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LLN Commons November/December 2005 Articles

What Every Leader Should Know about Information Management (Part 2)
by Bob Boiko
published:  December 20, 2005

Holt Perspectives:

December 12, 2005: New OCLC Report: A Big Dog with the Bark off
Glen Holt comments on the OCLC Perceptions of Libraries and Information Resources, a followup to The OCLC Environmental SCAN published in 2003.
December 8, 2005:  Library Reference and Automobiles free
Evolving cooperative is a continuing theme in library development

What Every Leader Should Know about Information Management (Part 1)
by Bob Boiko
published:  December 6, 2005

Information Management is a term we are all familiar with, albeit one that is often not clearly defined and thus not terribly actionable by people in the information “business.”  We are very pleased to offer a three-part series, excerpted from a forthcoming book by Bob Boiko, a noted scholar and practitioner in the IM field.  This first article introduces the topic and begins to sort out the issues faced by those responsible for managing information.  Subsequent installments will deal with the ramifications involved with successfully implementing IM strategies and actions.  While intended for a general business audience, library leaders should find these articles of particular interest given their important roles in the world of information.

"Customer" Spoken Here
by Buff Hirko
published:  November 25, 2005

Regardless of what industry we work in, we spend much of our adult lives speaking in terms best described as “linguistic myopia.”  Put differently, we assume that the listener (who is often the customer) understands our baked-in acronyms and vocational jargon.  In this article, Buff Hirko points out that they usually don’t and, worse yet, probably walk away without asking what the heck we are talking about.  Buff also provides some useful remedies for this communication problem.

Leadership
by Nancy Bolt
published:  November 17, 2005

The concept of leadership has long been the subject of many writings, speeches and discussions.  As it is the key word in our name, the Library Leadership Network is pleased to present the insights of Nancy Bolt, herself a proven leader in the library community.  In discussing leadership, Nancy takes a fresh and informal approach, one that is relevant to those who manage libraries.  Topics such as leadership typically defy consensus, and we hope that our readers will share their views on the topic as Nancy continues to address it in subsequent articles.

Discussion: “Leadership” by Nancy Bolt:  Jamie LaRue, Director of the Douglas County (CO) Libraries, read an early draft of Nancy’s article and provided some interesting feedback.  His thoughts, and Nancy’s response, are seen here.  We encourage all of our readers to share their thoughts on this and all other articles published in The LLN Commons.


Libraries Basis of Educational Achievement  free
by Arthur G. Ogden
published:  Demopolis Times, November 10, 2005

Many library users think of today’s library as a great place to go online, or hold a meeting, or perhaps just get a cup of coffee.  In this opinion piece, reprinted here courtesy of the author and the Demopolis (Alabama) Times, we are all reminded of why libraries exist and the value they hold for learners of all ages.  Enjoy!