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Presenting financial management principles and best practices applicable to both public and academic libraries, this comprehensive text elucidates a broad array of issues crucial for those entering a managerial position. Both thorough and straightforward, Sannwald's treatment

• gives readers a solid grounding in the basics of accounting and finance, with an emphasis on applicability to library management and operations;
• ties budgets and strategic planning to library vision, mission, goals, and objectives;
• discusses the roles of stakeholders such as boards, governmental/municipal bodies, the university, and the community;
• looks at a variety of funding sources, from tax revenue to gifts and donations, and presents sound strategies for including them when projecting income and expenses;
• articulates and discusses the pros and cons of various budget strategies;
• includes sample budgets and forms that can be customized as needed;
• offers expert guidance on modifying budgets for windfalls and shortfalls;
• explains operating ratios, fiscal benchmarking, and metrics, demonstrating how to use these to effectively create and manage a budget and assess the fiscal health of the library; and
• advises on how to effectively prepare and present a budget and annual financial statements to a library's governing agency.

Outcome-based planning and evaluation (OBPE), with its straightforward approach built on a flexible framework, is the perfect model to enable youth services professionals to deliver effective services regardless of uncertainties. An outcome-based approach can help youth services stay grounded in producing desired outcomes with and for youth through responsive programs, services, and processes that can adapt to changing conditions. Clarifying the relationship between planning, program development, and evaluation, the five simple steps outlined in this book will help youth services staff conduct solid community assessments and integrate OBPE into their work. Inside its pages you will learn

• a short history of OBPE and its evolution;
• why it is crucially important to involve youth in all stages of program development, with guidance on navigating challenges;
• how to think about planning as the need to react quickly, whether due to natural or human-made disasters, changing demographics, or economic swings;
• the five steps of OBPE, from gathering information about your community and determining the outcomes that will serve your community to crafting accurate outcome statements, developing an evaluation plan, and maximizing the results of successful outcome-based programs; 
• how to visualize the steps needed to successfully plan, implement, and evaluate an outcome-based program, using the template included in the book;
• ways to share your data to let people know the library’s important role in the community; and
• additional useful tools to bolster your work, including environmental scan forms and ideas for creating relevant family storytimes.

The concepts of planning and assessment are intrinsically linked—and understanding them is essential for raising the library’s profile and strengthening its position among stakeholders and the community. Even if you're an LIS student or are new to the profession, or if planning or assessment are not your primary areas of responsibility, you still have a role to play in the success of organizational efforts. Fleming-May has more than a decade of experience in planning and assessment initiatives and instruction, and Mays was her institution’s first assessment librarian; their primer draws from theory, research, and their first-hand observations to illuminate such topics as

• characteristics of bad planning strategy that can help to illustrate a better approach;
• reasons why using economic models, like ROI, fall short;
• how to mix the three types of planning;
• guidelines to ensure that assessment is meaningful and actionable;
• tips for creating effective surveys;
• emphasizing users’ needs with a critical assessment framework;
• data analysis for surveys, interviews, focus groups, and observation;
• four questions to ask about audience level before you develop a report;
• a sample 3-year assessment plan that can be customized; and
• seven steps for developing a culture of ongoing assessment.

The necessity for library leaders to demonstrate that libraries are innovative, collaborative, and can provide eye-catching, transformational services and programs to their communities cannot be understated. But libraries do not suffer from a lack of big ideas. What library workers really need is a roadmap for making those impactful ideas become reality. Based in part on her extensive experience coordinating large-scale initiatives, this guide from ASCLA Leadership and Professional Achievement Award-winning consultant Horton will walk you through formulating and shaping your ideas into sellable, actionable projects. You’ll learn 

• techniques drawn from project management experts and researchers from many fields;
• why Big Hairy Audacious Goals (BHAG) are worth your time and effort;
• guidance on upscaling your idea into a project or service that can be launched at a statewide, community wide, or library consortium level;
• several case studies of large-scale library projects, with analysis of why they were successful;
• how to successfully combine foundational principles of innovation with practical methods for collaboration;
• methods for extending your reach beyond your usual sphere to partner with other libraries and organizations;
• how to sharpen your skills of persuasion;  
• no-nonsense advice on leading teams of disparate individuals; and
• evaluative tips for affirming the project is on the right track and then correcting course as needed.