Thomas Kozak

LIS 650
April 2010

Assignment 2 – Library Administrator and Organizational Ideal Vision

Falling Water: The Townsville County Library

System (Secret #1)

The Falling Water Library System serves the

entirety of Townsville county, an area of about

750,000. The library system consists of 8 branches

distributed throughout the city.

Vision, Mission, and Motto

The official mission statement of the Falling

Water Libraries is to “Connect individuals with the

information they need, and provide the community

with tools and training for navigating today's world.” This is exemplified by the library's motto, which

is “Let's Find Out!” The mission is designed to fit the specifics of the library's role as an information

hub and community resource, while remaining open enough to allow services to grow and change to fit

the needs of the city.

The Physical Experience - Examples

The central philosophy of the Falling Water Library System is to fit each branch into and around

the existing community which it will serve. This applies particularly to library services, as will be seen

below, but also to the physical buildings which house each of the 8 branches. The central library,

which houses administrative offices as well as it's share of the system's collection, was designed to fit
in amongst the corporate office buildings and storefronts of central downtown, with glass-windowed

interiors and a spacious atrium with access to neighboring businesses. Meanwhile, the Townville Ave.

Branch (serving one of the city's suburban areas) has its own plot of land along the same road as the

grocery stores and other venues serving that area, and mimics the big-box aesthetic of these businesses.

Similarly, some other branches have established themselves within shopping centers and strip malls,

with an eye towards convenience for the local population. Each branch serves as an outpost of the

library, but also as a member of the local business scene.

Inside each library, the layout is consistent from branch to branch wherever possible.

Immediately inside the door are displays of new or popular items, with space for special collections or

exhibits relevant to the local community. The library's main desk oversees this area, and is positioned

to allow staff to greet patrons as they enter and check out materials or assist as they leave. Three main

areas branch off from this: one houses media and public computers, one is the children's area (with

books and an area for storytime) , and the third contains fiction, nonfiction, and non-circulating

reference materials. Signs designating each are are consistent throughout the system and bilingual for

those branches where this would be appropriate (Historical Figure Blvd serves a large Hmong

population, for instance). Service desks are located in each of these areas, and are manned by several

staff members capable of assisting with circulation, reference, and computer-related assistance when

needed. Staff work areas have entrances close to these service desks, and those staff members on the

desks can call for replacements if they must step away to assist a patron.

Computer stations are located throughout the library, not only in dedicated lab areas (which

each branch does have). Several catalog access terminals can be found in each section, and are set by

default to display materials similar to those closest to them. This is to emphasize the global nature of

the library's collection, and remind the user that more items are available than just what is on the shelf.

This theme is continued in signs and displays, which may in some cases include placeholders for

popular items which have been checked out - these can easily be used to place a request on that item by
 staff or at one of the automated self-checkout stations located near the exits.

Services and Policies

The system's collection is not tied to any branch, with the exception of some special exhibits or

collections which may be temporarily or (rarely) permanently linked to an appropriate location. The

library's catalog software allows for the tracking of items from branch to branch, and for the

management of materials so that all branches maintain a good balance in their local collection. This

obviously means regular transit of materials from branch to branch, which means that items requested

by patrons are delivered quickly (usually by the next day). Most items check out for a period of two

weeks. However, the Falling Water Libraries do not charge overdue fees. After the checkout period,

that user is blocked from checking out additional materials until the item is returned (or renewed,

which may be done any number of times) Users are free to keep materials until they are finished with

them, but if another patron places a request for that item, the current holder will receive a call

requesting that they return it. At that point, that user may no longer renew the item, and so will not be

able to check out additional materials until the requested item is returned. The primary exceptions to

this rule are brand-new best-sellers, which have the same checkout period but may not be renewed.

The library system offers reference and question-answering services in person as well as by

phone, email, and chat. These latter remote services are decentralized, so that one number can be

answered by staff on phone-reference duty anywhere in the system, although the call can be redirected

to a particular branch if necessary. The emphasis is on completely answering the patron's question, and

if possible offering guidance as to how this answer was found. Difficult questions may take time or

follow-up interactions with a patron, and staff will make the time to do this. The motto of the library

(“Let's find out!”) means that a staff member should never give up on a question, but rather seek the

assistance of coworkers to draw on as many library resources as possible.

All branches offer public computers, with the number available varying according to the needs
 of the community (in general, more affluent areas will have fewer public computers). Patrons use their

cards to sign up for a one-hour session, and receive an estimate of the next available time (they may

also select a specific time if desired). They also receive a token similar to the coasters used in many

restaurants, which will vibrate to alert them when a station opens up. The number of times any given

patron may use a computer is not limited; however, their priority will go down for each session, with

the system giving preference to those who have not had a turn, yet (this is to avoid the problem of some

patrons monopolizing the computer labs).

Computer and technology assistance and training are heavily used in Townsville County. The

library offers both scheduled training classes on a regular basis as well as on-the-spot assistance for

users in the public labs. This is a common area where staff members will call for a replacement at the

service desk, as an individual patron might require lengthy guidance, which it is the library's mission to

provide (as part of the “tools and training to navigate today's world”).

Internal Design

Communication (both inter-branch and inter-department) is the guiding principle of the Falling

Water Library System staff. This includes a heavy commitment to training and cross-training: at the

very least, even new employees will know what their coworkers in other service areas do, and how that

work will interact with their own. The idea is that if an individual staff member is faced with a

question he or she cannot answer, he or she will have a good idea of whom to contact for further

assistance. The library's motto, “Let's Find Out,” is meant to serve staff just as much as it does patrons:

asking questions will always be encouraged, internally as well as externally.

Along these lines, the second overarching theme of the library's organization is self-feeding

learning. At the end of the day, staff submit notes on new, difficult, or otherwise challenging questions

or services they dealt with. These are shared and made available to the entire library staff, and the

ever-growing collection of questions and issues is used both for the development of Frequently Asked
 Question guides for new employees, but also to develop new goals and targets for needs-assessment in

the future.

The third principle of the library is autonomy, which is intrinsically linked to individual

responsibility. In other words, all staff members are given the flexibility to do what is necessary to

further the general mission of the library, and the specific tasks needed to give excellent service to

library patrons. Managers are expected to support the decision-making ability of their subordinates,

although of course they may guide, advise, and correct as necessary.

Fine-Tuning and Adaptation (Secrets # 2 & 3)

As already mentioned, the “Let's Find Out” motto applies just as much to staff as to patrons.

The library needs to know what the customer wants and needs. Primary to this need is training which

encourages staff to always ask about what could be done better from the patron's perspective – what

each patron would like to see. This means asking regularly and in person how the library could have

given the patron a better experience, especially if he or she seems unhappy with any aspect of the

service. It also indicates close attention paid to circulation of materials, usage of services, and the like.

The library's computer systems also allow for the keeping of records of websites visited from public

computers (of course this information is completely dissociated from individual users, for privacy

reasons), a vital tool which allows for fine-grained calibration of services to the community's needs.

Meeting and exceeding the goals of the library (delivering +1%), to the Falling Water Library

system, means matching services to patrons above and beyond what each patron presents as an

immediate request. In other words, taking steps to find out what else can be done for that patron, today,

within the services provided by the library. Staff members make an effort to “up-sell,” offering

additional services which seem relevant, or which have been shown to have a high correlation (as a

basic example, offering to place requests for further items by the author of a popular series). Part of the
 library's learning and internal communications process, as mentioned, is tracking usage, and this will

provide answers as to what services can be readily linked and offered together to give that extra +1%.

Addressing the 12 Questions

Internally, the Falling Water Library System is designed with the principles of the 12 Questions

in mind. Many of the principles mentioned above lead directly to reinforcing positive answers to the

questions, but more detail is provided below.

Do I know what is expected of me?

The library's goals are broken down in a modular fashion. Each staff member knows what

needs to be done today, what needs to be done this week, month, etc. The specifics of how these goals

are reached is left more open, with autonomy given to individuals and overseen by managers at each

branch.

“Do I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right?”

This is primarily a budgeting matter, but also very much involves listening and involving staff

at all levels in the conversation – of course someone at each branch (usually the manager) is in charge

of equipment/materials budget, but he or she will be expected to listen and learn from subordinates

since those individuals know on a day-to-day basis what they need and what they don't have.

“At work, do I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day?”

The answer to this question will be a reflection of the hiring process discussed in more detail

below. The central principle is that the library system values assessing employees to determine what

they feel they do best, and getting them into a position where they are responsible for that task.

“In the last seven days, have I received recognition or praise for doing good work?”

This question is based around paying attention and is tied to the learning/growing model of the
library: when a staff member, manager or otherwise, sees someone doing good work, especially

exception work, he or she should be asking how they did it. This inevitably means telling them what

they did was good.

“Does my supervisor, or someone at work, seem to care about me as a person?”

Hiring skilled managers means this will happen – not necessarily in the same way for all

managers (outcome focus). No one is considered a “drone” at this library since all tasks are vital to the

mission.

“Is there someone at work who encourages my development?”

Again, encouraging development is the very core of the learning/growing model. In other

words all staff will be encouraged to learn and grow every day as they are faced with new questions or

unexpected requests from patrons.

“At work, do my opinions seem to count?”

The system's emphasis on personal responsibility and authority for staff members is meant to

address this question. Almost never should a staff member have to say “I can't do that,” or “that's not

up to me,” because their personal answers to work-related questions are trusted and valued. Again,

managers support their subordinates' decisions, although they may correct them when they are wrong.

“Does the mission/purpose of the library make me feel my job is important?”

The motto is “Let's find out.” Inevitably any staff member who works with the public will do

the work of connecting an individual with information, while background support staff (who will also

be cross-trained in customer-related work where appropriate) will know how their work (collection

development, cataloging, etc) fits into this process.

“Are my co-workers committed to doing quality work?”

 The library will be hiring for people who care about quality, of course. Curiosity and the desire

to learn (which are heavily emphasized in the interview process) produce a desire to improve services.

“Do I have a best friend at work?”

Since employees will be part of a dedicated team, they will form connections to those they work

with. Part of the area/branch manager's job is to pay attention to personality interactions and think

about adjusting schedules if there is a bad fit.

“In the last six months, has someone at work talked to me about my progress?”

As already discussed, this will almost inevitably be a daily process (what did you learn today?

What questions did you answer that haven't been answered? What services did you provide that you

don't usually offer?) Managers are encouraged to discuss progress with individuals on a regular basis,

although they are freed from having to report on this in a regimented way (since managers are trusted

to make decisions regarding their subordinates).

“This last year, have I had opportunities at work to learn and grow?”

To repeat, learning and growing are a key part of the internal mission of the library. Finding out

new things is to a large extent the basic job of every staff member, with particular duties coming

second.

Tool-Using

Strategic Planning

The director and other staff in the central administration are responsible for setting the

overarching goals of the library system. Some of these may develop into general projects, such as new

advertising or marketing campaigns, reading initiatives, and the like. However the bulk of projects will

be undertaken at the branch level. For instance, the Local Landmark Street branch is engaged in a
project to install satellite computer stations (referred to informally as “Knowledge ATMs) in a nearby

mall. This involved establishing connections with the owners of that location, choosing a vendor for

the hardware, and fine-tuning a specialized version of the existing public-computer interface. These

tasks were carried out by branch staff, with minimal involvement from central administration except

where necessary.

Budgeting

The library system is blessed with a generous budget from county government, derived

primarily from property taxes and state economic-stimulus funds. Money is allocated to each of the 8

branches individually, with an additional allotment for system-wide expenses, special projects, and the

like. Individual branch managers are to a large extent responsible for allocating funds to particular

purposes within their area of responsibility.

Presented here is part of a sample budget for the 2010 fiscal year, including central

administration and two branches for comparison:

Central

Administration

Salaries Rate Benefits Annual

Director $ 70,000.00 33% $ 93,100.00

Assistant Director $ 62,000.00 33% $ 82,460.00

Head of Marketing $ 55,000.00 33% $ 73,150.00

Marketing Level 2 $ 33,000.00 33% $ 43,890.00

Marketing Level 3 $ 37,000.00 33% $ 49,210.00

Head of Collection $ 55,000.00 33% $ 73,150.00

Development

Collection $ 31,000.00 33% $ 41,230.00

Development Level 1

Collection $ 40,000.00 33% $ 53,200.00

Development Expert

Head of Transporation $ 55,000.00 33% $ 73,150.00

Driver Level 1 $ 27,000.00 33% $ 35,910.00

Driver Level 1 $ 27,000.00 33% $ 35,910.00

Driver Level 1 $ 27,000.00 33% $ 35,910.00

Driver Level 1 $ 27,000.00 33% $ 35,910.00

Head of Technical $ 56,000.00 33% $ 74,480.00

Services

Technical Services $ 33,000.00 33% $ 43,890.00

Level 2

Technical Services $ 31,000.00 33% $ 41,230.00

Level 1

Technical Services $ 40,000.00 33% $ 53,200.00

Expert

Catalog and $ 10,000.00 1 $ 10,000.00

Databases

Software Maintenance $ 5,000.00 1 $ 5,000.00

Local Landmark

Branch Library

Salaries

Branch Manager $ 51,000.00 33% $ 67,830.00

Reference Expert $ 40,000.00 33% $ 53,200.00

Reference Level 3 $ 34,000.00 33% $ 45,220.00

Reference level 2 $ 31,000.00 33% $ 41,230.00

Reference level 2 $ 31,000.00 33% $ 41,230.00

Reference Expert $ 40,000.00 33% $ 53,200.00

Reference Level 3 $ 34,000.00 33% $ 45,220.00

Reference level 2 $ 31,000.00 33% $ 41,230.00

Circulation Expert $ 28,000.00 33% $ 37,240.00

Circ Level 3 $ 24,000.00 33% $ 31,920.00

Circ level 2 $ 21,000.00 33% $ 27,930.00

Circ level 2 $ 21,000.00 33% $ 27,930.00

Computer Training $ 34,000.00 33% $ 45,220.00

Expert

Computer Level 3 $ 32,000.00 33% $ 42,560.00

Technology Cost # Total

Computer Terminals $ 1,200.00 15 $ 18,000.00

Building Services Cost # Total

Carpet Cleaning and $ 5,000.00 1 $ 5,000.00

Repair

Special Projects Cost # Total

Satellite Computer $ 15,000.00 5 $ 75,000.00

Kiosks

Software Updates $ 2,000.00 1 $ 2,000.00

Branch Total $ 699,160.00

Historical Figure

Branch Library

Salaries

Branch Manager $ 52,000.00 33% $ 69,160.00

Reference Expert $ 40,000.00 33% $ 53,200.00

Reference Level 1 $ 29,000.00 33% $ 38,570.00

Reference level 2 $ 31,000.00 33% $ 41,230.00

Reference level 2 $ 31,000.00 33% $ 41,230.00

Circulation Expert $ 28,000.00 33% $ 37,240.00

Circ Level 3 $ 24,000.00 33% $ 31,920.00

Circ level 2 $ 21,000.00 33% $ 27,930.00

Circ level 2 $ 21,000.00 33% $ 27,930.00

Circ Level 3 $ 24,000.00 33% $ 31,920.00

Circ level 2 $ 21,000.00 33% $ 27,930.00

Circ level 2 $ 21,000.00 33% $ 27,930.00

Computer Training $ 34,000.00 33% $ 45,220.00

Expert

Computer Level 3 $ 32,000.00 33% $ 42,560.00

Technology Cost # Total

New Computer $ 1,200.00 22 $ 26,400.00

Terminals
 Building Services Cost # Total

Carpet Cleaning and $ 5,000.00 1 $ 5,000.00

Repair

Branch Total $ 575,370.00

Subtotal w/included $ 2,228,510.00

Branches

Needs-Assessment and Evaluation

As described above, the day-to-day operations of the libaries will generate seeds of ideas for

further examination. This informal, but still evidence-based examination of what patrons need and

want, and which services can be improved, feeds into the more official needs-assessment work, which

will be carried out at the branch level. Primary methods will be phone surveys of the community, as

well as additions to the library's ongoing print, web, and radio advertisements calling for suggestions

and providing a venue for input from the community.

QC/QA

Since the library offers ongoing services rather than a tangible product, Quality Assurance is

more about training than about checking up on problems after the fact. Where problems do occur, the

self-feeding learning processes described above will help other staff members avoid similar problems

in the future.

Addressing the Four Keys

Select for talent not simply experience

In some positions the necessary skills (particularly technical skills) will be very clear, but still in

almost all cases the key talent at this library is learning and problem-solving. The first question always
 asked in an interview is “tell me about a time you fixed a problem at work.” This should be drawn out

into a conversation about “was that the first time you'd seen that problem? Did it come up again?” The

emphasis is on learning from experience and applying new solutions. Hiring people who have this

ability makes sure the staff is rich in the talents the library needs to meet its goals.

Define the right outcomes not the right steps

A primary value of the library culture is personal autonomy and responsibility. The outcome is

the mission: connecting individuals with information, whether that be books and media, technology, or

training. Of course each individual will have unique methods for reaching that goal.

Focus on strengths not weaknesses

At Falling Water, it is never about what you can't do, it's always about what you are better at

doing. This is why employees are so encouraged to cross-train and try out different jobs they're

interested in, because that might be where they have an even stronger talent than their current job.

Since the library focuses on outcomes, it is up to every manager to decide how they want to arrange

their staff hours – if they are providing excellent service by shuffling most of their staff to a given

service area based on talent while having a smaller team on another area, that is acceptable.

Find the right fit – not simply the next rung on the ladder.

Falling Water Library System uses banding salaries. Secondly, every position (although in our

organization positions are very flexible and somewhat amorphous due to heavy cross-training and

cross-working) can advance to “expert” status which makes that person a go-to for advice and answers

from newer staff, although not actually in a managerial position or training position (although those

possibilities are open if the skill is there).

Realism and Conclusions

 Almost all of the concepts and ideals embodied in this hypothetical library map well to things

that can be carried out on an individual basis at almost any level in an organization. That is, Falling

Water Libraries institutionalize and enshrine in official policy skills and tasks that are relevant to

individual workers as well as managers. For instance, the self-feeding learning/growing process which

the system fosters is good advice for any worker. Similarly, the internal organization of this library

embodies networking and connection-building, which are important activities for any leader or

manager. In other words, this hypothetical library was designed to assume that all individuals involved

would behave as though they had digested the principles learned from such books as First, Break All

the Rules or Creating the Customer-Driven Library.