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- Description
- Table of Contents
- About the authors
- Reviews
Listen to a podcast with the authors now!
In the years since John Huber's trailblazing Lean Library Management was published, budget pressures on libraries have only increased. Yet libraries who have adopted his strategies have turned conventional management thinking—that if budgets are reduced, customer service suffers—on its head. These libraries have proven that by streamlining and improving customer services, they can eliminate wasteful activities and bring down costs. In The Purpose-Based Library, Huber and seasoned public library administrator Potter build on insight gleaned from decades of experience to demonstrate how libraries can create real growth opportunities through concentrating on their true mission and purpose, and without spending a lot more money. With a focus on putting ideas into action, they point the way towards
- New ways to think about metrics
- Reexamining customer self-driven services
- Effectively leveraging the considerable footprint of libraries
- Identifying and assessing community needs and realigning library services accordingly
- Actively encouraging community fundraising
- Offering cutting-edge services and programs
Packed with boots-on-the-ground commentary, this book presents strategies to help libraries survive and succeed.
List of Figures and Tables
Foreword
Introduction
Part I: Survival
Chapter 1: Lean Library Management
Part II: Success
Chapter 2: Good Morning
Chapter 3: Missions, Visions, and Purpose
Chapter 4: The Community Pyramid
Chapter 5: A Purpose-Based Community
Chapter 6: Dashboard Metrics
Chapter 7: The Food and Shelter Safety Net
Chapter 8: Safety and Security
Chapter 9: Health and Nutrition
Chapter 10: Functional Literacy and Access
Chapter 11: Digital Literacy and Access
Chapter 12: Social Community Engagement
Chapter 13: Functional Skills Development
Chapter 14: Community Contribution
Chapter 15: Creative Expression
Chapter 16: Advancement of Knowledge
Part III: Growth
Chapter 17: Resources
Chapter 18: Value-Added Marketing
Chapter 19: Philanthropy
Chapter 20: Library Presentation
Chapter 21: Closing the Gap with Your Suppliers and Customers
Part IV: Sustainability
Chapter 22: Structural and Environmental Sustainability
Epilogue
About the Authors
Index
“The power of cooperative community engagement cannot be underestimated. In this book, John Huber and Steven Potter present a vision that provides not only the framework for community transformation, but a means to apply metrics to the efforts ... Through the community pyramid, John proposes a practical and workable means for all members of the community, including charities, foundations, businesses, volunteers, churches, and government agencies to engage in productive, measurable, and transformative community efforts.”
— Don Millican, CFO, Kaiser-Francis
“Physical libraries increasingly serve the essential civic function of being vibrant gathering places for a community, in all its diversity, to come together, to learn, to engage, and to act. John Huber’s work is an important contribution to this historic transformation, helping us to make sense of it and leverage these social, intellectual, and physical changes in the notion of a library into maximum potential for our community and all of society.”
— Ken Levit, Executive Director, George Kaiser Family Foundation, Tulsa, Oklahoma
”Exceptionally well written, organized and presented … a practical, innovative, thoughtful and thought-provoking read that should be considered a ‘must’ for all librarians and members of library boards of directors."
— MBR Bookwatch
”Paints a vivid picture of various scenarios faced by libraries, which invites the reader to think beyond traditional responses to questions regarding the need and/or size of library facilities. Readers will find specific examples from numerous libraries that are relevant to most libraries … As a director of a public library, I found The Purposed-Based Library: Finding Your Path to Survival, Success, and Growth to be an inspiring read. I will definitely share the book with my leadership, and we will strive to implement the model so that we can become a transformational focal point in our community."
— Technical Services Quarterly