Managing in the middle

CHICAGO — Fully a third of all library supervisors are “managing in the middle”: reporting to top-level managers while managing teams of peers or paraprofessional staff in some capacity. Editors Robert Farrell and Kenneth Schlesinger present a practical guidebook for those supervisors with “Managing in the Middle,” published by ALA Editions, assisting middle managers as they navigate through the challenges of multitasking and continual gear-shifting. Including a foreword by Maureen Sullivan, 2012-13 American Library Association President, a broad range of contributors from academic and public libraries help librarians face personal and professional challenges by:

• Linking theoretical ideas about mid-level management to real-world situations;
• Presenting ways to sharpen crucial skills such as communication, productivity, delegation and performance management;
• Offering specific advice on everything from supervision and leadership to surviving layoffs.

Farrell has served as coordinator of information literacy and assessment at Lehman College, City University of New York, since 2008. Over the past decade, he has worked in libraries at Columbia and CUNY, managing at various levels. His research interests include library management, the phenomenology of professional skill acquisition, and information-seeking behaviors as well as a variety of topics in philosophy.



Schlesinger has been chief librarian at Lehman College, City University of New York, since 2007. Previously he was director of media services at LaGuardia Community College and also worked in the archival collections of Thirteen/WNET and Time Inc. His research and publication interests include library management, performing arts collections, digital preservation, and international libraries.

ALA Store purchases fund advocacy, awareness and accreditation programs for library professionals worldwide. ALA Editions publishes resources used worldwide by tens of thousands of library and information professionals to improve programs, build on best practices, develop leadership, and for personal professional development. ALA authors and developers are leaders in their fields, and their content is published in a growing range of print and electronic formats. Contact ALA Editions at (800) 545-2433 ext. 5418 or editionsmarketing@ala.org.

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