ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries September 1986 / 523 Managing hum an resources By Judy K oor H ead o f R eferen ce Services Ball State University A library conference with A C R L courses. B r a c k e n Library’s tenth anniversary celebration and the opportunity to offer ACRL continuing ed­ ucation courses at the local level prompted a two- day conference held at Ball State University on June 12-13, 1986. The conference, entitled “Man­ aging Human Resources: Academic Library Per­ spectives” was co-sponsored by the Ball State Uni­ versity Libraries, the Ball State College of Business, and the Indiana A CRL Chapter. The seventy- three p articip an ts cam e from In d ian a, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, and Kentucky. The purpose of the conference was to offer pro­ fessional development for academic librarians at the regional level, where cost would be affordable and transportation convenient. Plans were already underway at the Ball State University Libraries to have a one-day conference on a management theme when ACRL invited local libraries, ACRL chapters, and library associations to offer ACRL continuing education courses. Having ACRL con­ tinuing education courses in addition to speakers intrigued the conference planners. Sandy D on­ nelly, A C RL’s continuing education program offi­ cer, was encouraging and enthusiastic about this innovative approach. Selected Indiana academic librarians were sur­ veyed for their interest in such a program and in possible course offerings. The response was positive with preferences indicated for courses on the man­ agement of human resources. Adopting the concept of a regional conference where participants would come from Indiana and the surrounding states, the planning committee be­ lieved it was necessary to offer enough continuing education courses to accommodate at least 100. Most of the ACRL continuing education courses are designed for tw enty-five to thirty people, which meant offering four courses. Registrants were asked to indicate their first and second choices for these courses on the registration form. Shortly after the registration deadline on May 15, it was determined that the goal of 100 registrants would not be reached. The planning committee cancelled one of the courses with low enrollment. Sponsorship by the Ball State College of Business and the Indiana ACRL Chapter promoted wider participation and helped defray costs, with each contributing money and participants. In addition, the Friends of Bracken Library and Baker & Tay­ lor, Inc. contributed substantially towards refresh­ ments. The conference registration fee of $75 in­ cluded the speakers, the A C R L co n tin u in g education course with syllabus, three meals, and a wine and cheese reception. The Conference began on Thursday, June 12, with three presentations about different aspects of library management. Ron Leach, dean of libraries at Indiana State University and president of ALA’s Library Administration and Management Associa­ tion, spoke on “Preparing to Manage Tomorrow,” giving an overview of what library managers are facing now and in the future. Julie Virgo, vice pres­ ident of the Carroll Group, a management consult­ ing firm, and president of the American Society for Information Science, spoke next on “Staff Costs in Management Decision Making.” Her talk was a synopsis of how and why to do a cost analysis of staff time expenditures. Ray Montagno, associate 524 / C & RL News Ju lie Virgo conducting A C R L ’s CE 111, Principles o f Strategic Planning. professor of management at Ball State University and author of the Human Resources Inform ation System Sourcebook, spoke on “Managing for Ex­ cellence in a Changing Environment.” He covered the latest trends in human resources management and how they relate to entrepreneurship. That eve­ ning, Beverly Lynch, ALA president, gave the key­ note address on “Human Resources: W hat Can Managers Do?” She compared the manager’s role today with the role managers had ten years ago when she spoke at Bracken Library’s dedication. The second day of the conference, three continu­ ing education courses were taught concurrently. The courses and instructors were: • C E 106, Performance Evaluation: A Goals- Based Approach; instructor: Lucy Cohen, Univer­ sity of Michigan; • CE 111, Principles of Strategic Planning in the Library Environment; instructor: Julie Virgo, The Carroll Group; •and C E 1 1 2 ,Im proving Jo b Perform ance: Strategies for Supervisors; instructor: Maureen Sullivan, Yale University. Evaluation information gathered from the par­ ticipants indicated that the conference was a suc­ cess. Comments indicated that the courses were very worthwhile and well-conducted. The major­ ity responded that the theme and the continuing education courses were what most attracted them to the conference. Most of the participants indi­ cated that they found it more advantageous to at­ tend an ACRL continuing education course at a lo­ cal meeting. Two revisions considered for future conferences are holding the conference earlier in the spring and promoting it more among public librarians. The high degree of satisfaction expressed by the confer­ ence participants (including speakers and instruc­ tors) is a motivating factor for the Ball State Uni­ versity Libraries to hold this type of conference again.