LIS 5023 - Management in Information Organizations

This course aimed to introduce managerial concepts and competencies. The assignment that stood out to me the most was the creation of a strategic plan. I hadn't initially recognized that strategic planning would be a key responsibility for managers. Partnering with Victoria Funk, we tackled the task of developing a 5-year strategic plan for the Academic library at East Central University. This project provided an opportunity to apply my existing managerial skills while gaining insights into the role of a library director. Our strategic plan focused on enhancing resources for online students (Personal Goal 3.3) and advocating for underserved populations (OU SLO 6 - Diversity), aligning closely with the mission and vision of the Linscheid Library. I was also able to gain valuable insight into professional writing (OU SLO 3 - Professional and Scholarly Communication). 

Analysis

My main takeaway is that a strategic plan for a library is more than just that. When my partner and I started this project we were prepared to create a plan that would benefit the chosen library but we ended up creating one that would benefit everyone who walked into that library due to realizing the programs and resources they, as the library users, needed (OU SLO 1 - Core Knowledge). Working within the library we selected provided me with invaluable hands-on experience, as I was immersed in its daily operations and maintained close communication with the director. This proximity allowed us to tailor our plan to cater specifically to the needs of Linscheid Library. We were able to gain an in-depth look into the specific administration and management needs (ALA Competency 8 - Administration and Management) of ECU. This ultimately helped us create a realistic strategic plan that Linschied Library would be able to adopt and complete if necessary.  

This project was also the first time I had ever had to partake in such an intensive project with a partner I could only Zoom. Thankfully, we were able to get in contact fairly easily with each other but it was a big adjustment compared to what I was used to in my undergrad. In retrospect, communication is one aspect that failed in this assignment. Despite this, I believe our diligence in conducting thorough background research (Personal Goal 2.1) (OU SLO 5 - Methods and Analysis) before deciding our goals was beneficial. By gaining insights into the demographics of the East Central University student body, we were better equipped to identify and address their most pressing needs. Through collaboration, informed decision-making, and a focus on broader impact, my partner and I contributed to the ongoing evolution of information creation within the context of Linscheid Library. 

Reflection

 I came into this course with a decent amount of management skills. At the time of taking this course, I was the circulation manager at an academic library. That job entailed not only managing circulation but also managing up to 20 student assistants. Because of this, I had some valuable insight when it came to a fair amount of the assignments. The assignment of creating a strategic plan is the one that I feel as if I learned the most from because it is something that I had never even thought about doing. From now on I will create scheduled meetings with partners I will work with on group projects, so I know I am giving us personalized time to talk through things. The communication issues I mentioned in the analysis caused our project to be put on pause at points. I don't believe the communication issues were completely negative though. Having to work through them with a partner helped strengthen both my collaboration and communication skills. 

I also learned during not only this assignment but also this course that I could see myself being a library director. I have always loved the aspect of managing, not because I want to "control" people but because I want to be able to advocate for people if needed. This assignment gave me a viewpoint of management that I had not seen yet. I also had many opportunities to have conversations with library managers that I probably would have not had without this assignment.