Table of Contents-Letter-Introduction-Chapters:
1, 2,
3, 4,
5, 6,
7, 8,
9, 10,
11, 12,
13, 14,
15, 16,
17, Glossary,
Internets Links, Calendar
of Events, Freedom
to Read Statement, Index
Personnel
9
Evaluating
the Director
Trustees evaluate the director all of the time—by what they see in the
library, what they hear from the public and what they perceive as the
library's reputation in the community. But that informal consideration does not
take the place of a formal review of the director's performance.
An annual performance evaluation:
- Provides the director with a clear understanding of the Board's
expectations and its perceptions of how those expectations are being met.
- Identifies the Board's concerns and initiates a procedure for actions
to be taken.
- Creates an opportunity to review and acknowledge the director's
accomplishments.
- Demonstrates sound management and accountability to community
officials and the public.
To be effective, the evaluation process needs to match the specific
local situation. However the current trend in employee evaluations is
toward performance and outcomes. The Board and director can work together
to develop a list of criteria that can be objectively measured, either by
accomplishment of particular tasks or by using a numerical rating.
In evaluating accomplishments related to goals and objectives, it is
important that outcomes, actions, responsibilities, the time frame and other
elements be clearly defined so that they are measurable.
If personality and behavior traits are included in the evaluation, it is
helpful if trustees can cite specific examples that display the director's
strengths and weaknesses.
When it is time for the director's annual evaluation, the Board should
make it a positive, developmental process that includes praise and
constructive guidance. The library director should receive a written report and
recommendations, either at the evaluation meeting or soon after.
9-1
Evaluation Criteria
Your specific institution and situation will determine what factors you
will consider when evaluating the performance of the director. The following
list gives you some points to consider.
Preparing and managing the budget
- Is all the necessary staff work completed in a timely manner prior
to presentation to the Board?
- Does the budget cover all necessary expenses?
- Are funds allocated or reserved for unanticipated contingencies?
- Are the funds effectively allocated?
- Are midcourse corrections minimized?
Managing the staff
- Are positive management/staff relations maintained?
- Are fair and equitable policies proposed for Board adoption and
then fairly administered?
- Have grievances been filed? If so, what is their nature?
Professional state-of-the-art awareness
- Are innovative methods of service delivery, technical processes,
etc., studied thoroughly; implemented only after they fit the needs of
the institution and are proven to be cost effective?
- Does the director maintain an adequate knowledge of the current
state-of-the-art?
- Is the staff encouraged and assisted in maintaining an awareness
of technological advances in the profession?
- Conversely, how prone is the director to adopting change for
change's sake?
Prevent Surprises During the Annual Performance Evaluation
1. Work with the director to resolve performance problems when they occur.
2. Be willing to discuss the issue and offer solutions.
3. Acknowledge good work and accomplishments.
9-2
Collection management
- How adequate is the library's program of determining user
needs/wants and translating these into acquisitions and services?
- Have adequate criteria been established to enable the library to
react systematically to materials budget cuts?
Implementation of board decisions
- Are Board decisions implemented on a timely basis?
- Once a decision has been made, does the director fully and
enthusiastically back Board decisions (to what extent?) or are they
sometimes presented to staff in a apologetic or deprecatory manner?
Use of the library
- How effectively are the services of the library communicated to
the public?
- Is a realistic balance established between promotion of services
and budget constraints?
- Are circulation trends and in-house use adequately analyzed and
are there appropriate reactions to the results of such analyses?
- How well is information on new services communicated to the public?
Development of staff
- Are potential managers identified, encouraged to develop career goals?
- Are internal candidates for promotion competitive with outside
candidates for management positions?
- Does the director adequately justify the need for staff
development funds, actively campaign for such funds and adequately account
for the use of such funds?
- How well is cross-training utilized to provide adequate service to
the public?
Utilization of staff
- Is there a clear separation of professional and clerical tasks for
staff guidance?
- Have peak service hours been identified and staff deployed accordingly?
- Are functions analyzed periodically with the objective of
combining, eliminating and/or creating new positions?
9-3
Community development
- How active is the director in the community?
- Is the director "visible" to large segments of the population?
- Is the director available for speaking engagements in the community?
Activity in professional organizations
- Does the director actively participate in MLA, ALA, PNLA, etc.?
- Does the director hold office in professional organizations?
- Has the director published articles in professional journals?
Policy recommendations to board
- Is adequate staff work completed prior to presentation to the Board?
- Are reasonable alternatives recommended?
- Are policy recommendations generally proactive rather than reactive?
- Are policy recommendations usually necessary and appropriate to
the efficient operation of the library?
Friends of the Library
- Has the director actively promoted the formation and/or
maintenance of a Friends group?
- Does the director provide adequate support to the Friends
organizations?
- Has the director delineated and/or helped define the role of the
Friends group?
Maintenance and construction of physical plants
- Within the imposed budgetary constraints are the buildings
and grounds adequately maintained?
- Does the director have an outgoing program that provides
adequate information on the need for new and/or remodeled facilities?
Establishing priorities
- Are the director's recommended priorities in concert with the
library's mission as defined by the Board?
- Do these priorities appropriately reflect community needs?
- Are priorities established proactively or reactively?
9-4
Staff selection
- Is staff selection accomplished at appropriate supervisory levels
and with adequate use of staff resources?
- Is adequate emphasis placed on equal opportunity
employer/affirmative action and is the director's commitment to these principles
communicated to the staff?
- Is the selection process designed to ensure the selection of the
best person for the job?
Short- and long-range planning
- Do the director's short-and long-range plans reflect Board priorities?
- Are the short- and long-range plans updated on a continuous basis
to reflect changing circumstances?
- Are the director's accomplishments in sync with the short- and
long-range plans?
- Are the short- and long-range plans flexible enough to allow
for changing circumstances?
- Does the director provide adequate information to the Board on
the implementation, revision, etc., of short- and long-range planning?
Miscellaneous rating factors
- Are "hard decisions" made and implemented or are they deferred
or ignored?
- Does the director display adequate initiative or rather merely react
to necessities?
- Is the director objective in making the necessary decision or do
personal prejudices intrude too often?
- Is the director consistent in decisions that affect the staff and/or public?
- Is the director open with the Board or does a "hidden" agenda
intrude too often in the relationship?
- Does the director set an example for the staff through professional
conduct, high principles, business-like approach, good work habits, etc.?
9-5
Evaluation Form - Sample 1
| Responsibilities |
Expectations and Goals |
Comments |
|
|
|
|
| Comments:
|
Performance Rating:
____Above satisfactory ____Satisfactory
____Below satisfactory
Employee: ____Agree ____Disagree
Signature__________________________
Date______________________________ |
9-6
Evaluation Form _ Sample 2
|
Director:________________________________________________________________
Instructions:
Please rate performance elements using the categories below. Circle rating and then add
comments using specific examples of employee performance. Make suggestions for
improvement where appropriate.
- O Outstanding: Employee's work in this element is excellent and exceeds
expected performance levels.
- H Highly Proficient: Employee's work in this element is highly satifactory and
somewhat exceeds expected performance levels.
- S Satisfactory: Employee's work in this element is acceptable and meets
expected performance levels.
- B Barely Acceptable: Employee's work in this element is less than satisfactory
though not totally unacceptable.
- U Unsatisfactory: Employee's work in this element is deficient and does not meet
minimum performance levles.
O H S B U 1. Planning, organizing and establishing priorities for work.
Explanation:
O H S B U 2. Gathering and reporting information. Explanation:
O H S B U
3. Adapting to changing situations and priorities. Explanation:
O H S B U
4. Identifying problems and recommending solutions. Explanation:
O H S B U
5. Making decisions. Explanation:
O H S B U
6. Oral and written communication. Explanation:
O H S B U
7. Overall performance:
Please initial this form if you would like to have it returned to you with the compilation.
|
9-7
Table of Contents-Letter-Introduction-Chapters:
1, 2,
3, 4,
5, 6,
7, 8,
9, 10,
11, 12,
13, 14,
15, 16,
17, Glossary,
Internets Links, Calendar
of Events, Freedom
to Read Statement, Index