Project Management for Information Professionals.Pdf

CHANDOS INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL SERIES Series Editor: Ruth Rikowski (email: [email protected]) Chandos’ new series of books is aimed at the busy information professional. They have been specially commissioned to provide the reader with an authoritative view of current thinking. They are designed to provide easy-to-read and (most impor- tantly) practical coverage of topics that are of interest to librarians and other information professionals. If you would like a full listing of current and forthcoming titles, please visit www.chandospublishing.com. New authors: we are always pleased to receive ideas for new titles; if you would like to write a book for Chandos, please contact Dr Glyn Jones on g.jones.2@ elsevier.com or telephone þ44 (0) 1865 843000. Project Management for Information Professionals MARGOT NOTE Amsterdam • Boston • Cambridge • Heidelberg London • New York • Oxford • Paris • San Diego San Francisco • Singapore • Sydney • Tokyo Chandos Publishing is an imprint of Elsevier Chandos Publishing is an imprint of Elsevier 225 Wyman Street, Waltham, MA 02451, USA Langford Lane, Kidlington, OX5 1GB, UK Copyright © 2016 by M. Note. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Details on how to seek permission, further information about the Publisher’s permissions policies and our arrangements with organizations such as the Copyright Clearance Center and the Copyright Licensing Agency, can be found at our website: www.elsevier.com/permissions. This book and the individual contributions contained in it are protected under copyright by the Publisher (other than as may be noted herein). Notices Knowledge and best practice in this field are constantly changing. As new research and experience broaden our understanding, changes in research methods, professional practices, or medical treatment may become necessary. Practitioners and researchers must always rely on their own experience and knowledge in evaluating and using any information, methods, compounds, or experiments described herein. In using such information or methods they should be mindful of their own safety and the safety of others, including parties for whom they have a professional responsibility. To the fullest extent of the law, neither the Publisher nor the authors, contributors, or editors, assume any liability for any injury and/or damage to persons or property as a matter of products liability, negligence or otherwise, or from any use or operation of any methods, products, instructions, or ideas contained in the material herein. ISBN: 978-0-08-100127-1 (print) ISBN: 978-0-08-100133-2 (online) British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Control Number: 2015946210 For information on all Chandos Publishing publications visit our website at http://store.elsevier.com/ ABOUT THE AUTHOR Margot Note has spent her career working in the cultural heritage sector, including colleges, libraries, and archives. She has lead or has participated in a wide range of projects, including database conversions, digitization efforts, web application creations, and collaborations with American Express, Artstor, Google, and UNESCO. She holds a Masters in History from Sarah Lawrence College, a Masters in Library and Information Science, and a Post-Master’s Certificate in Archives and Records Management, both from Drexel University. She is the Director of Archives and Information Man- agement at World Monuments Fund, an international heritage conservation organization. The author can be contacted via the publisher. vii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Books, like projects, are rarely completed in solitude. Many people have contributed to the creation of this publication. Thanks to the Florio, Leis, and Note families. I would like to thank the staff of the Pelham Bay branch of the New York Public Library for keeping their hold shelf full of project management books for me, week after week. I have much appreciation for Larry Blake, who generously shared his project management experience with me throughout the course of writing this book. Thank you most of all to my partner, Bill Florio, for being supportive of me during the writing process. This book is dedicated to the memory of my father, Charles C. Note (1945–2015). ix INTRODUCTION Project Management for Information Professionals is a resource for people who have not been trained formally in project management principles, yet have found themselves involved in projects. They could be working on a recataloging endeavor at their library, directing their colleagues in a digitization effort in their archives, or establishing a new content management system at their museum. Colleagues may have sought them out because of their leadership abilities. They may have earned their assignments because they are dependable, good at organizing their work, and skilled at influ- encing others. Given increasing amounts of responsibility over time, they get things done in changing information environments. Projects require collaboration between departments and across enter- prises. Sometimes they involve traversing boundariesdprofessional, organizational, geographical, or technological. This dynamic creates a need for information professionals to work in partnership, communicate effectively, and appreciate the best practices of project management. Information professionals often accomplish projects alongside their regular duties, and find they need to develop innovative skills to balance their workloads. The opportunity to take responsibility for a project offers personal and career development and the prospect of achieving lasting change and impact. Often a library, archives or museum must undertake a project that is outside its normal operations, but is essential for it to fulfill its strategic goals. All change in organizations happens through projects. Entrenching a project management mindset in the organization’s culture is the way to make this happen. Project-based work in archives, libraries, and museums is on the rise for several reasons. Project management has the potential to be the métier of information professionals. The principles, structures, and processes of project management are analogous to library and information science; both are logical, methodical, measurable, and specific (Massis, 2010). There has been an increase in technology-based work, such as the implementation of integrated library systems, digital repositories, and open- source applications. As information centers become partners in larger, more complex projects within their communities, there is likely to be a greater xi xii Introduction reliance on project management methodologies to reach favorable out- comes (Wamsley, 2009). Kinkus (2007) adds: Not only does the progression of technology seem to be introducing more opportunities for project-based work in libraries, but the increased complexity caused by a project’s need for expertise from multiple departments leads to an increased need for project management skills in modern librarian jobs (p. 357). Archives and museums have surmounted contemporary challenges with project management techniques as well. Projects are integral to efforts to respond to a rapidly changing environment. In the current climate of diminished funding, information professionals need to maximize available resources and minimize risks in their projects. They encounter challenges in resource formats, diverse patrons, and evolving technology platforms and interfaces. Much of the work of professionals employed in archives, libraries, and museums involves projects that cross departments. Additionally, today’s workforce values the skill of being able to manage project team members without formal authority. Increasing demand for technology implementation in library, archives, and museum operations and expanded user services has occurred at the same time that most budgets and staff sizes have decreased. In a business environment that requires doing more with less, information professionals who master project management demonstrate their worth by getting things done under these exigent conditions. This is where project management comes into play. LITERATURE REVIEW Project management is an essential part of the work of information professionals, although it is only just starting to be recognized. Chambers and Perrow (1998) surveyed librarians in the United Kingdom and discovered that 27% used specific project management techniques, including schedules, Gantt charts, and network diagrams. They found that 3% of the respondents used formal project management methodologies. This may suggest that information professionals are beginning to see the value of using practical project management techniques. In their survey of web project management in academic libraries, Fagan and Keach (2011) found the repeated use of project management practices, but without proper job titles, recognition, or methodologies. They write: The function of project management is still often only one part of a hybrid job and is not often included in job descriptions. Some project management techniques are used frequently, but the most formal practices are not (p. 1). Introduction xiii However, the results of their survey showed significant use of specific

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