Modern management in school libraries

To learn that the most influential business management thinker of the 20th century referred to workers as "oxen" (Colvin, 2000) is quite shocking by modern standards. It is heartening therefore, to reflect on the changes in management practise during the 21st century which embrace our human instincts and abilities to "create, judge, imagine, and build relationships" (Colvin, 2000).

After reflecting on Colvin's article (2000), two points stand out. Firstly, that people are more likely to work comfortably within small groups, rather than large organisations. Secondly, work cultures that are based on shared values are powerful.

Within the context of school libraries, this thinking indicates that building and maintaining trusting, collaborative teams of staff around shared values and expectations is essential to success. When staff are working towards common goals, they can achieve much more than individuals could. Such workplace cultures and team relationships cannot be developed on a whim, therefore it is essential that teacher librarian leaders prioritise the time and effort required to foster shared values and positive work cultures in the school library workspace between its staff and more broadly in the school environment. Ongoing strategic planning, change management processes and reflective practise (Heick, 2014) is required to support the process.

References:

Colvin, G. (2000). Managing in the info era. Fortune, 141(5). Retrieved from http://fortune.com/.

Heick, T. 2014, 2 December. Reflecting on reflection: A habit of mind. Edutopia [blog]. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/reflecting-on-reflection-habit-of-mind-terry-heick?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=socialflow