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Common Roots, Different Systems: Project Management and Librarianship

Project Management in the Library Workplace

ISBN: 978-1-78754-837-4, eISBN: 978-1-78754-836-7

Publication date: 1 June 2018

Abstract

Purpose

Project management has become the hip new trend in librarianship, appearing more and more in job listings, position descriptions, and professional development offerings. How did project management become the latest buzzword, and what does it have to offer our profession?

Methodology/approach

The answers to these can be explored through a look at the evolution of project management from the concept of Scientific Management to the certifiable skill set it is today, and how that evolution connects with librarianship’s own changes over time. This examination is done through a literature and historical analysis.

Findings

A deeper look at the basic concepts behind project management in light of this historical and practical connection with librarianship demonstrates how project management not only can be a useful skill for library workers to embrace today, but will also illuminate how our service-oriented structure may not mesh well with a concept rooted in business and computing. However, libraries that take a systems approach to implementing project management may see that they are better able to find success.

Originality/value

This study is largely theoretical and based on literature and historical analysis rather than practical implementation and testing. However, it does offer us a different way of looking at a trendy concept, one which helps ground the concept in theory and practice in a way that is seldom done. It also provides examples of tools to help libraries implement project management with a systems approach, which has not been addressed much in library literature.

Keywords

Citation

Hines, S.S. (2018), "Common Roots, Different Systems: Project Management and Librarianship", Project Management in the Library Workplace (Advances in Library Administration and Organization, Vol. 38), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 37-70. https://doi.org/10.1108/S0732-067120180000038012

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2018 Emerald Publishing Limited