Looking through some new books, I ran into this one from Libraries Unlimited – Defining Relevancy, Managing the New Academic Library, edited by Janet McNeil Hurlbert, 978-1-59158-419-3. $45) It’s about the challenges we are all facing regarding the college library today. One of the chapters especially caught my eye. It is by one of the Charleston Conference mentors – Susan Campbell (Director, York College Library, York, Pennsylvania). Her paper is called “The New 3 Rs: Revolution, Reorganization and Renovation.” In it Susan explains how Schmidt Library managed a reorganization that eliminated 13 clerical positions and created 11 new full-time and 2 new part-time positions as well as performing renovations in three and a half months with $3.5 million. There is much more useful material in this book. Divided into seven parts – Analyzing our Users: Making the Connection, the Integration of Form and Function: Buildinga and Services, Collaboration for Learning: Managing Information Literacy, Promoting the Libtrary: Competition and Collaboration, Integration of Staff, Services, and Assessment: What Is Needed? How Will we Know? Who Will Do It?, Connections for College Archives: Taking on New Missions, and finally Issues and Challenges for the future: A Bibliographic Essay – it contains a wealth of information useful toward the management of the college library today and in the future. Check it out!
http://www.lu.com