Prelims

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT IN THE LIBRARY WORKPLACE

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ADVANCES IN LIBRARY ADMINISTRATION AND ORGANIZATION

Series Editors: Delmus E. Williams and Janine Golden

Recent Volumes:

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ADVANCES IN LIBRARY ADMINISTRATION AND ORGANIZATION VOLUME 38

PROJECT MANAGEMENT IN THE LIBRARY WORKPLACE

EDITED BY

ALICE DAUGHERTY

Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA

SAMANTHA SCHMEHL HINES

Peninsula College, Port Angeles, WA, USA

United Kingdom – North America – Japan – India – Malaysia – China

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Howard House, Wagon Lane, Bingley BD16 1WA, UK

First edition 2018

Copyright © 2018 Emerald Publishing Limited

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No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without either the prior written permission of the publisher or a licence permitting restricted copying issued in the UK by The Copyright Licensing Agency and in the USA by The Copyright Clearance Center. Any opinions expressed in the chapters are those of the authors. Whilst Emerald makes every effort to ensure the quality and accuracy of its content, Emerald makes no representation implied or otherwise, as to the chapters’ suitability and application and disclaims any warranties, express or implied, to their use.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN: 978-1-78754-837-4 (Print)

ISBN: 978-1-78754-836-7 (Online)

ISBN: 978-1-78754-838-1 (Epub)

ISSN: 0732-0671 (Series)

List of Contributors

Editorial Advisory Board

• Kathryn Moore Crowe

  Associate Dean for Public Services, University Libraries, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, USA

• Janet A. Crum

  Head, Library Technology Services, Northern Arizona University, USA

• Alice L. Daugherty

  Collection Assessment and Analysis Librarian, Louisiana State University, USA

• Carenado V. Davis

  Library Director, Lenoir Community College, USA

• Christine Korytnyk Delaney

  Director of Technical Services, American University Library, USA

• Amed Demirhan

  Director of Library, American University of Nigeria (AUN), Nigeria

• Bradford Lee Eden

  Dean of Library Services, Valparaiso University, USA

• Su Epstein

  Library Director, Saxton B. Little Free Library, USA

• George J. Fowler

  Interim University Librarian, Old Dominion University, USA

• Heather Groves Hannan

  Head, Mercer Library (Prince William Campus), George Mason University, USA

• Joanne Hélouvry

  Head of Research & Instruction Services, Loyola Notre Dame Library, USA

• David Ketchum

  Resource Sharing Librarian, University of Oregon, USA

• Elizabeth Ann Martin

  Head of Professional Programs, Grand Valley State University, USA

• Miriam L. Matteson

  Assistant Professor, Kent State University, USA

• Pixey Anne Mosley

  Associate Dean for Administrative and Faculty Services, Texas A&M University, USA

• Annie Norman

  State Librarian of Delaware Division of Libraries, Delaware, USA

• Marcy Simons

  Organizational Development Librarian, University of Notre Dame, USA

• Jennifer M. Turner

  Instructional Services Librarian, Minnesota State University, USA

Introduction: Project Management in the Library Workplace

An important component of library administration and organization in the modern age is managing projects. Once the realm of technology and business gurus, formal project management tools, techniques, and schemas have become more commonplace in libraries. Using formal project management components can help libraries achieve their desired outcomes with less stress for employees. However, there can be an entry barrier to project management, since the concepts are still somewhat out of the range of the usual library administration experience. This volume of Advances in Library Administration and Organization attempts to put project management into the toolboxes of library administrators through overviews of concepts, analyses of experiences, and forecasts for the use of project management within the profession.

The volume opens with four chapters designed to develop an understanding of the various pieces of project management. Pre-project planning is presented in “Using Pre-project Planning to Manage Workload” as a process that helps develop ideas into actionable project proposals, smoothing the way to implementing project management principles. “Fostering a Culture of Project Management Practices – A Maturity Model for Libraries” looks at what workplace culture contributes to the success of formal project management practices. Next, we look at the common roots between librarianship and project management in “Common Roots, Different Systems: Project Management and Librarianship.” “The Best-laid Plans of Mice and Men Often Go Awry: The Disadvantages of Project Management” looks at situations where project management might not be advantageous in a library setting. These works give the reader a good grasp on what project management is, how it relates to librarianship, and how it might (or might not) help in their individual settings.

Next, we proceed into an examination of how project management principles can be used to build community engagement and better relationships through the lens of faculty partnerships at the University of Kansas. This is followed by a look at how project management frameworks can be used by those without formal authority, based on project charters or the lack thereof. Then the book turns toward the development of project management processes within a library, with a focus on the University of Minnesota Libraries’ experience. These chapters focus on the setup and relationship side of project management and further develop the reader’s understanding of how the concept may begin to be applied.

We then dive into a more traditional example of project management, regarding digital projects, in “Integration of Project Management Techniques in Digital Projects.” The case studies offered for analysis involve the use of Agile and Waterfall project management methodologies. “Combining Project Management and Change Management for Project Success in Libraries” presents an overview of how project management tools can be combined with change management techniques in a library setting for improved efficiency. We then return to digital projects in “From Collection Silos to Digital Content Hubs: Digital Project Management in Special Collections and University Archives” with an analysis of how project management technique adoption has fundamentally changed collection service models in university archives and special collections, reducing silos and promoting collaboration. This look at how project management frameworks have worked with the rapid changes in digital offerings of libraries gives library administrators more tools and food for thought around project management in libraries generally.

“The Value of Full-time Project Management Positions: PMO Nuts and Bolts at Hesburgh Libraries” continues to broaden our thinking with a look at how we can and do devote personnel time to project management, by examining Hesburgh Libraries’ full-time project management position. This is then followed by a look at how major project management protocols, such as Six Sigma, Lean, and Scrum, developed, and have been applied in libraries generally. The mindset provided by project management is the subject of “Using a ‘Project Management Mindset’ as an Administrative Approach to Creating Workplace Efficiencies & Building Employee Leadership Skills,” which provides us with the benefits of using project management more generally as a managerial tool. “Accidental Project Management in a New Library Storage Facility” then takes on the vaunted “accidental project manager” trope, demonstrating that while on-the-fly application of project management tools worked in the context of moving collections to a high-density storage facility, a more formal application of project management would have improved the success of the project. These chapters provide the reader with guidance on the value of formal project management schema in both mindset of administrators generally and more intentional implementations.

The final chapters of this volume provide a deeper look at what project management training can offer for library professionals. “Effective Project Management Techniques to Prepare Information Professionals for the Future Workforce” presents recommendations for LIS professionals’ training around project management, while “Projects, Programmes, Strategy and Leadership in the Research Library” provides a broader strategic look at how project management techniques can be implemented and embedded within a library. We wrap up with a look at the benefits and drawbacks for training library professionals in the Scrum project management framework.

All in all, this volume offers readers an interesting overview as well as a selected deeper dive into project management concepts, tools, schema, and frameworks. Administrators reading this book will be able to say what the benefits and drawbacks of project management techniques are based on the concepts, analyses, cases, and theories presented here, and begin to work on their own implementations of whatever best matches their institutional needs.

Samantha Schmehl Hines

Editor