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Organizations ought to provide a congenial workplace for employees, particularly females, to get optimum performance. This study aims to investigate the congeniality of libraries’ human environment for female library and information science professionals (LIPs). Regarding the human environment, the manager’s support, relationship with colleagues and informal communication have been studied.

For this quantitative study, the researchers use a survey research method based on a self-constructed questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of closed-ended questions, which were used to collect the data; however, the open-ended question entitled comments was also added to take the opinion of respondents. The sampling includes the female LIPs working in the university libraries of Punjab, Pakistan.

The results highlight that female LIPs were satisfied with the human environment at their workplaces. Participants not only appreciated the role and support of their immediate managers in terms of respect, feedback, task allocation and approachability but also recognized the role of colleagues and informal communication (social interaction) in making their workplace congenial and comfortable to work by establishing a positive relationship with supervisors, colleagues or subordinates at the workplace. However, some open-ended comments reveal that females face leg-pulling, favoritism, male colleagues’ indecent behavior and managers’ critical behavior at the workplace.

Because of the sensitivity of the topic and limitedness of an instrument, the respondents might have been hesitant to give real opinions. This study was limited in terms of participants as data was collected only from one province of Pakistan.

Workplaces for females in a male-dominated society like Pakistan impede their commitment to giving their best. Despite an increased number of females in the profession, it is surprising that so little empirical research has been conducted on the topic. Therefore, this study is an excellent addition to the dearth of literature on the subject. The findings may help in sensitizing the management and authorities to control the human environment at workplaces as this study will also bring into light the prevailing working environment for females.

Libraries as a workplace have been studied internationally (Farler and Broady-Preston, 2012; Ocholla, 2002; Oud, 2008). From the local perspective, the only study concerning the workplace issues of libraries is by Yousaf et al. (2013), which was limited to the managerial problems faced by female librarians working at the University of the Punjab. Hence, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study will be one of its nature.

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview, including methodology and preliminary findings, of a current and ongoing doctoral research study of the impact of national library associations. The study uses the impact assessment framework provided by ISO16439:2014 Methods and procedures for assessing the impact of libraries.

If the professional associations supporting the profession are to become sustainable we need to understand the difference they make to the individual members of the profession, to the employers of those individuals and to the profession of librarianship. This study applies the framework provided by ISO 16439:2014 to the national library association environment to explore and gather evidence of impact. To align with the ISO model, impact is differentiated into impact on individuals; social impact – institution (library or employing organization); and social impact – community (the profession). Preliminary findings show evidence of impact in all categories.

Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews that were conducted with members of national library associations in Australia, New Zealand, the UK and the USA during the third quarter of 2013.

This study contributes to research methodologies by testing the use of a qualitative assessment tool in a way that could be transferable to other associations both within and external to the library environment and to enable it to be adapted more broadly for other purposes within the library and information environment.

Develops an earlier discussion in which the authors argued that the public library service fails in a number of ways to provide an effective service to the full‐time employed. Suggests the characteristics of an effective service for such a market segment using the marketing mix framework. The methods examined concentrate on distribution systems which have the potential to minimize cost to the consumer and to maximize timeliness and convenience of location. Contends that such methods fall into three main categories: in‐house, outreach and remote access. Examines these three categories of service for their suitability, and considers funding, methods of publicity and the control processes necessary to continuity of service effectiveness.

This paper reports on a descriptive study undertaken to gain an overview of library and Information workplace needs (as of early 2002) for library professionals with knowledge and skills related to user education and information literacy instruction.

A description and discussion of a small‐scale research project that used content analysis techniques to study job advertisements posted to the international LIBJOBS listserv over a period of three months.

A little over half of the advertisements required at least some experience of and/or skills in user education or instruction of some kind.

The analyses reported in this paper were carried out early in 2002. However, more recent literature, and more recent research reported elsewhere, indicate that the findings remain valid.

The findings of the study, and recent literature, indicate that skills associated with user education and information literacy instruction are important in today’s libraries.

The paper focuses on demonstrable employer and workplace requirements for the LIS professional, rather than abstract formulations and discusses the resultant implications for librarians’ continuing professional development and workplace learning.

This article aims to help people understand the impact that stress has on library employees and the library as an organization.

This article is based on literature reviews and commentary on this important topic that is not frequently addressed in the library as workplace.

Library workers are under stress and the library as an organization needs to provide training in how to deal with this issue. Strategies for reducing stress are outlined.

This article identifies stress in the library workplace and the importance of stress on employees and will be of interest to those that work within that field.

The purpose of this paper is to report on survey results from a study about librarians’ experience with compensation (salary and benefits) negotiation in the library workplace in order to provide data that will inform professional discourse and practice.

A primarily quantitative survey instrument was administered via Qualtrics Survey Software and distributed through listservs and social media channels representing a range of library types and sub-disciplines. The survey was explicitly addressed to librarians for participation and asked them questions related to their work history and experience with negotiating for salary and benefits.

A total of 1,541 librarians completed the survey. More than half of survey respondents reported not negotiating for their current library position. The majority of those who did negotiate reported positive outcomes, including an increase in salary or total compensation package. Only a very small number of respondents reported threats to rescind or rescinded offers when negotiating for their current positions. Respondents cited prior salary and prior work experience and/or education as the top information sources informing negotiation strategy.

There is minimal discussion of salary and benefits negotiation by individuals in the library literature and prior surveys of librarians’ experience with compensation negotiation do not exist. This is the first paper that tracks negotiating practices and outcomes of librarians in library workplaces of all types.

The author of this chapter will explain how libraries define safe space through policies, procedures, and professional codes of ethics. The chapter will generate a history of the concept of libraries as safe space, will explain how libraries attempt to create safe spaces in physical and online environments, and will show how library practices both help and harm patrons in need of safe space.

This chapter provides a review of the literature that illustrates how libraries provide safe space – or not – for their patrons. The author will deconstruct the ALA Code of Ethics and Bill of Rights to demonstrate how libraries remain heteronormative institutions that do not recognize the existence of diverse patrons or employees, and how this phenomenon manifests in libraries.

Libraries, either through their physical construction or through policies and procedures, have become spaces for illegal activities and discrimination. Populations who would be most likely to use libraries often report barriers to access.

Libraries should revisit their policies and procedures, as well as assess their physical and online spaces, to determine whether or not they truly provide safe space for their patrons. While libraries can become safer spaces, they should clearly communicate what types of safety they actually provide.

This chapter offers a critique of libraries as safe spaces, which will challenge popular opinions of libraries, and compel the profession to improve.

This paper seeks to review the history, development and utilization of self‐managing work teams (SMWTs) in business and library work environments.

Based on a review of both the relevant management and library literature, this paper broadens the library literature related to SMWTs with the objective of finding relevant insights applicable to the management of SMWTs in the library environment.

The paper finds that the use of appropriately designed and implemented SMWTs has the potential to increase employee productivity and workplace satisfaction while reducing absenteeism and employee turnover. Organizational democracy and managerial support are the primary drivers of successful SMWTs. However, the use of SMWTs by library administrators appears to be underutilized.

While the organizational and administrative benefits associated with the use of SMWTs are clear, the reasons why library administrators have not used this tool more frequently remains obscure. Additional research is required to understand the factors – both personal and institutional – that lead library administrators to either adopt or reject innovative managerial tools and techniques generally and SMWTs specifically.

This paper provides an important review of the library and management literature related to the use of SMWTs. The information is presented with the objective of increasing awareness, debate and additional research on the application of SMWTs in the library environment.

This study aims to inspect the organizational culture of academic libraries in Vietnam and China, and the objective was to investigate how the academic libraries in Vietnam and China differ in organizational culture’s task, unity and status orientations.

This study surveyed 546 academic library staff in China and Vietnam to fulfill this objective. Exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and paired t-tests are used to explore whether the organizational culture in the academic libraries in Vietnam and China is different in terms of task orientation, unity orientation and status orientation.

The results from the data concluded that academic libraries in Vietnam had a higher score on task and status orientations than their Chinese counterparts. In this study, there were no coherent factors regarding unity orientation.

This research expresses several solutions to address the problems in academic libraries in Vietnam and China. Scholars and practitioners can benefit from this research as it is a foundation to support them in understanding the organizational culture of libraries in two countries.

This research expands the scope of organizational culture literature in the Asian library sector. Given that no prior studies have compared the library cultures between the two countries, this study is a novelty. The findings of this research can support academic library staff, leaders and practitioners in Vietnam and China to understand their organizational culture. The research also identifies some recommendations to improve the academic library culture in Vietnam and China.

The purpose of this chapter is to provide a personal-professional reflection on Canadian author Toni Samek’s learning since publication of her 2007 book project entitled Librarianship and human rights: A twenty-first century guide.

The reflection, written in first-person and accessible terms appealing to a broad readership, is structured by the following sections: introduction; privilege and position; sobering experiences; the risk factor; a common project; unease; expectation; and, closing thoughts.

This endeavor encourages contributors to the field of library and information studies to situate their work within micro (individuals), meso (institutions), and macro (society) level understandings of privilege and power, including respect for the compassion and conviction demonstrated by street-level library and information workers who may never be rewarded for their good fights, or worse, may suffer loss(es) because of them.

This reflective work affirms the book’s original dedication in Librarianship and human rights: A twenty-first century guide to the many courageous library and information workers throughout the world and through the generations who have taken personal and professional risk to push for social change, as well as the enduring value of librarianship and human rights as a common project and one that involves both learning and unlearning. Librarianship and human rights: A twenty-first century guide was used as an example, when in 2007, activist librarian proposed the subject heading “critical librarianship” to the Cataloging and Support Office of the Library of Congress. This reflection adds to that case.