ALCTS News

The Library Leadership & Management Association (LLAMA) presented the program “Matrix Management in Libraries: Exploring a Collaborative and Cross-Functional Management Model to Provide Greater Value and Increase Impact” at the 2019 ALA Annual Conference. The session featured staff from the George Washington University Libraries and Academic Innovation (GW LAI), who work within a matrix management environment. Bill Gillis, director of research services, gave context and an overview of the transition process. Hannah Sommers, senior associate dean and deputy university librarian, shared a leadership perspective on why matrix management has benefitted GW LAI. Peter Cohn, also director of research services, explained how matrix management is enacted day-to-day. Shira Ella, art and design librarian, presented on the experience of working as a front-line librarian within the matrix management environment.

The Library Leadership & Management Association (LLAMA) presented the session “Bringing Culture Back: Managing Unconscious Bias to Strengthen Your Corporate Culture” at the 2019 ALA Annual Conference. Dr. Michele A. L. Villagran of San Jose State University, School of Information, presented on cultural biases, how they impact the workplace, and how they can be managed.

Around 100 people attended the program “Technology Project Management: Following Best Practices and Building Your Skill Set” on Saturday, June 22, at the 2019 ALA Annual Conference. The program was sponsored by the Library and Information Technology Association (LITA). The concept for the presentation came from Al Cornish, Director of Library Technology Services at University of Oregon, but he was unable to attend, so Janetta Waterhouse (director of technical services and library systems at the University of Albany) presented their work solo. Regular project management approaches are usually for much larger projects than a library might face, so this presentation aimed to translate it to a smaller, more library-friendly scale.