Programme overview
Introduction:
Library and information centre management, covering collection development and public services, is a 5-day course for library management, collection and reader services teams in university, school and public libraries, ending with a Library Service Improvement Plan. Many libraries hold collections that no longer match their users, process new stock slowly, keep circulation rules nobody reviews and report activity counts instead of service performance. Nominees already supervise collections, staff or services and learn through case studies on circulation records, collection data and user surveys. CoreConcept Training Center delivers this library and information centre management course.
Course Objectives:
- Assess a library's service mandate, user community and current collection and circulation data to set improvement priorities
- Draft a collection development policy covering selection, acquisition, replacement, weeding and cooperation with other libraries
- Supervise the technical services workflow so new items are catalogued and classified with RDA, MARC 21 and Dewey practice without backlogs
- Specify integrated library system requirements and administer circulation, holds and interlibrary loan rules
- Plan reference, reading promotion and community services for university, school and public library users
- Measure library performance with ISO 11620 indicators and ISO 2789 statistics and present the results in a Library Service Improvement Plan
Target Audience:
- Management teams accountable for the budget, staffing and service results of a library or information centre
- Collection development teams responsible for selection, acquisitions and weeding decisions
- Technical services teams that supervise cataloguing, classification and processing of new stock
- Reader services teams responsible for circulation, reference enquiries and user education
- Outreach teams that plan reading, literacy and cultural activities in public and school libraries
Course Outline:
Day 1: Library and Information Centre Service Landscape and Current-State Review
- IFLA-UNESCO Public Library Manifesto Missions and Service Mandates
- University, School, Public and Special Library Operating Models
- Library Governance Structures, Advisory Boards and Service Charters
- Community Profile and User Needs Analysis for Service Planning
- Current-State Library Audit Using Circulation and Collection Data
Day 2: Collection Development Policy, Technical Services Standards and Library Systems
- Collection Development Policy Elements From Selection to Replacement
- Collection Mapping Against Curriculum, Research and Community Needs
- RDA, MARC 21 and Dewey Workflow Supervision in Technical Services
- Integrated Library System Modules From Acquisitions to Public Catalogue
- Cloud and Open-Source Library System Selection Criteria
Day 3: Acquisitions, Circulation and Reader Services in Daily Operation
- Acquisitions Budget Allocation by Subject, Format and User Group
- Circulation Policies for Loans, Holds, Renewals and Fines
- Reference Interview Method and Enquiry Service Standards
- Interlibrary Loan and Resource Sharing Agreements Between Libraries
- Reading Promotion, Family Literacy and Community Event Planning
Day 4: Collection Weeding, Performance Measurement and Service Risks
- Weeding Criteria for Outdated, Worn and Low-Use Items
- Collection Evaluation With Checklists, Citation Analysis and Usage Data
- ISO 11620 Performance Indicators for Library Service Quality
- ISO 2789 Library Statistics Collection and Annual Reporting
- Library Space Planning, Staffing Ratios and Service Hours Review
Day 5: Case Study Work on the Library Service Improvement Plan
- Case Library Brief With Circulation, Collection and Survey Data
- Case Collection Development Policy Draft and Weeding Schedule
- Case Performance Indicator Dashboard Using ISO 11620 Measures
- Case User Services and Community Activity Calendar Redesign
- Library Service Improvement Plan Completion and Peer Review
Skills You Will Gain:
- Collection Development Policy Writing
- Weeding and Stock Renewal
- Technical Services Workflow Supervision
- Library System Requirements Specification
- Circulation Policy Design
- Reference Service Delivery
- Community Outreach Planning
- Library Performance Measurement
Why Attend This Course:
- Present a Library Service Improvement Plan to the library director, dean or governing board for approval
- Decide which subject areas to grow, hold or weed using collection and circulation evidence rather than anecdote
- Avoid cataloguing backlogs, idle stock, budget underspend and user complaints about missing or unavailable items
- Coach library staff with the policy template, weeding checklist and performance indicator dashboard used in the course
Conclusion:
Back at work, the participant presents the Library Service Improvement Plan to the library director, dean, school leadership or governing board. Management uses it to approve the collection development policy, set acquisitions budget shares by subject, confirm circulation and interlibrary loan rules, schedule weeding and agree the community activity calendar. After the first term or reporting period under the plan, the library should compare ISO 11620 indicator results, circulation per item, processing times for new stock and user survey feedback with the targets, and revise the actions that have not moved.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
What should participants know before a library and information centre management course?
Participants should already supervise a library collection, team or service and be able to read circulation and acquisitions reports. Bringing anonymised collection data, a current policy or user survey results from their own library helps them test the methods during the case study day.
How does library and information centre management differ from a cataloguing or e-resources course?
This course manages the whole library service: policy, budgets, systems, circulation, user services, community activity and performance. Cataloguing courses teach record creation in depth, and e-resources courses focus on licensing and discovery of electronic content; here those areas are supervised rather than practised in detail.
Why does library and information centre management need a written collection development policy?
A written policy gives staff consistent selection and weeding criteria, supports budget planning, explains decisions to users and governing bodies, and sets the terms for cooperation with other libraries. Without one, collections drift away from user needs and contested requests are handled case by case.
What do participants take back from the library and information centre management course?
Participants take back a Library Service Improvement Plan with a draft collection development policy, a weeding schedule, circulation and service rules, a community activity calendar and an ISO 11620 indicator dashboard they can adapt to their own library or information centre.