Introduction to Library Management

Have you recently moved to a management position or are you considering a career path in library management? Do you want to determine your potential as a manager or improve your ability to be a successful manager? How strong are your management skills and what can you do to strengthen them or acquire additional skills? This course, which is targeted at first time managers and supervisors, will help you understand the role and responsibilities of the manager. It will also help you understand what changes when you become a manager and how to be the best manager you can be!

In this course, you’ll learn:

• What it means to be a manager – the roles and responsibilities
• How to get off to a great start and achieve early wins
• How to identify and build your personal strengths as a manager
• The knowledge, skills and abilities managers need to be successful, including delegation, communication, motivation, coaching, counseling and discipline
• Successful techniques to manage people and resources and pitfalls to avoid
• Effective decision-making and problem-solving
• How to use conflict to your advantage
• How to attract, develop and retain talent
• How to create a plan for your own managerial development
• Trendwatching for managers

The intended audience for this course is first time managers and supervisors and any library staff considering moving into a management position. During this course you will assess your strengths as a library manager and identify areas and opportunities for personal growth. You will receive practical advice and tips, including classic pitfalls to avoid, to ensure your continuing success as a library manager.

Course Description: During this four-week online course, you will have a chance to learn more about the roles and responsibilities of a library manager. A variety of assignments will give you opportunities to assess your own strengths and areas for growth and also to apply concepts to your own library situation. Your instructor will provide resources and useful tips that can be applied immediately. You will be encouraged to ask questions and participate in discussions with others. You will be able to participate in discussion forums and also in a live online meeting with Susan Hildreth, Professor of Practice at the University of Washington iSchool. Hildreth's former positions include director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, California State Librarian, and director of the Pacific Library Partnership, Califa and the Peninsula Library System. During this online meeting, Hildreth will lead a discussion and provide advice for new managers and supervisors.

Course Outline: When you log in to the Infopeople online learning site, you will see weekly modules with these topics:

• Week 1: Becoming a Manager
  • What it means to be a manager
  • Successfully transitioning to manager
  • Your changing relationships with former co-workers, peers and other managers
  • Your responsibility to the organization
  • Attracting talented staff
  • Assess your personal strengths and identify areas of growth as a manager
• Week 2: Getting Off to a Great Start
  • Important first steps for getting you and your team off to a great start
  • How to set a positive tone, achieve early wins and help make change easier
  • The essential skills of a successful manager: delegation, communication, motivation, coaching and discipline
  • Exercising authority and supervising effectively
  • Setting a good example
  • Tips for getting everyone on the same page and pulling in the same direction
  • Managing people who are working in different locations
• Week 3: Team Management, Decision Making and Problem Solving
  • Build and strengthen the team,
  • Strengthen individual team members
  • Demonstrate effective decision making and community-centered decision making
  • How to make decisions when the going gets tough or you don’t have complete information
  • Participative management
  • Problem solving
  • Conflict and consensus
  • Learn about individual coaching, conflict resolution and working through performance issues
• Week 4: Creating a Learning Environment for You and Your Team
  • How and why you should surround yourself with talented people
  • How to retain talent
  • Managing staff in a learning environment
  • How to identify trends and keep track of important and emerging issues
  • Take ownership of your managerial development and create a plan for your personal growth
  • How to create your support network – getting help from others
  • Know how and where to find information and help in managing successfully
  • How to create expectations for yourself and others (and how to know if you are meeting the expectations you have set)

Pre-course Assignment: None

Time Required: To complete this course, you can expect to spend 3 hours per week, for a total of twelve course hours. Each week's module contains readings and various options for assignments, discussions, or online meetings. You can choose the options most relevant to your work and interests. Although you can work on each module at your own pace, at any hour of the day or night, it is recommended that you complete each week's work within that week to stay in sync with other learners.

Who Should Take This Course: First time managers and supervisors and any library staff considering moving into a management position.

Online Learning Details and System Requirements may be found at: infopeople.org/training/online_learning_details.

Learner Requirements: None

After the official end date for the course, the instructor will be available for limited consultation and support for two more weeks, and the course material will stay up for an additional two weeks after that. These extra weeks give those who have fallen behind time to work independently to complete the course.

Keywords: Administration, Communication and interpersonal skills, Leadership, Supervision and management