Intangible organizational resources in Polish libraries: Results of research among directors and executives

The purpose of this paper is to present the main assumptions of the resource-based theory according to which the success of an organization is mainly dependent on the ability of capitalizing its inner capacity. The author draws attention to the measurement of intangible resources of libraries and their evaluation, crucial from the point of view of library effectiveness and the quality of its services. The author also emphasizes the specific character of intangible resources, including lack of their mobility, specialization and difficulty in their replacing, which may result in hindering management processes.

The second part of the paper illustrates the author’s research in the field of intangible resources in Polish libraries, including human resources (knowledge, competencies, employee skills), competencies of library management staff, business strategies, organizational culture, communication skills and relations between employees, the ability to communicate and relations with the library community, in particular with its users, library reputation, brand, library innovativeness and the ability to adapt to changes and expectations of the community, the ability of the library to cooperate with other institutions, including networks and consortia, the ability to use and support new technological solutions, the ability to introduce new technologies in the library, the ability to create and acquire intellectual property (copyright, licensing, trademark protection, etc.).

Research has shown that libraries pay growing attention to the relation with the community. Concentrating on library resources means concentrating on readers and providing services that would satisfy readers. However, it seems that the knowledge of library management in the field of managing of intangible resources is still insufficient.

The paper presents the first study of this kind conducted in Poland.