SLIS S551: Library Management
Course Syllabus Fall 2008
S551: Library Management
Indiana University at Indianapolis
School of Library and Information Science
Welcome to S551 Library Management!
S551 is designed to provide an introductory overview of practical and theoretical issues in
libraries and information management. We use a combination of readings, discussions, group
work, and case studies to explore and resolve real life, practical issues that present in library
and information center environments.
Teaching and learning methods employed in this course include small group learning,
independent learning, visual, kinesthetic, and others, all employed in an online learning
environment in Oncourse < [Link] >.
Primary management themes common to all types of libraries are studied -- including basic
organizational, administrative, and managerial models and concepts. Leadership, group
dynamics, team building, problem-solving, change management, diversity and inclusion, and
effective communication are addressed. Other topics include:
• Planning
• Policy-making
• Hiring and personnel management
• Basic budgeting
• Communication skills
• Organizational behavior
• Basic introduction to library budgeting
Experienced managers should take the SLIS management series courses (S650s)
instead of this more basic, introductory course.
Instructor:
Katherine Schilling, MLS, Ed.D., AHIP
Assistant Professor
IU School of Library & Information Sciences
School of Nursing
School of Informatics
University Library, SLIS Offices, Room 3100E
Phone: 317-278-2375 (office)
Phone: 317-580-0425 (home)
E-mail: katschil@[Link]
Email correspondences will be answered within 24 hours, Monday 9:00 am - Friday, 5:00 pm
(The SLIS standard is that faculty answer email within 48 hours, M - F)
Office hours are by appointment. Feel free to contact me at any time. We can talk on the
phone, e-mail, or meet face-to-face at a convenient location.
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SLIS S551: Library Management
Course Syllabus Fall 2008
Required Readings:
Transitioning from Librarian to Middle Manager
Pixey Anne Mosley
Libraries Unlimited, 2004
ISBN: 1-59158-117-6
Stanley, Mary J.
Managing Library Employees: A How-to-do-it Manual
New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, 2008
ISBN: 9781555706289
ISBN: 1555706282
This book is probably not available in the IUPUI bookstore, although it is available via
[Link] or other commercial vendors. We do not begin to use it until several weeks
into the course, giving you time to order the text.
Strongly recommended for your collection:
Any of Meryl Runion’s Power Phrases books. Check netlibrary for availability:
Meryl Runion. Power Phrases: The Perfect Words to Say it Right and Get the Results You
Want. Publisher: Power Potentials Publishing
2002
ISBN: 0971443726
Power Phrases, Meryl Runion
2004
ISBN: 0-9714437-2-6
* All other readings are posted in Oncourse RESOURCES weekly folders
Topical Outline:
Week 1: Welcome & Introductions
Week 2: Management Styles & Theories
Week 3: Organizational Culture & Mission
Week 4: Communicating Effectively
Week 5: Policy-Making
Week 6: Leadership & Teambuilding
Week7: Personnel Management I
Week 8: Personnel Management II
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SLIS S551: Library Management
Course Syllabus Fall 2008
Week 9: Personnel Management III
Week 10: Fiscal Management I
Week 11: Fiscal Management II
Week 12: Equality, Equity & Diversity
Week 13: Management Overview
Course Goals:
• To engage participants in common management and leadership issues in libraries and
information centers including budgeting, personnel, policy and others.
• To help participants develop an increased understanding of organizational theory and
behavior, management functions, and managerial roles and techniques.
• To explore, discuss, and reflect on participants’ attitudes, philosophies and skills related to
managing staff and resources.
• To promote participants’ understanding of and practice of teamwork as a required skill for
professional life.
• To facilitate participants’ understanding of the implications of the study of organizations and
management on practice and research.
After participating in S551, students should be able to:
• Understand basic management concepts and their relationship to library and information
centers.
• Analyze organizational problems and recognize the strengths and limitations of various
problem-solving strategies.
• Assess and evaluate management and organizational decision-making literature.
• Recognize and employ appropriate communication strategies in the organizational context.
• Work effectively with colleagues in a team: communicate effectively, delegate tasks, and
establish goals and priorities.
• Think critically about existing challenges and developing issues in the information
professions.
• Recommend, write, and analyze solutions to problems and issues in library and information
center management.
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SLIS S551: Library Management
Course Syllabus Fall 2008
• THOUHGTFUL ENGAGEMENTS IN THE READINGS AND ACTIVITIES is your ultimate
goal for this course.
_______________________________________________________________
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SLIS S551: Library Management
Course Syllabus Fall 2008
Technical Requirements and Support:
We will meet on the web through Oncourse [Link] and occasionally, some or
all of us may meet on the web in Breeze [Link]
Students are responsible for making all necessary provisions for accessing course-related
resources in Oncourse < [Link] > and through Breeze at
[Link] (a simple microphone/headset is required ($25)).
In order to access licensed information resources (like electronic journals at the University
Library) from off-campus computers, you may be required to Install IU’s VPN client onto your
home computer. This allows your computer to access the IUPUI pool of resources by adopting
an IUPUI IP (Internet Protocol) address so that IP-restricted resources (like journals) recognize
your computer as an IU-affiliated machine.
Technical assistance is available from the following:
KnowledgeBase Online Q & A: < [Link] >
ITHelpLive: < [Link] >
Phone support: 317-274-4357, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Email: ithelp@[Link]
Your Responsibilities to this Course and to Your Learning:
• Just as no other person can eat for you, no one else can learn for you. If you are hungry, it
won’t help if someone else eats a sandwich. Learning is the same way: you are
responsible for your own learning. The role of the instructor is to provide you with ample
resources and opportunities, to facilitate the process, and to provide assessment and
feedback on your progress. This class provides you with an extensive ‘buffet’ of information
from which you should ‘eat’ (learn). You are responsible for making good use of this vast
‘buffet.’ What you learn ultimately depends on the time, effort, energy, and commitment that
you bring to the table.
• Students are expected to read all assigned materials before class and participate in class
discussions. Students should scan the current literature, be informed about related events
and issues, and share noteworthy information. I generally do NOT make it a habit to discuss
each and every reading each week. Instead, I assume that you have completed the
readings and that they are informing your participation (cite accordingly). If there are
particular readings that you believe warrant detailed class discussion, please bring these up
in your forums!
• This is a three-credit, graduate-level course. In accordance with SLIS and IUPUI policies, a
3:1 workload is expected: on-average, this course should take about 12 hours per week.
This workload may increase dramatically just before assignments are due. This translates
to a significant commitment of time each week.
Plan accordingly, pace yourself, and frontload your workflow.
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SLIS S551: Library Management
Course Syllabus Fall 2008
• If you are new to online courses, expect to spend most of your time reading and writing.
In a face-to-face class, you simply speak out when you have an opinion to share, but in an
online class, every comment must be composed, and this takes significant time.
• Students are expected to complete all course assignments on-time and participate fully in all
homework activities, projects, and discussions.
• Generally, late assignments are not permitted, and will be automatically docked 5%.
You are expected to frontload your workflow and pace your work so that you do not fall
behind. If you need to turn in an assignment late, please speak with the instructor.
• In accordance with SLIS policy, incompletes are NOT awarded except under
extraordinary circumstances.
• In your out-of-class work, please select and follow an appropriate style sheet or citation
manual (MLA, APA, others) consistently, including conventions for citation of research,
editing, and so on. Select one style and apply it consistently and accurately.
REMEMBER: Style applies to layout, syntax, grammar and many other elements, as
well as to bibliographies. Use your style manual consistently for all aspects of your
written works.
• Please ask questions about unclear coursework so that we can discuss and clarify any
ambiguities in course assignments or activities. I encourage you to contact the instructor
with any questions, comments or feedback.
• The most current copies of the course syllabus, assignments, course materials, and
schedules are posted on Oncourse. Any date or schedule changes will be posted in the
homepage. Students should regularly check the Oncourse HOMEPAGE and MESSAGE
CENTER for course news and updates.
• Make active use of this syllabus, course resources, and course assignments. Read and re-
read, ask questions for clarification, and use these as information guides as you work.
Academic Integrity and Professional Conduct:
All IUPUI academic standards and policies are in effect, including standards for computing
ethics, plagiarism, academic honesty, and all provisions outlined in the Code of Student Rights,
Responsibilities, and Conduct: [Link] (IU Campus Bulletin, pp. 36 -
38) and the IU Academic Handbook: [Link]
Our primary goal is to build a learning community where all can develop in an atmosphere of
integrity, where honest and imaginative academic work may flourish. As co-participants in this
learning community, all participants are expected to treat each other with the utmost respect and
to adhere to the highest standards of academic integrity, honesty and fairness. As a student, this
expectation includes:
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SLIS S551: Library Management
Course Syllabus Fall 2008
• Preparing for, being present and accountable, and actively participating in online class
sessions
• Respecting others, the diversity of their experiences and perspectives, and their opinions
(even if they differ from your own)
• Being direct and truthful in communication, taking credit only for work that you have
done, and fairly giving credit to sources from which you draw ideas and information
• Being accountable to the instructor and colleagues for your participation and making a
good faith effort to ensure that the class goes well
• Respecting others by posting email and discussion comments that are not insulting,
inflammatory, or negative in nature. Don’t answer emails or messages when you are
annoyed!!!
• Save complaints, sarcasm, or bad attitudes for private emails. Do not poison the
discussion forums with negativity!
Communication:
Communicate directly, honestly, graciously and politely with classmates at all times.
Please feel free to talk with the instructor (by email at katschil@[Link] or by phone at 317-
580-0425 (home) or 317-278-2372 (office) ) anytime during the semester concerning your
progress in class. I always prefer to hear about your concerns or difficulties before they become
serious problems so we can work together to find a solution with time left in the semester to
implement a plan. My goal is that this course is an important and valuable, and also
manageable, learning experience for you.
Special Accommodations:
Students who require special accommodations must register with Adaptive Education Services
and complete all documentation: [Link] 317-274-3241, TTD/TTY 317-278-
2050, Fax 317-274-2051. Please let the instructor know before the second week of classes if
you require special accommodations.
Attendance and Participation:
Because your participation is important to this course, attendance -- being ‘present and
accounted for’ in our forums each week is expected. Contact me at katschil@[Link], 317-
580-0425 (home) or 317-278-2372 (office) if you’ll be absent for a week.
Grading Policies:
This course is assessed via letter grades for each assignment, with the assignments totaling
100%. S551 adheres to SLIS grading policies (outlined in the IUPUI Campus Bulletin, pp. 7 -
8) as follows:
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SLIS S551: Library Management
Course Syllabus Fall 2008
A (4.0) Outstanding achievement. Student performance demonstrates full command of the
course materials and evidences a high level of originality and/or creativity that far
surpasses course expectations. The grade of A+ is not granted at SLIS, except in very
exceptional cases.
A (3.7) Excellent achievement. Student performance demonstrates thorough knowledge of
course materials and exceeds course expectations by completing all requirements in a
superior manner.
B+ (3.3) Very good work. Student performance demonstrates above-average comprehension of
the course materials and meets course expectations on all tasks as defined in the course
syllabus.
B (3.0) Good work. Student performance meets designated course expectations, demonstrates
understanding of the course materials, and performs at an acceptable level.
B- (2.7) Marginal work. Student performance demonstrates incomplete understanding of course
materials.
C+ (2.3) Unsatisfactory work and inadequate understanding of course materials.
A 5% grade reduction is assessed for late assignments unless cleared by the instructor.
In compliance with SLIS policies, incompletes are NOT awarded except under
extraordinary circumstances.
Graded Activities:
* Due Date
Activity Value
Participation
Assessed weekly throughout
Weekly discussion forums, activities, group 20% 200 pts semester via check, check
work, Breeze sessions, in-class plus, check minus system
discussions, etc.
Weekly Online Discussion Leader 15% 150 pts Individual dates assigned
Group Assignments:
Mission Statement Exercise 10% 100 pts Friday of week 4
Policy Exercise 10% 100 pts Friday of week 6
Hiring & Evaluation Exercise 15% 150 pts Friday of week 9
Budget Exercise 10% 100 pts Friday of week 11
Management Interview 20% 200 pts Friday of week 12
100% or 1000 total points
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SLIS S551: Library Management
Course Syllabus Fall 2008
• Please note that unless otherwise specified all materials are due in your Oncourse
DROP-BOX on or before MIDNIGHT on the specified date.
• Items that are not submitted to the correct place will be considered LATE.
• Graded assignments, with comments, will be emailed back to you.
Participation (20%): Includes student’s engagement in course materials and readings,
interaction with class colleagues, weekly independent activities; and your engagement
in weekly online discussion forums. Each student is expected to participate
meaningfully in all of the weekly discussion forums.
Weekly Discussion Leader (15%): Each week, one student acts as the weekly discussion
leader for the week. The discussion leader is responsible for 1) selecting, reviewing, and
posting a supplemental reading that is related to that week’s topic; 2) monitoring, moderating
and advancing the weekly discussion; and 3) summarizing the topic/discussion at the end
week’s end.
Management Interview (20%): Each student will interview a library manager about
important issues and prepare a written overview which sites current literature in
support of the student’s findings and/or argument.
Group Assignments:
Working in small teams of 3 - 4, students will propose, research, and prepare for written
presentation several exercises:
Mission Statement (10%): Each small team will prepare a library mission statement for a real or
fictitious library. I then recommend that you use this library as your sample/example for all
remaining exercises.
Policy exercise (10%): Each team will review a case study in which an important policy issues
is raised. The team will then create a policy and corresponding procedures to address the
policy problem.
Budget exercise (10%): Each team will use sound financial management principles to make
and justify library budget cuts.
Hiring & Evaluation exercise (15%): Each team will prepare an interview guide and applicant
evaluation form for staff who are involved in interviewing and hiring a new librarian.
(Additional assignment details are available in the Oncourse ASSIGNMENTS link.)
All assignments and materials are due in your Oncourse Drop-Box on or before
MIDNIGHT on the specified date. Assignments that are not put in the proper location will
be considered late. (The DROP-BOX is one of the menu items located on the black menu bar
on the far left-hand side of the Oncourse screen.)
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SLIS S551: Library Management
Course Syllabus Fall 2008
Course Schedule
Please see the weekly course schedule in Oncourse for a complete list of each week’s
goals, readings, learning activities, and discussion forum topics.
Week 1: August 25 - 31
Welcome & Introductions
Welcome & Introductions
Overview of syllabus, assignments, grading, group work, case studies; misc. housekeeping
duties.
Expectations of and from students and instructor.
Readings for this week
• No readings are due for our first week of class. Please see this week’s schedule in
Oncourse for required activities.
Week 2: September 1 - 7
Management Styles & Theories
Management Styles & Theories
Management themes and concepts; management styles; Why become a manager?
What your predecessor left behind; Roles, activities, expectations of librarian managers
Why become a manager? Engaging others; Power myths and realities
Readings for this week
• Mosley, chapter 1 Roles of the Middle Manager, and 2 Your Time Is No Longer Your Own
• ‘Eight Truths for Middle Managers’ in Oncourse
• ‘Our Managers Can’t Manage’ in Oncourse
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SLIS S551: Library Management
Course Syllabus Fall 2008
Week 3: September 8 - 14
Organizational Culture & Mission
Organizational Culture & Mission
Introduction to organizational life, culture, and mission, both articulated and unarticulated.
Organizational hierarchy and its impact on organizational quality of life
Small teams should first review the materials in our weekly folder, and then begin the Mission
Statement Exercise.
Readings for this week
• Mosley, chapter 7 Exploring Your Inheritance
• ‘Working with Colleagues’ in Oncourse
• ‘Organizational Paradigm for Effective Academic Libraries’ in Oncourse
• ‘Ties that Bind’ in Oncourse
• ‘Analyzing the Internal Operating Environment’ in Oncourse
• Review the various mission statement documents in Oncourse RESOURCES, ‘Mission
Statements’ folder.
Week 4: September 15 - 21
Communicating Effectively
Communicating Effectively
Listening effectively; communicating in small and large groups; communicating with peers,
subordinates and higher-ups; formal and informal presentations; networking; skills for effective
communication; communicating decisions and decision making
Due this week: Mission Statement Exercise
Readings for this week
• Mosley, chapter 3 Communicating As A Manager, chapter 4 Understanding Department
Makeup, and chapter 8 Being a Change Agent
• ‘Mastering Communication Responsibilities’ in Oncourse
• ‘Schachter -- How to React To and Manage Change’ in Oncourse
• Review the documents in Oncourse RESOURCES, ‘Communicating Effectively’ folder
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SLIS S551: Library Management
Course Syllabus Fall 2008
Week 5: September 22 - 28
Policy-Making
Policy Making
Policy, procedures, standards of excellence, implementing policies and procedures; practical
and theoretical issues related to policy development in library organizations
Small teams should first review the materials in our weekly folder, and then begin the Policy
Exercise.
Readings for this week
• ‘Time Management, Planning and Prioritization’ in Oncourse
• ‘How to Analyze a Policy’ in Oncourse
• Review the ‘policy analysis’ powerpoint slide show in Oncourse
Week 6: September 29 - October 6
Leadership & Teambuilding
Leadership & Teambuilding
Leadership, groups VS. teams, teambuilding, leading others, accountability, collaboration, trust;
engaging others; power myths and realities; competition and conflict; motivation and building
bridges; balance; change
Due this week: Policy Exercise
Readings for this week
• ‘A Model for Motivation’ in Oncourse
• ‘Competitive Ethos and Group Ethos’ in Oncourse
• ‘Leadership in Organizations’ in Oncourse
• Review the documents in Oncourse RESOURCES, ‘Leadership & Teambuilding’ folder.
October 7 - 12
Week off: No new content, no new readings or forums; work on the Management
Interview
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SLIS S551: Library Management
Course Syllabus Fall 2008
Week 7: October 13 - 19
Personnel Management I
Personnel Management I -- Hiring Library Staff: writing position descriptions, interviewing,
the job offer, and others
Small teams should first review the materials in the weekly folder, and then begin the Hiring &
Evaluation Exercise.
Readings for this week
• Mosley, chapter 6 Learning the Legal Basics
• Stanley, chapter 2 Laws Affecting Library Personnel, and chapter 3 Recruitment and
Selection of Library Staff
• ‘Staying within the Law’ in Oncourse
• ‘Three Basic Goals of an Interview’ in Oncourse
• ‘Interviewer’s Checklist’ in Oncourse
• ‘Interviewing and Hiring’ in Oncourse
• Review all documents in Oncourse RESOURCES ‘Hiring & Evaluation’ folder
Week 8: October 20 - 26
Personnel Management II
Personnel Management II -- Hiring & Evaluation: training staff, integrating new staff into the
culture, basics of employee evaluation
Small teams should continue the Hiring & Evaluation Exercise this week.
Readings for this week
• Mosley, chapter 10 Evaluating Employee Performance, and chapter 11 Dealing with
Performance Problems, and chapter
• Stanley, chapter 4 Training, Retention and Professional Development
• ‘Are There Weeds in Your Garden’ in Oncourse
• ‘Fixing the First Job’ in Oncourse
•
November 3 - 9
Week off: No new content, no new readings or forums; work in the Management
Interview
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SLIS S551: Library Management
Course Syllabus Fall 2008
Week 9: November 10 - 16
Personnel Management III
Employee Evaluation: Dos & DON’Ts, evaluation styles and methods, written VS. oral
evaluations, discipline, and other related topics
Due this week: Hiring & Evaluation Exercise
Readings for this week
• Stanley, chapter 6 Evaluation and Performance Appraisal; chapter 7 Problem
Employees and Marginal Employees; and chapter 8 Conflict Resolution/Management,
Progressive, Discipline, and RIF
• ‘Conducting Performance Reviews’ in Oncourse
• ‘Handling Performance Problems’ in Oncourse
Week 10: November 10 - 16
Fiscal Management I
Fiscal Management I: Introduction to library budgeting and basic fiscal responsibilities:
purchasing, salaries, fiscal planning; managing and communicating budget cuts; etc.
Small teams will review course documents, complete the learning activities, and then begin the
Budgeting Exercise this week.
Readings for this week
• Mosley, chapter 5 Dealing with Budgets‘
• What is a Budget?’ in Oncourse
• “Budgeting Lingo A to Z” in Oncourse
• ‘How Do Libraries Budget?’ in Oncourse
Week 11: November 17 - 23
Fiscal Management II
Fiscal Management II, continued
Due this week: Budgeting exercise
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SLIS S551: Library Management
Course Syllabus Fall 2008
Readings for this week
• Mosley, chapter 5 Dealing with Budgets
• What is a Budget?’ in Oncourse
• “Budgeting Lingo A to Z” in Oncourse
• ‘How Do Libraries Budget?’ in Oncourse
November 24 - 30
Week off: No new content, no new readings or forums; work in the Management
Interview
Week 12: December 1 - 7
Equality, Equity & Diversity
Equality, Equity & Diversity
Embracing a diverse staff and user population; equity issues
Gender, empowerment, Americans with Disabilities Act, multi-lingual environments
Due this week: Management Interview
Readings for this week
• ‘Recognizing and Appreciating Differences in Oncourse
• ‘Diversity Facts & Figures’ in Oncourse
• ‘World of Working Women…’ in Oncourse
Week 13: December 8 - 14
Management Overview & Misc. Topics
Management Overview & Misc. Topics
Crisis management, decision making, misc. management topics
Review and reflect on what you learned about library management this semester.
Readings for this week
• Mosley, chapter 9 Crisis Management
• ‘Delegation the Big D’ in Oncourse
• ‘How Do You Spell Assume’ in Oncourse
• ‘Innovator’s Dilemma’ in Oncourse
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SLIS S551: Library Management
Course Syllabus Fall 2008
• ‘Managing the Media During a Library Crisis’ in Oncourse
