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Presents some definitions of strategic planning in the management literature, followed by an explanation of its importance in library management. Stresses the value of mission statements, goals and objectives, and a SWOT analysis, and gives advice on identifying strategic issues, formulating strategies, implementing the plan and performance measurement. Considers finance, staffing, stock management and information technology, and concludes with a case study of the use of strategic planning in an academic library.

Door‐to‐door canvassing is the single most effective campaign activity for persuading undecided voters to support a library issue and for getting “Yes” voters to get out and vote. Discusses the two forms of door‐to‐door canvassing: simply delivering the literature; and delivering campaign literature and making personal contact. Includes a sample script which can be used by canvassers.

The purpose of this paper is to clarify employee financial prowess at every level as a key to good library management beyond the responsibilities of directors.

The paper presents a general review.

The paper finds that all employees of a library must possess and exemplify a general sense of fiscal savvy.

This paper has implications for non‐library directors thinking about their role involving their library's finances.

Library leaders are looking for motivational strategies to expand beyond their own financial networking prowess.

The paper goes against the prototypical assumption that library managers are the only staff members who need to possess financial strategic skill.

Funding issues is observed to be the major stumbling block for the development of digital libraries in Nigeria. Hence, this paper aims to explore issues in obtaining and allocating funds for digital library development.

The review is an explorative report of the state of affairs of digital library development in Nigeria with the associated fundraising issues.

Digital library initiatives are coincidental development with transformational change in the technology-driven world of global information distribution. The desire of the information users to have better-unrestricted access to information becomes the hallmark of digital content development and web-based information services. The goal of making information accessible globally to large and diverse information users was achievable with the development of a digital library that provides enhanced information services, improves access and usability of digital information resources.

The library of the future has already materialized in form of digital library services, but the cost of developing a digital library is not foreseeable cheap, and if Nigerian libraries are to achieve digital library service goal, alternative sources of finance need to be sought after through fundraising scheme from friends of the library, rental services, consultation fees and collaboration effort on library consortia as well as advocacy for open access initiatives.

This paper aims to identify patterns, trends and potential implications related to post-checkout non-usage (material that is checked out by a user, but subsequently never opened and/or downloaded) of library digital content.

A large urban Canadian public library’s data (2013-2017) from Rakuten OverDrive was analyzed. Pending items (items that are checked out, but neither opened nor downloaded) were compared with total checkouts to determine post-checkout non-usage rates.

Checkouts and overall rates of post-checkout non-usage of e-books and e-audiobooks have risen significantly and consistently. Juvenile and non-fiction e-books demonstrate higher post-checkout non-usage rates than adult and fiction e-books, respectively. The library spends up to US$10,700 per year on metered access e-books that are never opened by users. This number has grown significantly over the years.

E-materials in libraries have been growing rapidly, but their current lending models are still largely a direct application of concepts in traditional library services that have developed based on physical materials, such as checkouts, due dates, renewals, holds and wait times. However, e-materials do not have the limitation of physical materials that prevents other users from accessing a checked-out item, which makes many of the traditional concepts no longer applicable. New concepts and lending models should be developed that allow users to access any library e-materials at any time, and are financially functional and sustainable for both libraries and e-content providers.

Addresses the purposes of school libraries by pinpointing their emotional, mental, and spiritual benefits for young learners. Discusses their requirements by considering typical organizational deficiencies and situations in Africa, particularly Kenya. Concludes with a summary of some of the existing contributions made towards the achievement of school library development in Africa. Acknowledges that specific steps exist to develop school libraries in Kenya but that these steps have lacked direction, co‐ordination, and goals. School libraries can be developed with limited operational infrastructure, so long as their establishment and development can be planned and co‐ordinated. So‐called problems of school library development are embedded in the underdeveloped attitude to recorded information and libraries in Africa, which is commonly disguised by “lack of resources”.

This paper aims to explore the author ' s own personal involvement with library finance.

This is a viewpoint piece.

This piece explores the idea of core memories in relation to library finance.

This is an autobiographical piece inspired by Pixar ' s 2015 film Inside Out.

The purpose of the paper is to point out the importance, value and the economic status of the public information services (PIS), which are in danger and to propose alternative solutions that the Greek Governmental Officials and Public Sector’s Library Managers can employ to support and promote PIS, their staff value and work and to finance their existence/preservation, plans and activities. Another objective of the paper is to increase librarians’ and library staff morale and encourage their participation and play a more proactive role in finding and securing such financial resources that will benefit all (PIS and librarians).

Considering the deep financial crisis in Greece, the paper presents and analyzes a thorough list of strategies, actions, practical recommendations and measures that public sector’s information professionals could apply in their attempt to promote PIS benefits to the society. Through these actions, they can also approach and convince stakeholders, governmental officials for (more) funding and other people to become sponsors and donors.

The article highlights the bad economic status of PIS, the increasing need for financial support and the fact that PIS and their professional appointments are under serious threat. It provides a combination of not only traditional widely known and applied methods but also a number of new measures and practices “borrowed” from private sector to show ways of finding alternative financing solutions to fund the existence of libraries, the paying of their debts and the salaries of librarians and the library staff. Moreover, it is suggested to politicians and policy-makers that important legislative bills/changes should take place to promote the flexibility in operations of PIS and in financial transactions between PIS and private companies.

The paper with the analyzed measures can set a paradigm of changing the organizational culture of PIS. Also, it points management practices to managers such as employee engagement, brainstorming and employee empowerment. Furthermore, it explores ways for librarians to find motivation, to engage more actively and even point to Ministers to give Public Servants the opportunity to accelerate their career development. In addition, it implies that changes in the law should take place to form a more flexible frame of operation for PIS. Finally, it provides a practical strategy to reverse attempted mergers of PIS with each other or other public organizations.

The paper presents such ideas and suggestions, which come against with certain stereotypes of Public Administration/Management and operation, “old school” and conservative ways of thinking and acting of Public Servants (many of whom have never worked in the private sector and have been working in the same position for over 20 years now), professional and trade unions. The role of politicians and policy-makers and the ethos of private companies toward Public Sector’s services in days of financial hardship in Greece are also discussed.

There is significantly limited research in the literature on the identification of threats to the existence, job security and constantly diminishing funding of PIS, in general, and, in particular, in Greece and suggested ways to overcome this. The article recommends to Information Professionals and particularly to those who work in PIS in Greece and worldwide various ways to secure income in an environment of tight budgets and cutbacks. The goal is to provoke thinking along the lines of the function of the private sector and adoption of specific practices to find economic resources and secure continuity of PIS “operation and jobs” preservation, even increase their salaries.