Introduction

This chapter is concerned with managing the work in your team. This includes creating an appropriate working environment so that the information and library service both looks professional and is also a pleasant working environment. This chapter considers ways of managing both types of work experienced in an ILS: routine work and project work. It also considers issues relevant to both routine and project work, i.e. delegating tasks, giving instructions, giving feedback, setting goals and monitoring and reviewing performance.

Managing the work environment

The physical work environment, i.e. the organization and layout of the public and staff areas in the ILS, will have an impact on everyone coming into the service. Individuals will judge your ILS on the basis of what they see. If they come into an environment where everything looks tidy, notices are up-to-date and welcoming, and there is the sense of stepping into a professional workspace then they are likely to feel positive about the ILS. Conversely, if the ILS looks disorganized with outof- date notices, old computers cluttering up corners, dying plants in dark corners, staff desks heaped with piles of paper and used coffee cups, then potential readers are unlikely to feel confident about the quality of service. In addition, there are health and safety factors to be taken into account in organizing the work environment: a well organized and tidy environment is likely to be a safe environment.

Managing the work environment involves everyone taking responsibility for their own working space and the public areas of the ILS. Many team leaders ensure that individual members of staff have responsibility for specific aspects of maintaining the physical environment and tasks such as tidying book shelves, notice boards, organizing and maintaining the stationery store, and checking that computers are working.

Ways of providing a professional-looking ILS involve ensuring: