Business skills for librarians

Guide you through the different approaches to management

Get you thinking about the importance of business planning

Help you understand the financial and budgetary aspects of the library service

Encourage you to think about how visible your service is within the organization.

What skills are required for a library and information person to excel in their role? At Vable we believe that business skills for librarians are as essential as research skills - yet many who are starting on their first job in a library feel inadequately prepared. In this eBook, we cover a range of skills, topics and trends which seem to be resonating with library and information professionals and knowledge managers.

We start off thinking about management, an essential skill to have regardless of whether you are a manager or not. We include a chapter on business planning, an essential skill to master in any successful library department. Conscious of the tight budgets that information departments frequently operate under, we include a section on internal marketing, promotion, and library branding to ensure everyone knows about the resources you provide. Similarly, a short section on negotiation gives some tips & tricks to ensure that you can stay within your budget.

Frequently Asked Questions

There are many free courses on vital business skills available through various organizations and vendors. Many of these are recorded and are available on YouTube.

If you are fortunate enough to have the budgetary support of your employer, you might be able to join one or more relevant information industry groups. These professional bodies take great pride in offering quality continuing professional development (CPD) so make the most of them.

Don’t forget there are some great and free library and information blogs that share great business skills tips. And you can always create a Newsletter for you and your team to share articles about best business practices.

You might not think you have enough time to attend business skills courses or webinars but think again!

There are some great books you can read which can help you identify tasks which sabotage your working day, and outline ways of maximising your own productivity. Here is a reading list for productive people:

“How to be a Productivity Ninja: Worry Less, Achieve More and Love What You Do” by Graham Allcott
“The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey
“Linchpin: Are you Indispensable?” by Seth Godin
“Attention Management: How to Create Success and Gain Productivity” by Maura Nevel Thomas
“Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics: A 10% Happier How-To Book” by Dan Harris

Vable recommends that you subscribe to our blog and follow us on LinkedIn.