Good Managing A Library Essay Example

Part 1

My pick is law #10 the law of connection. For people to follow a person they need to know that he cares; he understands them and has their best interests at heart. This emotional connection creates trust and people feel secure following someone who cares about their needs. The security created by this connection encourages total commitment to the mission and vision of the leader.
I agree with my classmate’s pick law #7 ‘the law of respect. This was a good pick because it encourages leaders to be outstanding. In order to earn respect one will have to have unique qualities that unite people. It helps create a conducive working environment with mutual respect for one another.
This library will be an accessible center for learning, research, and creativity focused on serving the intellectual curiosity of all the members of the community. The library will be committed to providing the best traditional and modern research tools, both local and foreign learning resources and an environment for all the members of the society. We will ensure we utilize and develop the unique abilities of our workers and help them to achieve excellence in their service to the community.
My classmate aims to promote equal access of resources to the entire society while maintaining a balanced and efficient staff structure. A agree that every library management should to balance the available the resources effectively to ensure that every individual receives the best possible service. The best approach to attain this degree of library service is to ensure that the staff structure is balanced, well organized, and efficient.

Part 2

Question 1
Knowledge is a vital need for development of any given society. The success of any society economically, socially, morally or on any other aspect depends on the knowledge available. Knowledge shapes the abilities, attitude, and personality of an individual in a society. Libraries are the portals to the entire world’s knowledge. They are the store of knowledge acquired over the centuries and from different parts of the world. A library is a fountain where minds thirsty of knowledge get to quench their thirst; a knowledge store where people get experiences from the past and the present that guide them in making important choices in life. The duty of all librarians is to ensure that the knowledge from the past and the present is accessible to the people that need it. They also have to ensure that knowledge is continually recorded and saved for the future generations. The mission of this library is to provide quality information (knowledge) and services to the people in need of it.
The organization of a library is the most valuable tool that determines the success or failure of the library. The organizational structure determines how efficient the service delivery is in a library. A good library should have a hybrid organization system. A hybrid system is a crossbreed of the hierarchical and flat systems. A hybrid system enables independent functioning of various departments without entirely losing contact with each other. The fact that different departments are under one head helps various departments work to similar goals and promotes inter-departmental co-operation. The library should be divided into three units that work directly under the management; namely; the customer service unit, the learning and research support unit, and the media and web unit. The hybrid organizational structure allows for creativity and innovation in running different departments but ensures that these changes do not interfere with the normal functioning of the other departments.

Question 2

Library units are dependent on each other. The learning and research unit of the library depends on the customer service unit in ensuring proper flow and management of books and resources in the library. The media and web unit ensures that all the records are well kept, which helps both the customer service unit and learning and research unit work efficiently. The hybrid system has many advantages in the library. It will enable fast and efficient decision-making. Unlike other organizational systems, the hybrid system allows for speedy decision making as different departments work independently. The management will review these decisions to ensure that they do not affect other units negatively. The hybrid system is highly flexible because of the independence of various departments. Changes in one department do not affect other departments making it very flexible. It is easy to adapt to different situations arising in different departments without affecting the normal running of the library. It also helps the employees develop cross-functional skills that enable them fit in various departments. The hybrid system will require employees perform a wide range of functions in a department shaping them into cross-functional individuals. The system will facilitate flexibility within the operations of the organization such that changes and adjustments will be made without interfering with the core operations of the organization.
One of the major disadvantages of the hybrid systems is that it encourages conflicts between in the leadership. The workers not only receive instructions from the heads of department but also from the management when need arises. In cases where instructions differ the workers might be in a dilemma on who to follow. Inter-departmental wrangles might be difficult to resolve as each department enjoys freedom in their decision-making procedures. A hybrid system of organization can encourage underperformance within departments where several supervisors or leaders play a common role in the management of the organization. Nevertheless, interdepartmental conflicts are always easy to resolve because the top management has a final say. Additionally, most organizational procedures are based on the mode of operation stipulated in the terms and conditions of major operations within the organization.
Following the discussion on the merits and demerits of the system, I strongly recommend that the organization adopt a hybrid system, which will upload flexibility within the departments of the organization. The system will be implemented such that the Library Director and head of the IT unit, will oversee the management operations within the organization. With the system in place, these heads will align the operations with the requirements of the organization. The heads can also make the necessary adjustments to ensure that there is coherence within the departments while maintaining a proper organizational schedule within the organization. The essence of maintaining a hybrid system provides the sectional leadership of the organization with the ability to define major approaches that will ensure that the entire institution is best versed with the requirements of the clientele. A proper implementation of this system will enable the library to serve the needs of the community appropriately. With a good plan, the library will provide to services to different classes of people and help them develop their various needs. The leadership will streamline the operations within various departments, which will enable the institution attain its objectives and achieve its long-term goals.

Question 3

The organization of the library will be as follows. The management will be the supreme body in managing the day-to-day activities of the library. The management will consist of Library Director and head of the IT unit. Together they will ensure all the departments of the library are working together towards the mission of the library. The Library Director will oversee the general well-being of the library while the head of the IT unit will facilitate the purchase and management of ICT properties in all departments. The media and web unit will be responsible for obtaining printed and electronic material for the library and monitoring their usage. It is also responsible for managing the Library’s website and web services. The learning and research support unit will aid different library users in their researches. They will ensure that different users benefit most from the library. They will also offer tutorials to academic researchers needing their help. The customer service unit will be responsible for checking books in and out and dealing with the customers. They should also ensure the library has a conducive environment that promotes serious reading. All these departments should work independently but maintain a close relationship to deliver the best quality services.
The library is an important part of every community as it provides vital knowledge needed for the development of all members of a society. As a store of recorded experiences from different parts of the world, the library requires good management to benefit the community. A good library is portioned into different departments that work to the same mission and vision. Different departments should work independently yet in cooperation with each other. A good management system that encourages this paradoxical relationship between departments suits the system best. The hybrid system of management suits this relationship best as it combines both the flat and hierarchical management system. It encourages independent but cooperative relationship between departments. The hybrid management system will best suit this library as it will foster a good relationship between various departments united by the management of the library. This system will encourage great cooperation between various departments without limiting their creativity.