Managing Media Services: Theory and Practice (2nd ed.)

Citation

Fourie, I. (2000), "Managing Media Services: Theory and Practice (2nd ed.)", The Electronic Library, Vol. 18 No. 6, pp. 448-469. https://doi.org/10.1108/el.2000.18.6.448.24

Managing Media Services … is without doubt a must for any media specialist. It covers almost any imaginable topic concerning media services, and abounds with sound practical advice. The first edition was published in 1989 by Drs Charles W. Vleck and Raymond V. Wiman. It won the Association for Educational Communications and Technology Outstanding New Publication of the Year award. The second edition is bound to follow in its predecessor’s footsteps.

In the preface William Schmidt explains his personal relationship with the deceased authors of the first edition. He was a close friend of both. The fact that their children supported the writing of the second edition, and that Schmidt knew that they would be happy with Donald Rieck as co‐author for the second edition, added to the authors’ enthusiasm and commitment to the project. This background information made me look with new eyes at the daunting task the authors attempted … and successfully completed.

Much of the content of the previous edition has been retained. Schmidt and Rieck have, however, considerably updated sections including technological changes. Although they decided to keep much of the information on the older technologies, they have maintained a balance by emphasising the newer technologies such as CD‐ROMs and local area networks. There is also brief reference to the Internet and intranets. (The latter could possibly have been dealt with in a bit more detail.)

Each chapter begins with an appropriate quotation to place it in context – something to remember long after you have completed the chapter. The quotation for the overview chapter on managing media services, for example, reads as follows: “The director of instructional technology must have bifocal vision, with one focus on the ends to be achieved and the other on the means to achieve them. If he sees only the future, he becomes a visionary with no firm base in reality. If he becomes too concerned with means, he gets lost in the trivia of daily routines or becomes hypnotised by hardware” (p. 1). (The quote is from Edgar Dale, Audiovisual Methods in Teaching, 1969.) Each chapter includes objectives, suggested activities, a list of references, media resources, and a selected bibliography for further reading. The latter are mostly extensive and up‐to‐date.

Managing Media Services … consists of 17 chapters, a preface, an introduction to the revised edition, six appendices and an epilogue. The first chapter offers an overview of the managing of media services. This is followed by chapters on the philosophical perspectives, the planning of media service programmes, management basics, managing media materials, managing media equipment services, managing media development services, computers and the media centre, managing technological change, managing personnel, managing budgets, communication, evaluation of media service programmes, designing of media service facilities, reaching distance learners, professionals and, of course, expectations for the future. It is difficult to think of anything which could have been added to this coverage.

What really contributes to the value of the book is the firm theoretical base. The quote preceding the chapter on philosophy places the need for such a base in context: “…this is not to imply that only when all else fails should the communications worker rely on philosophy. Rather, it underscores the utility of philosophy as a starting point – as, in fact, the alternative to wild exploration from scientific data or mindless improvisation based on incoherent impulses” (p. 21). (The quote is from A.W. Vandermeer, Educational Media: Theory into Practice, 1969.) To the theory is added plenty of practical advice on, for example, managing styles, coping with conflict, appointing and promoting staff members, budgeting, the collection of resources and criteria for selecting different media. Numerous sketches, diagrams and pictures are included to support the discussions. A number of forms are also included: for staff performance assessment, a media equipment inventory, a CD‐ROM evaluation form and so on.

Some of the practical advice which I should like to highlight is the suggested agreement with users to discourage illegal copying of computer programs and to transfer the responsibility to the user (p. 190), as well as the discussion on personnel management and evaluation. “The manager who refuses to delegate is not unlike the person who has considerable money but refuses to use it even to earn interest” (p. 126) is certainly worth remembering.

Managing Media Services … concludes with an epilogue where the reader is advised to look at some real‐world media centres – in other words, to take the theoretical and practical advice through to the real world. The book includes a detailed author, title and subject index. The hardcover volume is strongly bound, and the technical presentation is excellent. I feel almost shy to admit that I spotted a typographical error on p. 351.

This second edition of Managing Media Services … is highly recommended for all media specialists. It would also make an excellent textbook, and is in fact worthwhile reading for all LIS professionals responsible for library and information services of any size.