Farrell, Robert and Kenneth
Schlesinger, eds. Managing in the Middle. Chicago: ALA,
2013. 025.1 Manag. ISBN 978-0838911617
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. This practical
handbook is here to assist middle managers navigate their way through the
challenges of multitasking and continual gear-shifting. The broad range of
contributors from academic and public libraries in this volume 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 to surviving layoffs
