Purpose -Budgetary and activity-based data examination and analysis are core to planning for all organizations. This paper seeks to explore aspects of budgetary financial data and activity data focusing on how each is presented separately and in tandem for more productive decision making. Design/methodology/approach -Correlations between how data are typically presented versus how they may possibly be presented serve as the basis for a discussion on advantages to a more journalistic and visual approach to looking at numerical analysis. Findings -Using numbers to tell a story is the preferred method to inspire positive action when both presenting and beginning any and all discussions about budgetary and activity data. Library leaders wishing positive outcomes to stem from their data are advised to spend more time making data appealing in form for presentation to a variety of audiences. Originality/value -Financial and outcomes measures data analysis is growing in popularity as a means for making data-driven decisions. Many leaders, however, continue to show numbers in standardized tabular form to all of their stakeholders. This method of presentation attempting to encourage others to enjoy and respect data analysis is not preferred to a more dynamic and visual adoption of data styling. It is argued that attractive presentation of data makes data analysis more attractive, and therefore, more likely to occur.

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to describe a case at the University of St Francis (USF), where common fears and, in some cases, harsh realities of library budget reductions can be strategically allayed or altogether avoided through creativity, changes in motivation and implementation of redesigns in organizational work flows and tasks. Design/methodology/approach -The USF Library shifted focus away from a reactionary stance against pending budget cuts toward a proactive strategy in order to circumvent anticipated reductions in funding for library operations and staff. Findings -Changes in attitudinal and service posturing created an environment that allowed the USF to show itself as a more essential function of its university as a whole. The changes suggested in this paper add more workload to USF existing library functions, but also add more interested stakeholders. Originality/value -This paper offers insight and direction to practitioners looking to investigate the feasibility of selectively increasing workload in order to increase overall value to their institutions, resulting in budget security during harsh economic times.

Access to this document was granted through an Emerald subscription provided by 123705 [] For AuthorsIf you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractPurpose -The purpose of this paper is to reveal particular unique aspects of librarian pay, retention and hiring issues as a means of advocacy for managers searching for new ways to tackle this function of their work. Design/methodology/approach -The paper gives specific salary negotiation suggestions, and also provides strategic team building concerns on which future planning may be made. Findings -It is found that salary information is shared much more often between librarians at other institutions and this sharing leads to many negative and positive effects for future pay structures within organizations. Originality/value -The paper is original in the sense that it is written for librarians and non-librarians alike. It presents the issue with candor as a means of sparking fruitful conversation aimed at stabilizing and increasing librarian pay through joint understanding of the issue.

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to expose the multiplicity of landscapes involved with making and communicating strategic financial decisions for libraries. Design/methodology/approach -This paper presents a general review. Findings -Library leaders must always focus on at least two distinct landscapes by which all financial matters may be approached and communicated. Originality/value -This paper works to bring readers toward the assumption that all financial matters require a minimal two-pronged approach toward landscapes that are commonly presented to be singular in nature.How are most financial matters presented? How does the presentation of a financial dilemma or problem affect its eventual resolution or proposed solution? What questions and rhetoric emerge first when looking at funding a new building addition, or allocating dollars for a major electronic resource purchase? Questions like these are too often overshadowed by the anxiety to find good solutions in a speedy manner. Statements like "We need new revenue sources to fund our new projects" and "We cannot afford our expenses and must make the following cuts in order to stay afloat" can be heard time and time again. These statements lead to memories of undergraduate macro-and micro-economics courses flooding our minds toward images of supply and demand curves, and concepts of price elasticity and labor expenses -hard data and figures driving decisions. Take, for example, a financial problem arising from lack of funding for current staffing levels. The quick answer to this problem is to implement a staff reduction program immediately or gradually over time. Some libraries, for example, have helped to solve this particular staffing expense problem through purchasing self-checkout stations to replace live employees who physically manage circulation control of materials. When exploring a recent implementation of this simple cost-saving program at a library in Utah, Beth Dempsey (2010) finds that small-scale fiscal programs like employee replacement with machines offer easily observed gains toward the bottom line in terms of efficiency, but also give powerful increases in convenience for users. Many patrons even complement the library on the new machines, even though some realize that the shiny new machine they now love cost a person their job.The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at

Purpose -The ideas surrounding which institutional attributes make for good libraries vary radically based on patron review, professional association rankings, size of overall collections, and other measures. The purpose of this article is to provide insight into argumentation for establishing how libraries gain the compliment of "good" in an increasingly digital age. Design/methodology/approach -An analysis of the general effect digital content available on the internet has on the mind of the consumer frames the debate on how libraries can be seen as both relevant and good for their communities despite being expensive. Findings -Library leaders always need to advocate for their services and collections, but it is only through true reflective discourse with key stakeholders and governing bodies that enlightenment on the key advantages of libraries can be found. Originality/value -Library popularity and use rises and falls solely based on the conscious user evaluation of collections and services. Focusing this consciousness away from the myth that all material of worth is digital and available online is the key to helping users and governing bodies understand that investments in library infrastructure, technology and (most importantly) raw collections is what makes libraries good for all.