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LLN Commons March/April 2006 Articles


April, 2006 LLN Peer Panel 
This month's questions:
  •  In the last five years, what cooperative efforts have you been involved in (or observed) and what have the specific benefits been to the libraries involved in such efforts?
  • Where has cooperation failed? Why?
  • What cooperative efforts are most needed now, and why?

Risk, Luck and Serendipity
by Buff Hirko
published:  April 18, 2006

Risk is a four letter word, but without risk-taking there would be little progress, only stagnation. With this in mind, Buff Hirko talks forcefully about the need for library leaders to take risk in order to create greater relevance and success.

Confessions of a Library User
We occasionally run into people who, when we tell them about the Library Leadership Network, volunteer to share their thoughts and experiences concerning libraries.  From time to time, we will pass their comments on in the hope that our readers will find them helpful.

Closing the Deal
by Jamie LaRue
published:  March 22, 2006

Our recent article about Thomas Friedman's book, The World Is Flat, received an immediate response from Jamie LaRue, a member of the LLN Peer Panel.  Jamie noted that not all of us are card-carrying extroverts, and thus may be a bit reticent about the "sales" responsibilities we have as part of our jobs.  His article talks about his own experiences in a humorous and helpful way.

March, 2006 LLN Peer Panel 
There is much discussion concerning the graying of the current library leadership and the leadership gap that retirements will create in the next five to ten years.  We asked our panel to comment  on:  
  • Their experiences in identifying and developing tomorrow's library leaders.  Programs and processes that work - and don't work- in the areas of:
  • Succession Planning
  • Job/career Planning
  • Mentoring
  • Training
  • Recruiting
  • What is needed (that doesn't exist) in the way of new programs and processes
Frankly Speaking :  Libraries in the Flat World

Holt Perspectives:
March 9, 2006:  We're Number One! We're Number One! We're Number One!
In this Perspective, Glen Holt takes some issue with the various rankings that make waves in the library community.  He thoroughly dissects the methods behind them and reminds us of what truly matters as we look at the role our libraries play--both now and in the future.