The Biggest Challenges Public Libraries are Facing

Running head: REFLECTION ON EXPERIENCE WITH A BUSINESS ORGANISATION
Reflection on Experience with a Business Organization
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author note

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REFLECTION ON EXPERIENCE WITH A BUSINESS ORGANISATION
Table of Contents
Introduction:...............................................................................................................................3
How does this experience demonstrate good or bad management on the part of the
organization?..............................................................................................................................3
Personal learning from the experience:......................................................................................4
Importance of considering the management issue:....................................................................5
Conclusion and guideline for staffs to ensure learning:.............................................................7
References:.................................................................................................................................9
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Introduction:
The fundamental resources of managing the library are the staffs. According to
Rothaermel (2016) a library comprises of highly skilled and competent staffs, who are
extremely dedicated in the way of managing the internal functionality of a library. It is
worthy to note here that the internal functionality of library is extremely volatile due to
diverse range of readers from different background. Thus, the staffs in a library needs to
improve their skills and competencies continuous in order to satisfy professional goals.
However, Michael, Storey & Thomas (2017) argued by saying that there are some of the
major issues which the librarians are facing in contemporary times. This is a reflective paper,
in which I will face the management issue, which I have faced in a library. In this paper, I
will also present my personal learning and the guidelines for staffs, working in library.
How does this experience demonstrate good or bad management on the
part of the organization?
Rapid advancement of technology, economy and society have transformed the role of
librarians and information over the past few years. These changes are highly affecting the
sustainability and existence of library. Still, David & David (2016) contended on the ground
that these changes are also serving the libraries with the opportunity to manage the
information properly and thereby ensure their sustainability. While working with a library, I
have found that information management is one of the major issues of a library. This is a
good management issue, sustaining in the age of information. It is to be noted in this context
that incredible growth of the ICT, internet and mobile technology is largely influencing both
the operation and services of library. Hobrock (2019) said that this is acting as a driving force
behind the libraries to apply search engine and social media for the sake of navigating and
accessing vast amount of information and retrieve them as per the requirement.
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However, one of the major matters, to be considered here that the behaviour of
seeking information of patrons, working in the libraries have also been changed drastically.
As per the perception of Gathoni & Van der Walt (2019) now the management of libraries are
showing utmost concern in the way of exploitation modern technology in order to expand the
collection of information and use them as per the requirement. I have also found that the
management of libraries are also using fee based products and services like online
commercial databases and e-books in order to offer the patrons with access to information
and thereby align the libraries with the information seeking behaviour of users, which is the
key of maintaining their sustainability. Still, I have found that it is the prime responsibility of
librarians to think critically in order to offer the users with high quality of information and
library services and thereby ensure the fact that the services can satisfy anticipated need of
the users.
The internal functionalities of libraries are encountering severe threat due to changing
life style, which is created by rapid advancement of technology and digital age. I have found
that, in order to cope up with the changing trend, the management of libraries are putting
stress on strategic planning and implement robust strategies for the sake of maintaining their
degree of sustainability. In addition, AlAwadhi & Al-Daihani (2019) showed that the
management is also putting stress on improving the skills of staffs and enable them to work
efficiently in the changed information landscape. This is the way, through which the staffs
can be able to maintain sustainability of library and information setting.
Personal learning from the experience:
Due to rapid growth of information and technology, the role of librarians is changing
rapidly. Managing information in library is very much needed for the sake of strengthening
the internal functionality of library by providing high quality of services to the users as per
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their requirement (Lamba & Madhusudhan, 2019). By working in the library, I have found
that there are multiple skills, which the professionals of library should improve for the sake of
managing information properly.
Skill is defined as the ability of people in order to perform a specific job properly. By
working in the library, I have found the fact that it is important for the library professionals to
work closely with the managers in terms of improving the skill of resource management and
thereby improve the relationship with the users. Gregory (2019) commented that good time
management skill can help the working professionals of library to complete all the tasks
within time. In addition, I have also learned the fact that the library professionals must be
good communicator. Good communication skill can help the library professionals to employ
charismatic approach to the subordinates and thereby keep them attracted (Miller & Steams,
2019). In the era of information, it has become the matter of utmost importance for library
professionals to improve IT skills. This can help the library professionals to manage
information properly by maintaining a particular data base (Smith, 2019).
It is important for the library professionals to accelerate IT skills in three of the major
areas like hardware, software and web applications. Electronic resources are one of the major
types of library resources. Thus, it is the prime responsibility of librarians to manage the
electronic resources properly (Fraley & Katz, 2019). Thus by conducting research
extensively, I have learned the fact that the library professionals needs to improve the skills,
concerning three areas of management. Through this way, the library professionals would be
able to provide the users with high quality of services (Sullivan, 2019).
Importance of considering the management issue:
Managing the internal functionality of library is very much needed in order to offer
the users with high quality of services. While working in the library, I have found the fact
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that managing information in library is very much needed for the sake of maintaining the
degree of sustainability in the library. Information management deals with connecting people
with necessary information at right time. I have learned the fact that effective information
management within library plays a major role in the way of improving the degree of
efficiency of libraries. This is the mode of managing collection of all the information, which
can reflect the research output of library (Stankus, 2019). Information management is the best
way of achieving information as per the requirement. By working in library, I have
understood the fact that information management plays a pivotal role in the way of accessing
in order to archive materials through the help desk. At the same time, information
management also plays a pivotal role in the way of providing the library professionals with
professional knowledge and expertise in order to store information for long term and use
them as per the requirement (Saponaro & Evans, 2019). Both information and record
management system are the largest contributor of maintaining the degree of sustainability of
library.
I have learned the fact that information and records management service helps the
working professionals to handle and organise the business documents properly and thereby
use them accordingly. This is the mode of developing a systematic framework for managing
folder, which can pave the way for the library professionals to share library documents and
records properly (Chang, 2019). In addition, with the assistance of information and records
management service, the working professionals in library can also be able to deliver
information, document and training on record management skill to the subordinates and
thereby generate awareness, competence and confidence and thereby enable them to handle
information with utmost efficiency (Jones & Harvey, 2019). Information and records
management system is the best platform, through which the working professionals in library
can use their knowledge, experience and expertise and thereby improve the practice across
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the library. I have learned the fact that through effective information management system, the
working professionals can be able to find content easily, reduce cost and thereby mitigate any
kind of legal obligation.
Conclusion and guideline for staffs to ensure learning:
To conclude, it can be said that library management information system, in its
simplest form is referred as library management system, which intends to use information
technology to the fullest for the sake of accomplishing managerial objectives. Effective
information management system in the library is one of the major ways of improving the
degree of convenience of library and thereby reduce the scope of inventory management
issues. Through this way, the invoicing related issues can also be mitigated. The guidelines,
which the library professionals should follow in order to manage information properly are
discussed below:
 The staffs should use Destiny Library Manager, which is one of the major software in
order to track the inventory and asset.
 Accessit Library is one of the major state-of-the-art online library management
system and the means of information, which intends to search both the borrowing and
catalogue material. Thus, the staffs should use this system in order to develop and
maintain connected community of learners.
 webLIBRARIAN is another major web based library management system and one of
the most effective automation software, which the working professionals of library
can use in order to manage the acquisition process smoothly. With the assistance of
this system, the working professionals of library will be able to share information
without any kind of interruption.
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 Koha from ByWater Solutions is the initial and open store library system, which aims
to offer the library with technological flexibility. Through this system, working
professionals of library can implement usable circulation policy and access multiple
features like inventory and periodicals management, serials management and reserve
shelf management.
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References:
AlAwadhi, S., & Al-Daihani, S. M. (2019). Marketing academic library information services
using social media. Library Management.
Chang, A. (2019). INNOVATIONS: Developing an electronic information service in an
academic library. College & research libraries news, 52(4), 237-240.
David, F., & David, F. R. (2016). Strategic management: A competitive advantage approach,
concepts and cases. Pearson–Prentice Hall.
Fraley, R. A., & Katz, B. (2019). Finance, budget, and management for reference services.
Routledge.
Gathoni, N., & Van der Walt, T. (2019). Evaluating library service quality at the Aga Khan
University library: Application of a total quality management approach. Journal of
Librarianship and Information Science, 51(1), 123-136.
Gregory, V. L. (2019). Collection development and management for 21st century library
collections: an introduction. American Library Association.
Hobrock, B. G. (2019). Library Management in the Information Technology Environment:
Issues, Policies, and Practice for Administrators. Routledge.
Jones, M. J., & Harvey, M. (2019). Library 2.0: the effectiveness of social media as a
marketing tool for libraries in educational institutions. Journal of Librarianship and
Information Science, 51(1), 3-19.
Lamba, M., & Madhusudhan, M. (2019). Mapping of topics in DESIDOC Journal of Library
and Information Technology, India: a study. Scientometrics, 120(2), 477-505.
Michael, S., Storey, D., & Thomas, H. (2017). Discovery and coordination in strategic
management and entrepreneurship. Strategic entrepreneurship: Creating a new
mindset, 45-65.
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Miller, R. G., & Steams, B. (2019). Quality management for today’s academic library.
College & research libraries news, 55(7), 406-422.
Rothaermel, F. T. (2016). Strategic management: concepts (Vol. 2). McGraw-Hill Education.
Saponaro, M. Z., & Evans, G. E. (2019). Collection management basics. ABC-CLIO.
Smith, C. R. (2019). An evaluation of community-managed libraries in Liverpool. Library
Management, 40(5).
Stankus, T. (2019). Scientific journals: Issues in library selection and management.
Routledge.
Sullivan, M. (2019). Developing library staff for the 21st century. Routledge.
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