95 Staff

Book Review: Staff Management in Library and Information Work. Third Edition

By Law, D G. Library Management; Vol. 16 (7), (1995): p44.

Abstract

A book review is presented of Staff Management in Library and Information Work, Third Edition, by Peter Jordan and Noragh Jones.

Staff Management in Library and Information Work. Third Edition

Peter Jordan and Noragh Jones, Gower, ISBN 0-566-07581 4, 1995, £39.50

Any work which reaches three editions may be presumed to have achieved a place in the market which makes a review almost nugatory. Nevertheless, before setting out almost £40 of anyone's money, some reassurance may be of value. The author is a well-known authority in the field and this third edition has been substantially revised to take account of the rapid change which has taken place in the world of libraries in recent years.

The up-to-dateness is impressive. Mention is made of both the Follett Report on academic libraries and the Commedia Report on public libraries. This currency is much to be commended even if in neither case has there been real time for more than superficial comment. More generally, there has been a substantial absorption of and application of the relevant literature published since the last edition in 1987.

The book begins with a wide-ranging overview of "the working environment" which gives a detailed look at the state of this corner of libraryland. In the end this is diminished by a section on current legislation which swiftly descends into a naming of parts approach to such legislation as is involved in the dismissal of staff or maternity leave rights.

Chapters follow on motivation, workforce planning, job descriptions, recruitment and selection, appraisal, staff training, staff supervision and personal skills. There is much to be commended in all of this. The chapter on motivation describes the various theories of motivation, but displays a healthy scepticism to fashion, being less than sure that participative management styles are necessarily the best answer. This is a characteristic of a book which is willing to be judgemental rather than simply descriptive. There are plentiful and clearly laid out tables illustrating many of the policies described or giving examples of documentation. There is a particularly good review of appraisal. The chapter on staff training describes not only appropriate practice but gives guidance on how to deliver such training. There are examples of self-assessment tests which reveal your reviewer as a stress free incipient workaholic. (Since other tables show 82 per cent of colleagues to be overworked, this is perhaps a finding of doubtful validity.)

While the book is carefully non-judgemental as to its expected audience, and indeed in places comments on an ambition for managers in post to use the work, there is an underlying feeling that much of the writing at least implicitly defines topics in examination answer size chunks. This is not to say that the book is set at a low level or is unhelpful; the reverse is true. However, there is a distinct feeling of model answers being given.

Management texts can hardly be classed as enjoyable reading and this is no exception. It is, however a solid, informative, well-researched and relatively jargon-free primer for those interested in the better management of their organizations and can be commended for its clarity and understanding and its ability to explain complex propositions.