [outside the U.S. call
(609) 654-6266], fax (609) 654-4309,
e-mail custserv@infotoday.com,
or log on to the ITI Web site at https://www.infotoday.com.
Advance praise for The Accidental
Library Manager:
“This in-depth look at library
management includes sound, practical
advice from the author and from a variety
of experts in diverse settings. One
of the great strengths of the book
is the broad coverage of the management
of people, facilities, and budgets.
Highly recommended for the first time
or veteran manager.”
—Dr. Julie Todaro,
management consultant,
author of The Truth is Out There, and dean, library services, Austin Community
College
“A comprehensive, practical
guide to the mysteries of management
in the library workplace. Vital
for both new and experienced library managers.”
—Pat Wagner,
principal
Pattern Research, Inc.
“Informative, thorough, and
well-documented. The text covers many
of the situations you hope
never to encounter (but inevitably do!) in a practical manner and with a
nice touch of humor.”
—Gail Sweet,
director
Burlington County (N.J.) Library System
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