Future-proof your team

Three library supervisors walk into a bar… and each one was holding a copy of this book. Whether you’re a new supervisor, have a few years under your belt, or have been in libraries since the days of the card catalogue, you would have experienced and been a part of change. From moving to CDs from cassette tapes, to Windows 10 from XP, from collection-focused to space-focused, change in the library is inevitable – and as a manager or supervisor, it’s your job to help implement and help your team through the change process.

That’s where this planner comes in. In 47 pages, spanning 10 easily readable chapters, this planner helps guide the library manager or supervisor through the process of change management. Under the zippy title of ‘future-proof your team’, the planner invites the reader through each step of the change process; from planning to know what you want to happen, to being ready for change, knowing who does what, planning the actual change, and staying focused. Readers are encouraged to fill out each of the many planners throughout the book, reinforcing your knowledge and encouraging you to untangle what needs to happen/could happen better to help your team in a time of change. Leaders are asked to share their hopes, fears, and plans with their teams; as in all things, success is a team effort. The planner gives the reader explicit approval to fail, asking only that for the seven times you fall, you stand up eight.

New supervisors will embrace the individual planners that break down each step of change, from knowing what to change, to identifying hurdles, to keeping the change on track. Experienced supervisors will appreciate the clear discussion points around conversations with reluctant staff and recognising who in your team will be your change leaders. The invitation in chapter 7 to look at team position descriptions and titles was particularly invigorating; how often do we as library professionals settle for the tried and tested Branch Manager, Library Officer, or Liaison Librarian? Should we be talking instead about the Invigoration Officer, Change Creator, or Wikipedia-in-Residence?

While the examples in the planner draw predominately from the public library, the guide is equally applicable across library sectors; anyone who works in a library where there is the possibility of change will appreciate this planner. If your library isn’t currently changing, the guide will still help you prepare for the changes that you may see in the future. The invaluable addition of a chapter on ‘Plan your next moves’ will encourage you to look at Blue Sky thinking for the future; realizing that not everything can be done right away but needs to be scaffolded on a solid foundation.

Each short chapter can be read individually or as part of a whole. This book is highly recommended as part of the library supervisor’s or manager’s professional toolkit.