Developing a team management structure in a public library

Library Trends, Summer, 2004 by Betsy A. Bernfeld

I copied the UA diagram and inserted what I thought were comparable titles and terms from Teton County Library. Several things still bothered me. The director, at the bottom, was isolated by several layers from the patrons at the top. I felt the director of a public library should have direct, close contact with the community. Also, while the placement of the director's position was meant to depict a supporting role for staff, it felt more like the full burden of the organization was weighing on my shoulders. I recognized the importance of being supportive; what was missing was the concept of empowerment.

I switched from drawing squares to drawing circles. Our original characterization of the Team Leaders was a circle, which represented our collaborative spirit and the important role Team Leaders played in decision-making. I felt it was empowering. I wanted to carry that theme throughout the entire structure.

By the time I reached Wyoming, I had completed a diagram (see Figure 1.) consisting of four concentric circles. The circles demonstrate the roles of each of the teams, their relationships with each other, and how they work together to accomplish the purposes of the library.

[FIGURE 1 OMITTED]

In the outermost circle are the basic work teams, formerly departments, at Teton County Library. They represent the eight basic functions of the library and are thus referred to as "functional teams." (An eighth team was recently added, our computer services team, after we opened a public computer center in the library.) Note that administration is considered a functional team immediately adjacent to the public, and it is also represented in the center of the chart. Functional teams create their own mission statements, goals and objectives, and guidelines and procedures under the broad umbrella of the library's overall mission statement and strategic plan. They distribute the team's work load, set the schedules of team members, and train members and cross-trainers.

The second circle shows special work teams, or "cross-functional teams." These teams are made up of staff members across various departments. Members are chosen because of their particular knowledge, interest, or abilities in the specific area. Teams sometimes have a limited tenure; other times they exist indefinitely. Generally, cross-functional teams work under the authority of the Team Leaders. They often perform tasks related to the library's strategic plan, and their objectives, and work plans are subject to the approval of Team Leaders. They sometimes work as think tanks or problem solvers, and they make recommendations to the Team Leaders based on their findings.

Collection Development is the largest cross-functional team, consisting of about twenty members. The group met frequently when the collection for the new library was being purchased, but now they gather only for periodic training sessions and to recommend the year's collection budget. At this point, their work is mostly accomplished individually. The Sirsi team is responsible for implementing and troubleshooting the new circulation system. ("Sirsi" is the name of the circulation software company.) Now that the system has been up and running for a year with most problems resolved, that team will be disbanding soon. Programming was formerly done by Youth Services, Outreach, and Reference teams working independently, which resulted in schedule conflicts and production bottlenecks. Now the various team members coordinate efforts by meeting regularly on the Programming team. Distance Education and Web teams are working on new initiatives for the library. Public Services allows the staff of the public desks a forum for dialogue regarding their special concerns. Personnel and Staff Appreciation focus on creating a model work environment in the library.