A presentation on how to manage special libraries. Includes: - Aspects in special library management - Problems, challenges and opportunities involved in managing a special library Course: LIBSCI 36 - Special/Public Librarianship Teacher: Elizabeth Banlat

1. Francheska Vonne Gali
BLIS-III
Silliman University
SPECIAL LIBRARY
MANAGEMENT
What makes the special library management successful
March 29, 2022
4:00 PM
francheskasgali@su.edu.ph
LIBSCI 36 LIVE SHARING

2. Management Basics
Planning, Organizing, Staffing,
Directing, Coordinating, Reporting,
and Budgeting
A classic management paper by Gulick and Urwick (1937) outlines the
standard concepts of a library manager's functional activities. They coined
the acronym POSDCRB, which stands for the following functions:
POSDCRB functions underlie, in one form or another, all management
behavior; however, they do not describe the work of a manager. Instead, they
merely identify the objectives of a manager's work. Now, we will look at the
aspects that can be applied to special library management.

3. The unique aspects of
managing a special
library arise from its
relationship with its
parent organization.
How unique is special library management?
Therefore, the central task of the special
library manager and staff is to align the library
with the parent organization's mission, vision,
and strategy. Consequently, it is essential to
identify the necessary aspects in the
management of special libraries to enable
organizations to achieve their goals/objectives.

5. Budgeting/
Funding In addition, sufficient funds and time should be set aside to enable
staff members to attend conferences or meetings and visit other
libraries to know their facilities.
For the special library to perform effectively in an
organization and help the parent institution fulfill its
objectives, the librarian must engage in budgeting
or funding.

6. Budgeting/
Funding Funding of special libraries varies according to the size and nature of their
parent organizations. A special library fund comprises the funds
appropriated to a library and its expenditure. This is important due to the
rising costs of books and journal subscriptions.
The fund plays a significant role in the organization and
management of special libraries, which have to acquire
and build up a subject-specific collection on a
continuous foundation during the year and even longer.

7. There should also be a well-delineated job
description indicating the duties or responsibilities
of the staff and to whom they are directly
responsible.
Staffing
There should be written position
classification specifying the
responsibilities, experience,
academic and professional
classifications, grade levels, or
salaries of the occupants of
particular positions in the special
library.

8. The management should consider the above-
mentioned factors before employing staff in the
special library.
Staffing
In addition, special librarians may
need to employ non-librarians with
the subject and linguistic
competence, such as
bibliographers, information
retrieval specialists, subject
specialists, documentalists, and
translators.

9. Special
Librarian They have expanded and changed their roles for better
service delivery. Special librarians are all-rounders (different
types of skills and abilities).
Special librarians add value to their
services by providing efficient information
services to a defined community of users.

10. Special
Librarian They are in charge of collecting, organizing, maintaining,
and disseminating information that will directly serve a
particular enterprise's immediate and future needs through
customized information services.
A special librarian is a person who works
professionally in a library and is trained in
librarianship.

11. Special Library
Services
Special librarians should make sure
that they know their clients very well
to offer them library resources and
services pertinent to their areas of
endeavor.

12. Special Library
Services
Special libraries plan, acquire,
organize, maintain, utilize and
disseminate information materials
relevant to the organization's
activities.

13. Special Library
Collection
The collection can be classified into three aspects; rarity,
format, and comprehensiveness.
Special libraries are sources of information
found within corporate entities.
government agencies. archives,
professional organizations, and non-profit
organizations.

14. Special libraries should be well equipped, and special
consideration should be given to structural and space
requirements.
Physical
Facilities/
Equipment
The library furniture and equipment,
fittings, and accessories should be of
standard pattern and design so that
their users can feel comfortable using
them.

15. Physical
Facilities/
Equipment
Some of the furniture and equipment
expected in a standard special library
are reading tables, chairs for the
clientele, bulletin boards, periodicals
display rack, and computers.

16. Location/
Accommodation
What should be given prime consideration in
the location of a special library is nearness to
significant users, but on the other hand, it
should not be too much out of the way for
additional staff. There must be sufficient room
for staff, stock, and users to be
accommodated in reasonable comfort.

17. Location/
Accommodation
When a library is centrally and attractively
located, it can yet have another reason for
deserving a high standard of equipment
and furnishing; this would help attract
users and thus directly increase the cost-
effectiveness of the library.

18. Organization
of Materials Proper organization through cataloging and classification is
needed to facilitate quick access to these special
collections. There is no specified scheme for special
libraries since each special library is different from the other.
For example, medical libraries use the Bernard Classification
Scheme.
The organization is one of the top
functions or activities of the management.

20. Constant Change
and Competition
from Other
Information
Service Centers
The introduction of computers
and new technology is a
challenge to special libraries.
Special library without information
technology tools is irrelevant in
the information world.
Lack of Highly
Trained
Professionals
The library and information
science profession lack
professionals, as young
people are not interested in
the course. They think that
librarians work only in the
library and cannot function
anywhere else.

21. Financial
Challenges
Special libraries have
experienced cuts in budgets and
staff downsizing due to neglect
from parent bodies and
government agencies. Sufficient
fund is not allocated to library
development, and even when it is
not given, it is not on regular
bases and is not as when due.
Infrastructure
With funding for special libraries
being reduced, the ability of
special libraries to introduce and
sustain ICT infrastructure in their
organizations has been hugely
diminished. ICT projects which
are implemented are
consequently disbanded or have
failed to migrate to modern
systems due to a shortage of
funds.

22. Lack of Library
Committee
The absence of a library advisory
committee in the special library
has brought about a low
productivity rate in the services
expected of a special library.
Improper Salary
Sale
Some organizations pay salaries
based on private negotiation
with the librarian, allowing for
underpayment of library staff
salaries. This does not motivate
the staff, as they receive less
compensation than their
counterparts in government
establishments.

24. FOR THE FUTURE
Working in a team to complete
a project can be a great
experience, pulling together
people from various
backgrounds and pooling
together many skills.
For special libraries, it is
essential to build networks
with peers, primarily for
financial reasons and better
operational services.
Marketing determines and
creates client needs
strategically.
Team Learning
1.
Cooperation with
other libraries
2.
Marketing
3.

25. Some of the common themes to
describe what will make your special
library management successful in the
future.
Marketing of services, stronger internal
relationships, centralization of services not
traditionally associated with the library, such as
education and training, educating users about
information quality, the adaptation of information
dissemination processes, ongoing digitization of
resources and investment in technology
infrastructure and general adaptability

26. References
Semertzaki, Eva. (2011). Special libraries as knowledge
management centres. Oxford : Chandos
Softlink - The Special Library Feature. (n.d.) Retrieved from
https://www.softlinkint.com/downloads/Special_Library_Feat
ure.pdf
Obialor, D & Uwandu, L. (2019). Special library management.