James F. Williams II – författare

First published in 1993, the purpose of this book is to identify and describe the most important factors that must be considered in making decisions about the optimal ways to provide access to information – in short, the best way to use the humans, the machines, and the intangible resources known as information, particularly at the organizational level.In recent years executives have begun to outsource computing and telecommunications functions, primarily to control costs. Traditional libraries and information centres have been disbanded in favour of service contracts or outright leasing of staff. Both the public and private sectors are examining their information service operations from the point of view of cost effectiveness. Decisions about owning versus leasing of information are being made daily. Decision-makers are finding that they must deal differently with funding and budgeting of information systems and libraries from their earlier practice. New paradigms for these service functions already exist. Not only have corporations and governments begun to contract out entire information service operations, but libraries themselves have begun to consider the costs, effectiveness, and implications of outsourcing some of their operations and services.This book provides a framework for decision-makers to view and review information services within their organizations. Entire units, components of libraries and information centres are defined and untangled so that the widest variety of organizations can analyse their own environments. Each chapter is accompanied by comments from a broad range of experts in the information field.

First published in 1993, the purpose of this book is to identify and describe the most important factors that must be considered in making decisions about the optimal ways to provide access to information – in short, the best way to use the humans, the machines, and the intangible resources known as information, particularly at the organizational level.In recent years executives have begun to outsource computing and telecommunications functions, primarily to control costs. Traditional libraries and information centres have been disbanded in favour of service contracts or outright leasing of staff. Both the public and private sectors are examining their information service operations from the point of view of cost effectiveness. Decisions about owning versus leasing of information are being made daily. Decision-makers are finding that they must deal differently with funding and budgeting of information systems and libraries from their earlier practice. New paradigms for these service functions already exist. Not only have corporations and governments begun to contract out entire information service operations, but libraries themselves have begun to consider the costs, effectiveness, and implications of outsourcing some of their operations and services.This book provides a framework for decision-makers to view and review information services within their organizations. Entire units, components of libraries and information centres are defined and untangled so that the widest variety of organizations can analyse their own environments. Each chapter is accompanied by comments from a broad range of experts in the information field.

In this refreshing new volume, strategic planning of budget management is looked at with a broad, positive perspective. Whether because of cuts in funding, enrollment decline, or academic cutbacks, the necessity for strategic planning in a university comes out of unfavorable circumstances. The chapters cover the planning process from start to finish, with an emphasis on a final goal of bringing the library’s status from one of an economic competitor to a deserving equal in the eyes of the academic community. The development of programs and long--term goals for various programs with realistic results in mind are stressed in this timely book.Strategic planning can be an effective managing tool in the midst of uncertainty and constant change. Cooperation, collaboration, and communication are all essentials for reaching this goal, and the authors of the 13 chapters describe in detail past instances in which these were successful. Readers will find that several major themes tie the diverse chapters of this book together, such as becoming successful in applying for limited institutional resources; giving the library’s goals a more prominent position among the members of the campus administration; and using the planning exercise to help the members of the academic community better understand the administrative decision-making process. Written by college and university presidents, campus planners, and librarians, this book clearly outlines the methods and benefits of strategic planning and provides an encouraging picture of what can be achieved when the process is used.