Technology—Boon or Bane for Library Managers

By comparing management in 1987 with today, this column examines the differences for library managers as technology including computers and the Internet has become an integral part of their lives. Technology has made completing many managerial functions easier and erased the barriers of time and space. Communication has become almost instantaneous. Opportunities for learning are now global. On the other hand, the time required to manage and effectively use technology has reduced time devoted to other tasks. The work-free weekend has disappeared; products must have a slick professional look; and form has sometimes become more important than content. Contemporary library managers must focus both for themselves and for their staff on ways to use technology effectively in meeting library goals. Returning to an idyllic fictionalized past is impossible, especially now that artificial intelligence will likely bring another cycle of radical changes. Library managers will need flexibility, experimentation, and harsh critical evaluation of results to achieve success.