College and Research Libraries Management Preparation and Training of Department Heads in ARL Libraries Stefanie A. Wittenbach, Sever M. Bordeianu, and Kristine Wycisk This study analyzes the management preparation and training of department heads in ARL libraries. A survey was developed and sent to the heads of cataloging and reference departments in order to establish the number of formal management courses they have taken, the years of on-the-job management training prior to their first department head position, and the amount of continuing education they have pursued after becoming department heads. Libraries' management training requirements for filling department head posi- tions and their support of ongoing training for managers were also analyzed. • he experience of many librar- ians, as recorded in the library literature, indicates that the li- brary profession does not as- sign sufficient importance to management training for librarians. It is the responsi- bility of library administrators, library educators, and professional library or- ganizations to ensure that managers at all levels are prepared to manage effec- tively their libraries. In his article "Li- brary Managers: Can They Manage? Will They Lead?" Charles R. McClure describes the "crisis" in academic library management and its impact on the qu- ality of library service: . . . academic library managers have not provided leadership in the solu- tion of societal information problems, nor have they effectively utilized in- novative managerial techniques to ad- minister the library. Instead, a hybrid between "concerned paternalism" and "crisis management" impedes the library from serving as a problem solver in society and limits the librar- ian from utilizing his/her full poten- tial to improve the performance of the library. 1 · Are library managers prepared to meet the challenges facing them? While management and leadership talent may be difficult to identify, skills and methods in these areas can be taught-and learned in various training settings.2 Management education and training opportunities are numerous and grow- ing. Recent studies indicate that most library schools now offer management courses, and many have a required man- agement component.3 Management work- shops and continuing education programs for librarians are available at local, state, regional, and national levels. Recent sur- veys report that most academic libraries provide both paid time off and financial support for course work and workshop attendance.4 But are library managers-or librarians seeking management posi- tions--taking advantage of management education and training opportunities? And are libraries requiring this prepara- Stefanie A. Wittenbach is INNOPAC Project Team Coordinator; Sever M. Bordeianu is Social Sciences Coordinator; and Kristine Wycisk is Bibliographic Instruction Coordinator at the University of New Mexico General Library, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131. 320 College & Research Libraries tion of their managers? The present study investigates these issues in aca- demic libraries at the department head level since it has been noted that one of the greatest deficiencies in research li- braries is management training for middle managers. 5 Whether or not managers apply these learned methods in the workplace is not the focus of this article. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE The subject of managerial develop- ment for librarians is well covered in the literature. The topic has received sub- stantially more attention since the late 1970s when the impact of organizational and technological change on the func- tions and roles of librarians and the need for enhanced managerial sophistication throughout library organizations be- came widely acknowledged in the pro- fession.6 A recurrent theme, evident in the writings of McClure, Miriam H. Tees, and Deanna B. Marcum, among others, is that librarians lack the skills and tech- niques needed for peak managerial ef- fectiveness and that more exposure to, and experience with, management is- sues is required of both potential and practicing library managers. Researchers are generally concerned with the scope of existing management education and training opportunities, the adequacy of these programs, and the needs of libraries of all types that are or are not being met. There are marked differences of opinion as to what managerial skills need to be learned, where they should be learned, and when and how they might best be learned. · These differences in part reflect differing job requirements in different types of libraries; individual librarians' back- grounds, attitudes, experiences, and managerial expertise7; and the inherent strengths and weaknesses of the various education and training options.8 John K. Mayeski and Marilyn J. Shar- row, in their 1979 survey of library direc- tors and personnel administrators con- cerning the recruitment of academic li- brary managers in 30 major research li- braries, found that the majority of those July 1992 interviewed thought that "managerial ability I experience" was both the most desired quality and the. quality most lacking in recent applicants for middle- and upper-management positions.9 Asked what the profession should do, most re- spondents answered, "pressure library schools to create specific programs for research libraries and management of libraries" and "provide more manage- ment training and internal staff develop- ment programs, job enrichment, etc.'/]0 In her 1983 study, Adeline Wilkes sur- veyed beginning academic librarians concerning the management functions they performed, their perceived abilities to perform these functions, and the ex- periences that provided the most useful preparation for their management roles. Responding to this third survey area, her respondents ranked on-the-job experience first, observing other managers second, and graduate courses in library schools third in importance, followed by a variety of other experiences including independent study, undergraduate study, graduate courses in business ad- ministration, and on-the-job training outside of libraries. 11 In 1978, Martha Bailey interviewed twenty-three middle managers and ad- ministrators in five ARL libraries to ascertain how well library schools were preparing librarians for middle manage- ment positions. She also examined job advertisements in several library and in- formation science journals to determine the education and work experience re- quired for such positions. She dis- covered that most managers thought that library school courses were of little use to them in their positions as middle managers largely because of the time lag (typically three to five years) between when they took their course work and when they first became managers. 12 Con- versely, most of the managers inter- viewed agreed that in-service training in supervision and management, work- shops, and continuing education pro- grams were extremely valuable.13 She also found that while most interviewees stressed the importance of previous work experience in obtaining a management position and succeeding in it, the quali- fications stated in the job advertisements were often vague in terms of years of experience and specific work experience requested. 14 Bailey's study, as well as the others mentioned above, points out an addi- tional concern in the literature of managerial development for librarians: the role of experience in determining managerial effectiveness. The study also underscores the lack of agreement in the profession as to the amount and type of experience most desirable for managers, and alludes to the undefined way in which the term experience is often used. In many articles and publications it is difficult to determine whether the experience men- tioned, e.g., on-the-job, administrative, or- ganizational, practical, work, etc., refers to management experience, professional experience, technical experience, or per- haps a combination of these. Despite the lack of clarity in the use of the term ex- perience, much of the research points to its value in addition to management ed- ucation and training. Seldom is ex- perience viewed as sufficient in itself.15 BACKGROUND Although all of these issues affect one another, managerial preparation and on- going development are the focuses of the present study. Several hypotheses con- cerning training for academic library de- partment heads, specifically within ARL libraries, were formulated: 1. Librarians become department heads primarily because of a high number of years of experience (and therefore a thorough working knowl- edge of operations) in a department, and only secondarily because of the amount of management training or on-the-job management experience they have. 2. Libraries do not include manage- ment training or on-the-job manage- ment experience as a prerequisite when hiring department heads. 3. Middle managers in libraries do not participate extensively in ongo- ing management training after be- coming department heads, even Management Preparation 321 though numerous training oppor- tunities exist. 4. Libraries do not require depart- ment heads to participate in con- tinuing education in management. METHODOLOGY A survey was developed that covered three areas: management education and training prior to the first department head position, ongoing management training following appointment as a department head, and current management training support and requirements for managers in ARL libraries. A 2-page survey con- sisting of 12 questions was mailed in August 1990 to 2 sample groups of middle managers: heads of cataloging depart- ments and heads of reference depart- ments, as identified in the American Library Directory, at the main branches of 105 ARL libraries. Middle managers as defined in this study are persons "above the first level of supervision and below the top level of management," specifically de- partment heads.16 (A copy of the sur- vey instrument is available from the authors.) The survey categories for formal man- agement training included: (1) manage- ment courses in library school; (2) other formal management courses (e.g., busi- ness school, M.B.A.); and (3) management workshops, seminars, or continuing edu- cation classes. On-the-job library manage- ment training included positions as acting department head, assistant department head, unit head or team leader, and other. Some positions listed by survey respon- dents in the "other" category included coordinator, section head, and staff su- pervisor. Continuing education manage- ment training included courses completed "while serving in department head posi- tions." Survey respondents were given the following categories in which to report ongoing training: (1) formal courses; (2) workshops, seminars, continuing educa- tion courses; (3) management/ adminis- trative internships; and (4) other. A total of 146 (70%) surveys were re- turned, 73 in each sample group. Of those, 67 survey forms in each group were filled out completely and therefore 322 College & Research Libraries July1992 TABLEt MEAN YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND NUMBER OF COURSES REPORTED Formal management training courses prior to first department head position Maximum number of courses taken On-the-job management training years prior to first department head position Maximum years reported Years in department prior to becoming department head Maximum years reported Years in department head positions Maximum years reported Ongoing management training while a department head Maximum number of courses taken had usable data (91.78% of those re- turned). The data collected from the 2 sample groups were then tabulated in a Lotus 1-2-3 file and uploaded to the Statistical Analysis System (SAS) for analysis. The t-test at the 95% confidence level was used to analyze pertinent por- tions of the data. In most cases, data are not reported for the number of courses or years indicated by less than 5% of the respondents (fewer than 4 people) in order to clarify the reading of the data. The low percentages were, however, in- cluded in the statistical analysis of the data. Maximum numbers of courses and years are reported to provide an indica- tion of the range of the results. Of the cataloging department heads (CDHs), 7 (11 %) indicated that their first department head position was not in a cataloging department, while 19 (28%) of the reference department heads (RDHs) held their first department head position in a department other than ref- erence. Cataloging department heads averaged 8.12 years of experience in a cataloging department before becoming department heads, with a maximum of 29 years, and reference department heads reported an average of 5.49 years in a reference department, with a maxi- mum of 20 years. The CDHs reported an Cataloging Reference N=67 N=67 3.84 2.49 24 11 4.76 1.71 20 9 8.12 5.49 29 20 8.84 8.25 29 34 6.01 5.66 48 32 average of 8.84 years in department head positions, with a maximum of 29 years. The RDHs averaged 8.25 years as de- partment heads, with a maximum of 34 years reported. Table 1 compares the mean number of courses taken, the mean number of years of on-the-job manage- ment training, and the mean number of years in the department for the two sample groups. FORMAL MANAGEMENT TRAINING PRIOR TO FIRST DEPARTMENT HEAD POSITION Cataloging department heads aver- aged 3.84 formal management courses, workshops, and seminars, while refer- ence department heads averaged 2.49 courses. Twelve (18%) of the department heads in each sample group had taken no formal management training courses before their first department head posi- tion. CDHs averaged 4.76 years of on- the-job management training prior to becoming department head and RDHs averaged 1.71 years in training positions such as acting head, assistant head, or team leader. Seven (10%) CDHs and 21 (31 %) RDHs had no prior on-the-job management experience (see table 1). Of the CDHs who responded to the sur- vey, 28 (42%) reported taking 1 manage- ment course in library school, 12 (18%) took 2 courses, 4 (6%) had 3 courses, while 22 (33%) had no management course in library school. Sixty-four (96%) CDHs had no other formal management courses before becoming a department head, with 2 such courses being the highest number reported. Twenty-nine (43%) CDHs had taken no management workshops, seminars, etc., prior to their first department head position, while 10 (15%) had taken 1, 7 (10%) had 2, 6 (9%) had 3, 4 (6%) had 5, and 4 (6%) had taken 10. The highest number of workshops reported by CDHs was 20. Of the RDHs who responded to the survey, 34 (51%) reported taking 1 man- agement course in library school, 10 (15%) had 2 courses, and 21 (31 %) had no management course as part of their library school training. Sixty-two (93%) RDHs had no other formal management courses, with 9 such courses being the highest number reported. Forty-one (61 %) RDHs had no management work- shops, seminars, etc., prior to becoming department head. Fourteen (21 %) re- ported taking either 1 or 2 workshops. The highest number of workshops re- ported by RDHs was 10. FORMAL ON-TilE-JOB MANAGEMENT TRAINING PRIOR TO FIRST DEPARTMENT HEAD POSITION Of the CDHs who reported prior on- the-job management training, 29 (43%) had 0.33 to 3 years' experience as acting department head; 19 (28%) had 1-19 years as assistant department head; 42 (63%) had 1-13 years as a unit head or team leader; and 10 (15%) had 1-6 years in other administrative positions. Of the RDHs who had on-the-job man- agement training prior to their first de- partment head position, 19 (28%) had 0.5 to 2 years as acting department head; 16 (24%) had 0.5 to 4 years as assistant de- partment head; 12 (18%) had 1-6 years as a unit head or team leader; and 14 (21 %) had 1-8 years of other on-the-job management experience. A t-test for the significance of the difference between means was run. A significant difference exists between cat- Management Preparation 323 aloging department heads and reference department heads in both years of on- the-job management training and total number of years worked in a similar de- partment prior to becoming a depart- ment head. CDHs had nearly three times more years of on-the-job management training experience than did RDHs. In terms of years in the department before becoming a department head, CDHs averaged nearly one and a half times as many years as RDHs. There was, however, no significant difference ob- served between the two groups in the number of formal management training courses taken (see table 1). LENGTH OF EXPERIENCE IN A DEPARTMENT To test the hypothesis that the primary factor in becoming a department head is departmental, not managerial, ex- perience, those department heads with 5.5 or fewer and ten or more years of experience in a similar department prior to becoming department head were ana- lyzed for the amount of formal and on- the-job management training each had (see table 2). Of the respondents with 5.5 or fewer years of departmental ex- perience, 23 cataloging department heads averaged 2.74 years, and 36 refer- ence department heads averaged 2.34 years in a department before becoming department heads. The CDHs averaged 4.35 formal courses and 3.03 years of on-the-job training. The RDHs reported a mean of 2.5 formal management courses and 0.99 years of on-the-job management training. The t-test revealed that the cataloging department heads with 5.5 or fewer years in a department had significantly more on-the-job training prior to becom- ing department heads than their refer- ence counterparts. However, no significant difference existed between the number of formal management courses taken by CDHs and RDHs with 5.5 or fewer years of experience. Of the respondents with 10 or more years in a similar department before be- coming department head, 23 CDHs re- ported a mean of 5.22 formal courses and 324 College & Research Libraries July 1992 TABLE2 LOW /HIGH YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN DEPARTMENT BEFORE FIRST DEPARTMENT HEAD POSITION Cataloging Department Heads Reference Department Heads ~ 5.5 Years Prior Experience N=23 Mean years= 2.74 ~ 10 Years Prior Experience N=23 Mean years = 14.36 ~ 5.5 Years Prior Experience N=36 Mean years = 2.34 ~ 10 Years Prior Experience N= 12 Mean years= 12.01 Formal courses taken prior to first department head position Number of courses per year of experience On-the-job training prior to first department head position Number of years on-the-job training per year of department experience 4.35 1.59 3.03 1.11 7.86 years of on-the-job training. Twelve RDHs averaged 2.46 formal manage- ment courses and 3.46 years of on-the- job management training. Cataloging department heads with more than 10 years of departmental experience had more than twice as many years of admin- istrative experience prior to becoming department head as did the heads of reference with similar experience. Prior to their first department head position, CDHs who had worked 5.5 or fewer years in a cataloging department took 4 times as many formal manage- ment courses in proportion to the length of time worked than those with ten or more years of similar experience. For RDHs, the difference was 5 times greater. The difference also holds true in the years of on-the-job management train- ing prior to the first department head position for respondents with 5.5 or fewer years of experience in a similar department and those with more than 10 years. Of both CDHs and RDHs, those with 5.5 or fewer years of departmental experience had proportionally twice as many years in on-the-job management 5.22 2.50 2.46 0.36 1.07 0.20 7.86 0.99 3.46 0.55 0.42 0.29 positions as those with 10 or more years of experience. LIBRARY TRAINING REQUIREMENTS AT THE TIME OF HIRING One of the hypotheses tested was that new department heads have little formal or on-the-job management training be- cause libraries do not require it at the time of hiring. Survey respondents were asked whether management training or on-the-job management experience was required, preferred, or not required for their first department head position. Of the CDHs, 21 (31 %) indicated that train- ing was required. Thirteen (19%) re- ported that training was preferred, and 20 (30%) that it was not required. The numbers for RDHs provide even stronger support for the hypothesis: only 4 (6%) reported that training was required, while 22 (33%) indicated that training was preferred and 35 (52%) that it was not required (see table 3). The mean number of management courses a person had taken prior to at- taining his or her first department head position was then compared relative to Management Preparation 325 TABLE3 MANAGEMENT TRAINING PRIOR TO FIRST DEPARTMENT HEAD POSITION (REQUIRED, PREFERRED, NOT REQUIRED) Management training required Mean number of courses Mean years of on-the-job training Management training preferred Mean number of courses Mean years of on-the-job training Management training not required Mean number of courses Mean years of on-the-job training Don't remember if required Mean number of courses Mean years of on-the-job training requirement, preference, and no require- ment by applying a t-test. For both CDHs and RDHs, there was a significant difference between the mean number of courses taken by those respondents who indicated training was a required quali- fication and those who indicated it was not. Cataloging department heads took an average of 6.43 management courses, workshops, etc., when required and only 3 courses when training was not re- quired. Reference department heads averaged 6.38 courses when training was required and only 1.37 courses when training was not required prior to attaining their first department head position. There was, however, no signif- icant difference between the number of courses taken when such training was required as opposed to preferred. The t-test was also used to compare the number of years of on-the-job train- ing relative to requirement, preference, and no requirement. On the one hand, cataloging department heads had signif- icantly more on-the-job training when management training or administrative experience was required than when it was either preferred or not required. For reference department heads, on the other hand, no significant difference ex- isted in the number of years of on-the-job Cataloging Reference N = 21 (31.3%) N =4 (6.0%) 6.43 6.38 7.08 2.50 N = 13 (19.4%) N = 22 (32.8%) 2.77 3.91 3.71 2.18 N = 20 (29.9%) N = 35 (52.2%) 3.00 1.37 2.55 1.13 N = 12 (17.9%) N = 5 (7.5%) 2.08 1.20 5.74 3.40 training based on whether such training was required, preferred, or not required. The results of this question for both for- mal and on-the-job training are shown in table 3. ONGOING MANAGEMENT TRAINING WHILE A DEPARTMENT HEAD To test the hypothesis that middle managers are not committed to partici- pating in ongoing management training after becoming department heads, re- spondents were asked to list the number of continuing education management courses, workshops, seminars, etc. taken since becoming a department head. The cataloging department heads took an average of 6.01 management training sessions over the course of their careers as department heads (see table 1). The maximum number of courses taken was 48, with 6 (9%) CDHs not having any continuing education in the area of man-:- agement training. The reference department heads aver- aged 5.66 management training work- shops, etc. since becoming department heads, with a maximum of 32 courses. Eleven (16%) RDHs did not take man- agement training while in department head positions. The t-test revealed that 326 College & Research Libraries July 1992 TABLE4 LOW /HIGH EXPERIENCE IN DEPARTMENT HEAD POSITIONS Cataloging Department Heads Reference Department Heads S 5.5 Years As ~ 10 years as S 5 . .5 Years As ~ 10 years as Department Department Department Department Head Head Head Head N=28 N=30 N= 27 N=25 Mean number of continuing education management courses Number of courses per year as department head Mean years= 2.64 3.25 1.23 there was no significant difference be- tween the two sample groups for the num- ber of years as a department head or the number of ongoing management training courses taken. The average length in de- partment head positions for cataloging and reference department heads is similar, as is the average number of continuing education management courses taken. Are library managers-or librarians seeking management positions- taking advantage of management education and training opportunities? Those respondents with 5.5 or fewer total years as a department head and those with 10 or more years as a depart- ment head were then analyzed for their commitment to ongoing management training. Of the respondents with 5.5 or fewer years as department heads, 28 CDHs averaged 2.64 years and 27 RDHs averaged 2.48 years in department head positions. CDHs took an average of 3.25 continuing education management courses and RDHs took an average of 2.93 courses. Of the respondents with 10 or more years in department head posi- tions, 30 CDHs averaged 15.02 years of experience and took an average of 9.50 ongoing management training courses and workshops. Twenty-five RDHs averaged 15.08 years in department head positions and took an average of 8.80 continuing education management courses (see table 4). Mean Years= 15.02 9.50 0.63 Mean years= 2.48 2.93 1.18 Mean years= 15.08 8.80 0.58 The t-test showed that for both CDHs and RDHs there is a significant differ- ence in the total number of ongoing man- agement training courses taken by those with high experience as compared to those with low experience. Department heads with 10 or more years of ex- perience took more continuing educa- tion courses than those with 5.5 or fewer years as a department head. Interest- ingly enough, however, when compar- ing the number of courses taken per year of experience, newer department heads take proportionally twice as many courses as do experienced department heads. CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS FOR LIBRARY MANAGERS To test the hypothesis that libraries are not requiring department heads to par- ticipate in management continuing edu- cation, survey respondents were asked whether the courses taken while serving in department head positions were pri- marily required, encouraged, or volun- tarily attended. Eleven (16%) CDHs and 9 (13%) RDHs indicated that the ongoing management training was required of them. Twenty-seven (40%) CDHs and 26 (39%) RDHs were encouraged to attend these sessions, and 44 (66%) respondents in each group reported that the training activities were voluntarily attended. Table 5 shows the mean number of ongo- ing management training courses, work- shops, etc. attended by each group that indicated training was required, en- couraged, or voluntary. Management Preparation 327 TABLES ONGOING MANAGEMEMT TRAINING REQUIREMENT Ongoing training required Mean number of courses taken Ongoing training encouraged Mean number of courses taken Ongoing training voluntary Mean number of courses taken The mean number of courses was com- pared relative to whether such courses were required, encouraged, or volun- tarily attended. The t-test revealed that for both CDHs and RDHs there was no significant difference between the num- ber of courses taken, regardless of whether the courses were required, en- couraged, or voluntarily attended. Although this survey made no at- tempt to evaluate either the quality of the management training or the respon- dents' effectiveness as department heads, the respondents were asked whether they had implemented any ideas from the courses, workshops, etc., in their work. Of the CDHs, 29 (43%) reported generally yes, 25 (37%) answered somewhat, and seven (10%) said generally no, theyhadnotused ideas from their management training. Six (9%) CDHs did not answer the ques- tion. Twenty-five (37%) RDHs indicated that they had applied ideas to their work, 26 (39%) responded somewhat, and 4 (6%) answered that they generally had not used any ideas from their man- agement training. Twelve (18%) RDHs did not answer the question. CURRENT MANAGEMENT TRAINING AND SUPPOKf IN ARL UBRARIES Survey respondents were asked to in- dicate whether the libraries in which they currently work support continuing education in management through fi- nancial assistance, with release time, or do not support it. Fifty-three (79%) of the cataloging department heads and 50 (75%) of the reference department heads reported that the library supports ongo- ing training with financial assistance. Cataloging Reference N = 11 (16.4%) N = 9 (13.3%) 7.18 8.44 N = 27 (40.3%) N = 26 (38.8%) 5.52 6.58 N = 44 (65.7%) N = 44 (65.7%) 7.25 7.43 Fifty-seven (85%) CDHs and 56 (84%) RDHs are supported with release time to attend management training. Two (3%) department heads in each group indi- cated that the library does not provide any support for continuing education in management. While a majority of libraries provide some support for management training, very few require managers to participate in continuing education in order to up- grade their management skills. Of the CDHs, only 5 (8%) indicated that their libraries require continuing education of first-time managers, 2 (3%) of upper managers, 2 (3%) of department heads, and 8 (12%) of all managers. In contrast, 54 (81 %) reported that their libraries do not require ongoing management train- ing of anyone in managerial positions. Of the RDHs, only 2 (3%) reported that ongoing management training is re- quired of first-time managers, 1 (2%) of upper managers, 0 of department heads, and 3 (5%) of all managers. Fifty-eight (87%) RDHs indicated that their libraries do not require ongoing management training of any managers. SUMMARY OF THE FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS Based on the findings of the study, the researchers could not conclusively ac- cept hypothesis number one, that ex- perience in the department rather than managerial preparation or training is the determining factor in a person's becom- ing a library department head. An equal number of cataloging department heads came to the position with 5.5 or fewer years of departmental experience as did 328 College & Research Libraries those with 10 or more years. Moreover, 3 times as many RDHs had 5.5 or fewer years of experience in the department prior to becoming department head as those with 10 or more years. Of the de- partment heads, those with less ex- perience prior to their first department head position had more management courses and years of on-the-job manage- ment experience per year worked than those with more years of departmental experience. Contrary to the researchers' preconceptions, length of time in the de- partment and formal management train- ing appear to have equal weight in qualifying a librarian to become a de- partment head. The difficulty in deter- mining the value of experience in the department versus managerial prepara- tion is compounded by the fact that there are no standards by which to judge ade- quate, even minimum, levels of manage- ment experience, training, or education that qualify a person to be a middle manager in a library setting. While a majority of libraries provide some support for management training, very few require managers to participate in continuing education in order to upgrade their management skills. This conclusion is supported in the findings for the second hypothesis: that libraries, for the most part, do not re- quire management training when hiring department heads. In fact, libraries are hiring individuals with lengthy de- partmental experience and little or no management training as well as those with less departmental experience but more formal management training. This study found that 30% to 50% of library department head positions did not re- quire formal or on-the-job management training as a qualification. Since signifi- cantly more department heads had taken courses when training was re- quired than when it was not, more librar- ies should require management training as a qualification for filling department head positions. July 1992 An interesting difference is again found in comparing cataloging and ref- erence departments. Cataloging depart- ment heads averaged three times the number of years of on-the-job training prior to becoming department heads than did their reference counterparts. CDHs also averaged one and a half times more years of departmental experience than RDHs. Possible explanations for these discrepancies are that (1) in a typi- cal academic reference department fewer opportunities exist to hold a posi- tion as assistant head, unit head, or team leader than in a typical cataloging de- partment; and (2) turnover in reference departments may be higher than in cat- aloging. The latter assumption has not been tested in this study. Regarding ongoing management training, both CDHs and RDHs with 5.5 or fewer years as department heads took twice as many management courses, workshops, etc., per year of experience as did those with 10 or more years. Though the level of ongoing manage- ment training is higher than the re- searchers initially expected, the adequacy of that level could not be measured since no standards exist to judge how much par- ticipation in continuing management training is sufficient. Upper library man- agement, professional library organizations, and library educators must set minimum standards for continuing education in management skills and techniques. Concerning support for continuing management training, the current situa- tion in ARL libraries is that most libraries provide ample support, both financially and with release time, but very few re- quire managers to participate in such training. This study found that when li- braries required management training both prior to and during one's career as a department head, participation in training activities was higher. In the cases when support alone was given, participation was not so high as when combined with a requirement. One strategy that upper library administra- tion can employ to increase participation in managerial development is to make management training a formal require- ment for library managers at all levels. Another strategy is to make managerial effectiveness a librarywide priority and to recognize and reward good manage- ment. Libraries need to take the manage- ment crisis seriously by developing those with managerial talent and by re- moving ineffective managers and de- partment heads from such positions, especially since many of today's middle managers will be tomorrow's upper ad- ministrators. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH Since this study focused on manage- ment training and development of middle managers in academic research libraries, similar studies of other levels of management and in other types of libraries are needed. The present study found that 93% to 96% of department heads surveyed had no other formal management training beyond library school. Additional studies might ex- amine the time lag between an in- dividual's completing library school and assuming the first managerial position, and therefore the relevance of manage- ment training taken during library school. The study also showed that the number of continuing education courses Management Preparation 329 taken per year of experience was higher for newer department heads than for their more experienced counterparts, suggesting that the number of courses taken during a career drops off over time. These findings present the oppor- tunity to explore the patterns of continu- ing education of library department heads. Management is a complex issue that is not limited in application to libraries. Librarians can look to other professions as well as to each other for new and "innova- tive approaches to management issues. Economic and social conditions are forcing business leaders to reevaluate their man- agement philosophies and techniques, and libraries are not immune to these ex- ternal conditions. Libraries have the addi- tional task of adjusting to rapid technological advances that require new strategies for managing both resources and personnel. Library administrators need to keep pace with the many develop- ments that affect the quality and success of their institutions. Improved managerial pre- paration and training will enable library leaders to manage and lead libraries successfully in order to meet the chal- lenges that lie ahead. Certainly the talent exists in the profession to provide such leadership. REFERENCES AND NOTES 1. Charles R. McClure, "Library Managers: Can They Manage? Will They Lead?" Library Journal105:2388 (Nov. 15, 1980). 2. Miriam H. Tees, "Is It Possible to Educate Librarians as Managers?" Special Libraries 75:176 (July 1984). 3. Sajjad ur Rehman, Management Theory and Library Education (Westport, Conn.: Green- wood, 1987), p.Sl. 4. "Career Development in Libraries," Library Personnel News 3:7 (Winter 1989); "Q & A," Library Personnel News 5:8 (Mar./ Apr. 1991). 5. Deanna B. Marcum, "Management Training for Research Librarianship," in Advances in Library Administration and Organization, v. 2, ed. Gerard B. McCabe and Bernard Kreissman (Greenwich, Conn.: JAI, 1983), p.4. 6. The continuing interest in these topics is reflected in the themes of recent issues of library management journals: "Automation and the Workplace," Library Administration and Management 5 (Winter 1991); "Personnel Administration in an Automated Environ- ment," Journal of Library Administration, 13, nos.1 /2 (1990); "Training Issues and Strate- gies," Journal of Library Administration, 12, no.2 (1990); "Staff Development and Training," Library Administration and Management 4 (Summer 1990). 7. Ida Vincent, "Reflections on the Teaching and Learning of Management in Initial, Professional Education-for-Librarianship Programs," Journal of Education for Library and Information Science 28:179 (Winter 1988). 330 College & Research Libraries July 1992 8. Rehman, Management Theory, p.125-26. 9. John K. Mayeski and Marilyn]. Sharrow, "Recruitment of Academic Library Managers: A Survey," Journal of Academic Librarianship 8:152-53 (1982). 10. Ibid., p.153. 11. Adeline Wilkes, "A Study of Managerial Functions Performed by Beginning Librarians and Their Perception of Their Preparation for These Responsibilities" (Ph.D. diss., Florida State Univ., 1983), p.105. 12. Martha J. Bailey, "Requirements for Middle Managerial Positions," Special Libraries 69:327 (Sept. 1978). 13. Ibid., p.328. 14. Ibid., p.330. 15. Susan Jurow, "Preparing for Library Leadership," Journal of Library Administration 12, no.2:64 (1990). 16. Martha]. Bailey, "Middle Managers in Libraries/Information Services," Library Admin- istration and Management 1:139 (Sept. 1987).