Creating Policies for Results: From Chaos to ClarityWhat does a librarian do if an unattended child remains at closing time? Can nonresidents get a library card? What is the library's position on Internet filters? These are but a few of the kinds of issues that require clear, up-to-date library policies. If your staff makes decisions on the fly, if policies are nonexistent, outdated, and no one knows what they are, your library may be experiencing policy chaos. To avoid potential legal liabilities, confusion, lost opportunities and tensions among management, employees, customers, and the community at large, the answer is to create current, customized policies geared to your library. Now it's easier than ever using this one-stop, step-by-step guide that dovetails with PLA's The New Planning for Results. Covering governance and organizational structure, management policies, and services relating to customers, circulation, information, and groups, this comprehensive how-to addresses each major library area. Follow these guidelines to assess existing policies, develop new ones, and communicate all changes to improve consistency. You will learn to: Create sound and legally defensible policies; Customize policies appropriate to your libra |
Contents
DISTRIBUTION OF NONLIBRARY MATERIALS | 151 |
STAFF COMMITTEES AND STAFF TASK FORCES | 153 |
INCLEMENT WEATHER AND CLOSING | 154 |
CUSTOMER SERVICE | 156 |
CUSTOMER BEHAVIOR | 158 |
UNATTENDED CHILDREN | 159 |
LIBRARY CARDS FOR RESIDENTS | 160 |
LIBRARY CARDS FOR NONRESIDENTS | 162 |
| 24 | |
| 25 | |
| 30 | |
Challenges | 42 |
Key Points to Remember | 45 |
Assessment | 46 |
Definitions | 47 |
Policy Audit Assessment | 48 |
Challenges | 67 |
Key Points to Remember | 69 |
Development | 71 |
Definitions | 73 |
Policy Development | 74 |
Challenges | 102 |
Key Points to Remember | 104 |
Implementation | 105 |
Definitions | 108 |
Challenges | 128 |
Key Points to Remember | 130 |
Policy Development Templates | 133 |
STAFF ASSOCIATION ACTIVITIES | 135 |
CONFIDENTIALITY OF LIBRARY RECORDS | 136 |
STATISTICS | 137 |
PETTY CASH | 139 |
FUNDRAISING AND DONATIONS | 140 |
RECONSIDERATION OF LIBRARY MATERIALS | 142 |
BUILDING MAINTENANCE | 143 |
EMERGENCIES AND DISASTERS | 144 |
MEETING ROOM USE | 145 |
EXHIBITS AND DISPLAYS | 147 |
BULLETIN BOARDS | 149 |
LOAN PERIODS AND LOAN LIMITS | 164 |
RENEWALS | 165 |
RESERVES | 166 |
CLAIMS RETURNED OR CLAIMS NEVER HAD | 168 |
LOST OR DAMAGED MATERIALS | 170 |
FINES AND FEES | 172 |
BORROWING MATERIALS BY STAFF | 175 |
PRIORITIES FOR REFERENCE SERVICE | 176 |
INTERLIBRARY LOAN | 178 |
INTERNET USE | 180 |
USE OF LIBRARYPROVIDED PERSONAL COMPUTERS | 182 |
PROGRAMS IN THE LIBRARY | 184 |
COSPONSORED PROGRAMS IN THE LIBRARY | 186 |
COMMUNITY PRESENTATIONS | 188 |
SPECIAL EVENTS | 190 |
TOURS | 191 |
COMPUTER TRAINING FOR THE PUBLIC | 193 |
Instructions and Workforms | 195 |
Contents of the Library Policy Manual | 196 |
Other Policy Statements Regulations Procedures and Guidelines | 198 |
Policy Audit Inventory Log | 200 |
Policy Audit Inventory Results | 202 |
Defining Policy Elements | 205 |
Evaluation Criteria | 208 |
Policy Element Review Summary | 216 |
Policy Revision and Development Summary | 218 |
Master Schedule | 220 |
Glossary of Policy Terms | 223 |
Index | 227 |
Common terms and phrases
American Library Association Anytown Public Library approved assigned Audit Advisory Committee borrower types brary brary's chairperson changes chapter circulation Column committee members community presentations Complete Workform computer training Cont copy of Workform County Public Library current practice decision discussion distributed documents evaluation criteria Gantt chart goals and objectives identify implement included Information Literacy interlibrary loan Internet Intranet issues level of effort library card library customers library director library managers library materials library policy manual library staff member library users library's goals library's governing authority management team master category list master schedule meeting room ment nonresident organizations Personal Computers Policy Audit Advisory Policy Audit Inventory policy category Policy Questions policy under review Questions to Address reference service Regulations Questions responsible review process revised policies Sandra Nelson service area specific statements and regulations support the library's Tasks and Steps tion Tree County Public writing
Popular passages
Page 25 - Firestone's biological determinism, there are actually two major problems with this approach. The first is that it assumes the 'inherently unequal power distribution' of the biological family as the precondition for repression.
Page 41 - There are two ways to do this. One is to make a "contract" with the whole class as to the type, quantity, and.
Page 100 - The person who actually writes the guidelines should be selected on the basis of his or her ability to write and not on content knowledge.
Page 29 - On the other hand, if you are fortunate enough to work in an organization that has a staff position that includes policy development in the job duties, you probably won't want to subdivide the responsibilities.
Page 47 - As noted earlier, the mere existence of a policy is no guarantee that the policy is either effective or efficient.
Page 25 - Most of us are too busy to spend a lot of time on process activities that do not appear to have a big payoff.