Library Staff Development Handbook

Mary Grace Flaherty is an assistant professor in the School of Information and Library Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She received her PhD from Syracuse University and holds master’s degrees from Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland.

Flaherty offers library staff with varying levels of supervising experience an accessible, well-organized guide filled with a plethora of resources. Drawing on firsthand experience, the author provides valuable advice on everything from recruiting prospective candidates and cultivating a positive workplace culture to promoting continuing education and conducting ongoing performance appraisals. New supervisors will find rubrics and charts on, for instance, evaluating job candidates’ interview responses, invaluable. Each chapter ends with a bibliography. While there are many materials on staff management, Flaherty’s volume stands out for its relevance to libraries. VERDICT: Highly recommended for current and aspiring library supervisors interested in building their management skills and developing an efficient and cohesive staff.

• Chapter 1 Essential Background Chapter 2 Staffing and Organizational PlanningChapter 3 Attracting the Best and BrightestChapter 4 Staff Engagement: Creating OpportunitiesChapter 5 Staff DevelopmentChapter 6 Staff Evaluation Chapter 7 Additional Funding Sources for Staffing ActivitiesChapter 8 Wrapping Up