Academic, public and special libraries are always trying to improve services and reduce costs, and this book by Richard Dougherty gives librarians the practical tools to accomplish organisational change and to improve library services.
Streamlining Library Services: What We Do, How Much Time It Takes, What It Costs and How We Can Do It Better is a completely revised edition of the 1982 book, Scientific Management of Library Operations. The book is divided into six broad sections, starting with an overview of the beginnings of scientific management, through the stages of the process including preparing the study, the use of management tools, time management, costing and finally post‐study activities. Each chapter begins with a summary or scope note explaining the contents and ideas examined in the chapter. Relevant case studies are included with comments, and each chapter concludes with “final thoughts” and detailed notes, including helpful references to web sites and journal articles.
The underlying theme of the book is that opportunities to improve daily jobs and enhance services are being overlooked every day. By streamlining workflows, workplace stress can be reduced. Library processes, systems or procedures can be improved by identifying the activity and following the steps outlined in this book. The author believes the current economic climate, particularly the increase in workplace stress caused by changes in technology and increased accountability, require library staff to be proactive. Staff must adapt to organisational change by improving efficiency, reducing costs, saving staff time and creating a more efficient library service. The author has drawn on the fields of organisational psychology, change management and “innovation diffusion”, along with industrial management, to analyse and improve workflows. Chapter 18, on managing organisational change, contains useful information on how staff react to change and methods to build team support for library staff undergoing change in the workplace – an important yet often overlooked factor in change management.
Dougherty is an expert on organisational change and has many years' experience in senior roles in university libraries, including the University of Michigan and the University of California. He has co‐hosted live teleconferences on topics including future challenges and opportunities for libraries, ensuring he is up‐to‐date with issues in change management.
While some of the concepts explored in this book may appear a little complex and too technical for many librarians, the ideas are explained in a clear and practical style that simplifies the more difficult theories. The author states the intended audience is all library staff; however, it is more likely that senior staff and managers would consult this book and implement the activities suggested. This book is well laid‐out, with attractive typesetting, and it includes a generous number of figures and charts to enhance the text. Overall this is a useful guide that delivers what it promises – methods, time management ideas, costing and, most important, provides ways to make improvements in library services.
