“LEAN” PRINCIPLES EXPERT HELPS LIBRARIANS IMPROVE USER SERVICES BY FINDING SAVINGS THAT CAN BE HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT Wednesday, Dec 1 2010
Books and Forthcoming Titles and General Announcements and Press Releases 2:34 pm
December 1, 2010 (New York, NY) — New technologies and increased patron expectations force libraries to make the most of their reduced budgets. Lean Library Management: Eleven Strategies for Reducing Costs and Improving Services, to be published by Neal-Schuman Publishers on January 31, 2011, provides creative, cost-effective strategies for improving library services by cutting out waste and increasing efficiency.
John Huber, a management guru who has worked with numerous high-profile libraries, offers eleven strategies that will help librarians eliminate waste, reduce spending, and improve customer service using “Lean” principles. Strategy 1 focuses on the business side of libraries, comparing their performance to for-profit competitors like Amazon.com and Google. Strategy 2 explores embracing change with Lean concepts. Strategy 3 teaches readers how to view libraries as “Delivery Service Chains.” In Strategy 4, Huber advises readers to look at Delivery Service Chains in terms of performance metrics, and explores how they shape the Lean transformation. Strategy 5 examines the transformation of new book delivery performance. Strategy 6 focuses on renovating holds and reserves services. In Strategy 7, Huber looks at eliminating wasteful activities and reducing costs to improve customer service. In Strategy 8, he focuses on measuring overall library performance. Strategy 9 anticipates the future of digital materials and how Lean principles will apply to them. Strategy 10 advocates using “Pull” demand philosophy over the more frequently followed “Push” demand philosophy. Strategy 11 reminds readers of the global application of Lean principles. Huber concludes by offering additional tools to help librarians improve user services. He cites the details of real library success stories throughout his book.
Lean Library Management: Eleven Strategies for Reducing Costs and Improving Services is an essential guide for how to make small, simple changes in everyday routines that will reap large time-and money-savings results. Huber’s tips will prove invaluable to anyone looking for new and better ways to serve users without increasing costs.
Lean Library Management: Eleven Strategies for Reducing Costs and Improving Services
ISBN: 978-1-55570-732-3
2011 | 6 x 9 | 175 pp. | $65.00
About the Author
John Huber formed the management consulting firm of J. Huber & Associates in 1986. Focused on the tools, principles and concepts of Lean, Mr. Huber has dedicated his career to helping organizations dramatically improve their customer service performance through improved process performance. Mr. Huber’s most recent article, “The Canary in the Coal Mine: Library Management Outsourcing,” appeared in the January/February issue of American Libraries magazine.
About Neal-Schuman Publishers
Neal-Schuman Publishers is a leading publisher of professional books for librarians, archivists and knowledge managers. Founded in 1976, Neal-Schuman Publishers is based in New York City, with offices in London, UK.
For More Information and/or Cover Art
Contact Laura Berlinsky-Schine
laura.berlinsky-Schine@neal-schuman.com
100 William Street, Suite 2004
New York, NY 10038
212-925-8650
