Over 30 Worksheets and 20 Samples Quickly Take Librarians From Drawing Board to Final without Reinventing the Wheel

New York, NY (March 31, 2008) –What does writing a business plan have to do with running a library? In Creating Your Library’s Business Plan, to be published by Neal-Schuman on May 16, author Joy HP. Harriman answers this and other questions, helping libraries to obtain support and financing, determine their competitive edge and recognize opportunities.

Intended for all librarians, Harriman’s book explains the importance and organizational power of planning for short-term achievement, showing libraries and staff how writing business plans will help them clarify goals, set reasonable time frames, measure performance, galvanize support, and formulate a consistent shared vision.

Says Harriman, “Without a shared vision, staff members and participants in the development of the new service will be left to their own means to interpret your library’s purpose and goals. A shared vision creates trust, understanding, communication, and commitment.”

The book is divided into ten chapters, outlining a step-by-step process to creating a plan. Beginning with an overview of the many reasons for writing a business plan, the book provides an overview of the essential components of one, such as the executive summary, objectives and organizational strategy. From there, Harriman dedicates individual chapters to detailed examinations of each component, how it should be presented, its impact on the plan, and a thorough understanding of how getting each component right will help the library develop a competitive advantage.

Throughout the book Harriman provides numerous examples of how libraries have included the various components in their own business plans. The Oakville Public Library, for example, outlines different objectives in its business plan than the Aurora Public Library.

An accompanying CD-ROM includes more than fifty templates and worksheets, as well as more than twenty-five complete business plans from real-world libraries featured throughout the book. “The worksheets and templates provided are designed to assist in clarifying and focusing your thoughts and intentions,” says Harriman. “The real-world examples included in each chapter need not be followed verbatim; they provide models and patterns that you can customize and build upon when developing your own business plan.”

Creating Your Library’s Business Plan
A How-To-Do-It Manual
ISBN 978-1-85604-634-0.
2008. 8½ x 11. 350 pp. $125.00.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Joy HP. Harriman has worked for over 20 years in the health care industry in marketing, library and information management, training and research. She has over 18 years in the library management and staff development field. She was formerly the Director of the Medical Library at the Mobile Infirmary, in Mobile, Alabama, and a consultant with Right Management Consultants, Inc. She was also the CEO of InfoResearch, an information brokerage specializing in business, legal, and medical information. From 2002–2008, she was the Associate Director, Library of the Health Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) of the Permian Basin, Odessa, Texas. She is currently the Development Officer for TTUHSC of the Permian Basin, Odessa, Texas, and is an adjunct faculty member at the Physician Assistant Program, TTUHSC, Midland, Texas.
Harriman graduated from the University of West Florida, Florida State University, and the University of South Alabama. She holds a BA in Journalism and Communication Arts, an MLS, and an MBA. She holds a distinguished level of certification from AHIP, the Academy of Health Information Professionals and Medical Library Association.

About Neal-Schuman Publishers
Founded in 1976, Neal-Schuman Publishers is based in New York City with offices in London, UK. Neal-Schuman is a leading publisher of textbooks in all areas of library and information studies, from library science to archival and records management, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
For More Information
Contact Matt Wilson
(matt.wilson@neal-schuman.com)

100 William Street, Suite 2004
New York, NY 10038
212-925-8650
www.neal-schuman.com

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Thirteen recognized leaders get at the why and how of management and leadership through their own experiences

New York, NY (March 31, 2008) —Archives and records managers face many challenges. To name a few: the need to adapt to constantly changing expectations, the need for a workforce proficient not just in technical skills but also in communication and teamwork; the difficulty of keeping programs aligned with priorities of the parent organization while still upholding principles and practices, the ever-increasing volume of digital content, and the seemingly universal challenge of securing adequate resources. While books exist that address principles and professional issues in records and archiving, rare is the title that effectively discusses management, leadership and program development. Neal-Schuman’s latest Archivist’s & Record Manager’s Bookshelf series entry presents a collection of carefully selected insights designed to fill this gap in the literature.

In Leading and Managing Archives and Records Programs, to be published by Neal-Schuman on May 16, 2008, influential archivist Bruce Dearstyne brings together thirteen prominent leaders in the fields of archives and records management to share their experiences and reflect on the management practices that worked for them.

Ideal for those now leading or managing archives or records programs, those who aspire to such leadership, executives who wish to strengthen leadership within their programs and even students, the book explains various leadership and management experiences in each contributor’s own voice: what happened and why; what the contributor learned; how these events relate to larger trends in the field.

“There are some common themes running through all the chapters about the work that is required to achieve sustained program success,” says Dearstyne. “On the other hand, [the chapters] also show the need for development and application of leadership approaches that fit individual programs.”

Contributors to the book include Edie Hedlin, former Archivist of the Smithsonian Institution; Phil Mooney, Archivist at the Coca Cola Company; and Eugenia Brumm, former Records Manager at Abbott Labs and now Director in the Legal Operations Consulting area at Huron Consulting Group. Each contributor addresses such topics as the role of leadership in shaping archives and records programs, dealing with CEOs, boards of directors and trustees, strategies for increasing budgets, and how to deal with the challenge of rapid change brought about by information technology.

“Too often, programs are tolerably well managed and deliver acceptable levels of service, but they fall short of their full potential for success and outstanding achievement due to lack of leadership,” says Dearstyne. “Leaders appeal to and bring out the best in people and programs and link their programs to higher concerns and aspirations of organizations or even society as a whole.”

Leading and Managing Archives and Records Programs
ISBN 978-1-85604-615-9.
2008. 6 x 9. 320 pp. $75.00.

About the Editor
Bruce W. Dearstyne is Adjunct Professor at the College of Information Studies, University of Maryland, where he served as a professor for eight years, teaching in the areas of archives, records management, and information management. Prior to that, he was for many years a program director at the New York State Archives. He is the author of several books and nearly a hundred articles on the topics of archives and records management. He holds a B.A. in History from Hartwick College and a Ph.D. in History from Syracuse University. He is a Certified Archivist and a Fellow of the Society of American Archivists.

About Neal-Schuman Publishers
Founded in 1976, Neal-Schuman Publishers is based in New York City with offices in London, UK. Neal-Schuman is a leading publisher of textbooks in all areas of library and information studies, from library science to archival and records management, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

For More Information
Contact Matt Wilson
(matt.wilson@neal-schuman.com)

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