American Libraries Article "When Small Is All"

The Jan/Feb 2011 issue of American Libraries contains a feature article called “When Small is All: The Successful Public Library Director Wears Many Hats Smartly.”  Jane Pearlmutter and Paul Nelson wrote the article, an excerpt from their upcoming book Small Public Library Management, coming from ALA Publications this spring.              The articles opens by pointing to some statistics worth noting: there are 9,214 public libraries in the U.S.  88% of those are located in small cities and villages serving populations less than 50,000.  Half of those serve populations less than 10,000.
“…these library directors wear many hats: liaison to the board of trustees, policy drafter, staff supervisor, budget director, collections and program manager.  When those hats sit smartly on the chosen head, library operations run more smoothly…”               The importance of directors maintaining healthy relationships figures prominently in the article, along with tips for being an effective boss.  “…personnel issues are often the first management test of a new library director…”              American Libraries Magazine comes with an ALA membership.  But get this: you can read American Libraries online via EBSCO—in full text!   I never get tired of saying that…