Course Information for PLM 1

Course Description:

Public Library Management 1 is sponsored by the State Library of Iowa and provides an overview of library boards and governance; library management issues; organization of materials and new technologies.  The course methods include lecture and discussion over the Iowa Communications Network (ICN), a class web board hosted by WebJunction Iowa as well as reading and written homework outside of class time.  The course provides 20 contact hours of instruction and is intended for public librarians who need the course to meet requirements for certification at Levels I through IV.  [As certification is a requirement of Direct State Aid for directors, please see the priority list followed when letting people into the class.]

Course Objectives:

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• Discuss the role of the public library in society
• Describe the role and authority of public library boards in Iowa
• Discuss strategies for effective use of physical, monetary, and human resources
• Describe methods for gauging public library effectiveness
• Describe principles of collection management
• Descibe principles of intellectual freedom
• Discuss the rationale for operational policies and procedures
• Begin to develop a personal philosophy of librarianship

Course Topics:

Session 1 - Public Library Boards and Governance
Session 2 - The Budget Process and Funding
Session 3 - Library Operations and Policy Development
Session 4 - Human Resource Management
Session 5 - Intellectual Freedom, Censorship and Collection Development
Session 6 - Collection Management
Session 7 - Organization of and Access to Library Materials / Space Planning
Session 8 - Evaluating the Library: Using Statistics

Other course information:

• Resource Materials
• Earning an attendence certificate
• Term project

Acknowledgments:

Our thanks to the University of Wisconsin - Extension for allowing the State Library of Iowa to purchase the replication rights to A50 Basic Library Management for Public Librarians for adaption for Iowa.  The original adaptation was done by faculty of the University of Iowa, School of Library and Information Science in 1986.  The most recent revision was completed by Michele Leininger, Sandy Dixon, Gerry  Rowland, Mary Cameron and Marie Harms, State Library of Iowa; Susan Henricks, Carnegie-Stout Public Library;  Bonnie McKewon, Northwest Iowa Library Services; Deb Tobias, East Central Library Services; Vicki Myron, Spencer Public Library.

Funded by the State Library of Iowa with federal Library Services and Technology Act funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.