The mission of libraries is to meet the information needs of the people they serve - but daily, sticky situations arise that make this tough to do. Reports of peepers, use of the library by the homeless for sleeping, inappropriate Internet use by patrons; encounters with offensive personal hygiene, skateboarding in the stacks, the threat of violence, one's role as a babysitter for latchkey children, censorious complaints: Is there an upswing or are librarians just more sensitized? How do libraries meet these demands? From the perspective of a working director, this thoroughly updated and...

The cataloging department insists that an unreasonable number of books be replaced. The children's department needs more money for summer reading programs. The maintenance director claims the HVAC system will not survive another year. Library directors today must create and maintain an intricate and continually challenging budget. Compiled from firsthand experience, this easy-to-read guide contains a plethora of information regarding the financial management of libraries. Beginning with creating an operating budget, the work discusses various revenue sources which may be useful. The reader is...