Being a career switcher can give a unique perspective about life in a library
So... I came to library work late, but all of my experience in business has lead me to be a really good librarian. My background is project management, I have worked with Six-Sigma and Lean Black Belts, aka, extreme process management, ran a marketing and video company who offered creative content to the financial services industry and did several years working customer care for a high-end leather company. However, I apply principles from each of these industries forward into Library Science everyday. Even though public libraries aren't as focused on the bottom line, or driving profits, they should be using best practices from all industries to service their customers in the best possible way and get the most bang for their buck.
“Even though public libraries aren't as focused on the bottom line, or driving profits, they should be using best practices from all industries to service their customers in the best possible way and get the most bang for their buck.”
Over the next few posts, I would like to highlight some of the learnings that I have found in my new career, applying best practices from my old ones. First up, Project Management.
Project Management
"Of all the things I've done, the most vital is coordinating the talents of those who work for us and pointing them towards a certain goal." - Walt Disney (Howes, 2012)
I've come to look at everything in life as a project. Some are big, some are small and some will never EVER get done, no matter how much time, money or resources you throw at them. Tell me I'm wrong. But, the best-practice principles of project management still stand, even in Public Libraries.
With enough time, you can get (almost) anything accomplished. If you have the money to throw at it, you can move veritable mountains overnight. If you're pressed on time and you lack the capital to throw resources at it, you've got to scale back on the scope. But, like most three legged stools, drop the ball on any one of these three things, or try to put pressure on one side without compensating somewhere else and you (and your project) will fall flat. The trifecta of project management stands: Time, Money and Scope equals Quality Outcomes.
So, how does this apply within the walls of your public library? You have a staff, and that staff needs to accomplish things, and preferably under budget costs. (Bear with me... I know that's super general.) Since many of the projects in a library are long-range, or ongoing even, I'm going to utilize schedule for "available hours of your staff." If you have a need, for instance, of a robust programming requirement, but you only have one or two staff members you can allocate to that task, you're going to end up with a difficult situation. It's very likely that your staff will feel pressured to work harder, longer hours in order to meet your programming demands, and become disgruntled. Likewise, if you have tons of staff, or really killer programs, but no money to pay for them, you won't keep them long.
Now, let’s talk about the pandemic and how it has affected your workers. In an article for Public Libraries Online, the author stated "As libraries find fewer social and civic services in their communities, they are forced to take on new roles that they may not be appropriately equipped for. Shrinking budgets force us to do more with less, and our workers can only do so much." (Corsillo, 2020) Your staff is stressed (schedule), so one of two things has to happen in order to keep you upright: You have to provide financial remuneration (cost) or reduce your demand for services that your library provides (scope). But, for those counting beans at home, not every adjustment needs to be salary based. There are lots of opportunities to increase the actual or perceived compensation of your employees (perhaps this is another blog post) that don't affect your budget that much, if at all. In short, you can look to perks. Leaving early, slightly longer work breaks, relaxed dress code, generous time-off allowances are one place to start. Alternately, you can pare down your schedule, or combine programs, or find creative ways to stretch your programs to more audiences (maybe a recording of a program could be played to a zoom audience later?)
It's important to keep in mind advice such as the quote from Walt Disney at the beginning of this section. Your people are the greatest tool you have. Without a happy, vibrant, creative staff, your library will not be able to help your customers feel happy, vibrant or creative, much less serviced. Keeping your eye on what's important, and the general contentment of the staff will go a long way to helping bridge the gap to either happier times, or whatever normal looks like after Covid is over.
To read more about project management, and to see all the acronyms your little literary heart desires, visit this article at Smartsheet and get savvy!
Next up: Process Management!
Citations:
Corsillo, G.K. (2020, September 14). A Pandemic Side Effect: Low Morale in Public Libraries. Public LIbraries Online. http://publiclibrariesonline.org/2020/09/a-pandemic-side-effect-low-morale-in-public-libraries/
Eby, K. (2022, July 7) Demystifying the 5 Phases of Project Management. Smartsheet. https://www.smartsheet.com/blog/demystifying-5-phases-project-management
The Golden Triangle (ND). PM Zone Project Management: One Stop Shop. Accessed 3.5.22. https://beingaprojectmanager.com/nuggets/project-management-golden-triangle/
Howes, L. (2012, July 17) 20 Lessons from Walt Disney on Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Chasing Your Dreams. Forbes.com. Accessed 3.5.22. https://www.forbes.com/sites/lewishowes/2012/07/17/20-business-quotes-and-lessons-from-walt-disney/?sh=1ee191274ba9
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