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The ART of People Management in Libraries: Tips for managing your most vital resource

James McKinlay, Haines Centre for Strategic Management and Vicki Williamson, University of Saskatchewan Library, Canada

Chandos Information Professional Series

The authors have produced a practical book that is current and aspiring library leaders from a variety of sectors will find useful.
The Australian Library Journal

A readable and useful book.
The Australian Library Journal

 - a practical ‘how-to’ book that provides realistic and proven solutions to real-world challenges
 - provides examples from organizations to highlight concepts and their applications
 - summary of key points at the end of each chapter, as well as specific tips in three areas: A – Attention (things to pay attention to); R – Results (initiatives that help to achieve desired results) and T – Techniques (ways to apply the concepts presented.
 - showcases a “Systems Thinking Approach”
 - special focus on the critical nature of corporate culture & its effects on results

This book explores recent trends in human resource management practices and presents options for their application within the special context of libraries, especially academic and research libraries. It lays out a set of the most pressing HR management issues facing senior library leaders in the context of continuous organisational change in the 21st century and offers library practitioners effective tips for people management.

Readership: Practitioners, leading or participating in change processes, especially in academic and research libraries. Students, teachers and scholars in the field of library and information science will also find the book a valuable aid.

£49.50 / US$85.00 / €60.00

An e-book version of this title is available to purchase as part of a Collection or Pick n Mix. Visit Chandos Publishing Online

About the authors

James McKinlay has provided consulting services to public sector organisations throughout Canada and the USA for more than 25 years and is one of two co-founders of the Haines Centre for Strategic Management.

Vicki Williamson has held senior leadership positions in universities and research libraries in both Australia and Canada and her doctorial research focused on educational innovation, strategic planning and change management.

Through this book, the authors share their extensive knowledge and years of experience in different organizations, in different countries, combining their solid theoretical knowledge with a contextual understanding of organisations gained from their respective roles as specialist HR consultant and library leader.

Contents

The library business is changing – please excuse our dust during renovations!
 - Summary

Human resources: your most vital resource – don’t leave it to chance!
 - Emerging trends affecting HR management in the future
 - Key human resource challenges facing organisations
 - Impact of these emerging trends within a library
 - Impact of the key HR challenges within a library
 - Summary

The rules of the game have changed
 - The changing paradigm of HR management
 - Common characteristics of people management
 - Summary

The systems thinking approach: the framework for developing a human resource management system
 - A brief history of the science of systems thinking
 - The fathers of general systems theory
 - Summary

Systems thinking simplified – four primary concepts
 - Concept 1 – The Seven Levels of Living Systems
 - Concept 2 – The 12 Natural Laws of Living Systems
 - Concept 3 – The A-B-C-D-E Systems Thinking Approach
 - Concept 4 – The Rollercoaster of Change
 - Summary

Developing your people plan – a Systems Thinking approach
 - Creating the People Plan
 - Step 1: Plan-to-Plan
 - Step 2: Business Scanning
 - Step 3: The People Edge Vision
 - Step 4: Key People Success Measures
 - Step 5: Current State People Assessment
 - Step 6: Developing People Strategies
 - Step 7: People Edge Integration
 - Step 8: Plan-to-Implement
 - Step 9: Strategy Implementation and Change
 - Step 10: Annual People Plan Review and Update
 - The parallel process – with key stakeholders
 - Summary

Leadership in HR management practices – the people edge competencies
 - The importance of leadership
 - Conducting an assessment of human resource practices
 - Conducting an assessment of leadership competencies
 - The value of competency assessments
 - Summary

Ten critical HR issues within libraries
 - Issue 1: Shifting organisational culture/culture of empowerment
 - Issue 2: Generational differences in the workplace
 - Issue 3: Strengthening the spirit of teamwork
 - Issue 4: Coping with the entitlement mindset
 - Issue 5: Initiating major change
 - Issue 6: Fostering a culture of outstanding customer service
 - Issue 7: Impact of technology – to assist in breaking down silos
 - Issue 8: Fostering cross-functional skill development
 - Issue 9: Coping with the impact of the retirement boom
 - Issue 10: Establishing career management and succession management systems
 - Summary

Epilogue: ‘Just when we thought things were running smoothly …’