Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc.

 

To develop staff effectively, supervisors need consistent standards. This practical guide contains detailed samples of standard position functions - complemented by objective and measurable assessment criteria - that can be adapted for use by all libraries. Standards for paraprofessional staff include public services, technical services, and administrative jobs. Standards for professional staff include department heads/administrative tasks, public services (divided into reference, bibliographic instruction, online searching, Internet usage, interlibrary loan, government documents, and circulation/access services), and technical services (divided into cataloging, acquisitions, and systems automation). Also contains performance standards for student workers, a special section covering background and management issues of performance standards (including EEOC and legal issues), a bibliography, and an index.

 "Highly recommended....It is hard to imagine an administrator who could not reap some benefit from this volume."
-- LISCA
 
"One of the most practical books to be published in a very long time."
-- Information Outlook
 
"May help to prevent the tensions involved in job reviews, merit increases, promotions, and accusations of favoritism."
-- College and Research Libraries News
 

List of Figures vii

Preface ix

1 Were the "Good Old Days" Really That Good? 1

But Are Things Really All That Bad? 3
A "Lite" History of Performance Standards 3
Staying Out of Trouble 9
So What Exactly Are Performance Standards Anyway? 11
Total Quality Management 19
Notes 23
2 Rewriting or Reforming Your Library's Performance Standards: The Process 25

The Modular Approach to Performance Standards 28
Using Job Analysis to Create Performance Standards 29
Rating Scales: What is "Average"? 31
Self-Evaluation and Assessment/Documentation of Ratings 33
Peer Evaluations 37
Rating the Raters: Supervisors as Evaluators 42
For Academic Librarians Only 46
Notes 47
3 Performance Standards for Paraprofessional Staff 49

Circulation Assistant 52
Library Bookkeeper/Accounting Assistant 59
Serials Assistant 63
Acquisitions Assistant 66
Government Documents Assistant 70
Interlibrary Loan Assistant 74
Cataloging Assistant 77
Off-Campus Services/Extension Assistant 81
Reference Assistant 86
Shelving Assistant 88
Service to the Institution, Professional Growth and Development 90
Note 91
4 Performance Standards for Professional Staff 93

Unit/Department/Division Head 96
Reference Librarian 103
Library/Bibliographic Instruction Coordinator 108
Library/Bibliographic Instruction Provider 111
Special Collections Librarian/Archivist 114
Acquisitions/Serials/Collection Development Librarian 116
Cataloger 119
Government Documents Librarian 121
Circulation Librarian 125
Interlibrary Loan Librarian 125
Systems Librarian 129
Extension/Off-Campus Services Librarian 132
Branch Librarian (Public Library) 135
Children's/Young Adult Librarian (Public Library) 139
Library Media Specialist 143
Library Webmaster 148
Academic Achievement, Professional Growth and Development, Service to the Institution (Academic Library) 150
Notes 154
5 Leads from the Literature 157

Index 211

Colophon 215

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