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In the years since John Huber's trailblazing Lean Library Management was published, budget pressures on libraries have only increased. Yet libraries who have adopted his strategies have turned conventional management thinking--that if budgets are reduced, customer service suffers--on its head. These libraries have proven that by streamlining and improving customer services, they can eliminate wasteful activities and bring down costs. In The Purpose-Based Library, Huber and seasoned public library administrator Potter build on insight gleaned from decades of experience to demonstrate how libraries can create real growth opportunities through concentrating on their true mission and purpose, and without spending a lot more money. With a focus on putting ideas into action, they point the way towards*New ways to think about metrics*Reexamining customer self-driven services*Effectively leveraging the considerable footprint of libraries*Identifying and assessing community needs and realigning library services accordingly*Actively encouraging community fundraising*Offering cutting-edge services and programsPacked with boots-on-the-ground commentary, this book presents strategies to help libraries survive and succeed

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Library Journal Review

Coauthors Huber (Lean Library Management) and Potter (director & CEO, Mid-Continent PL) suggest that to ensure survival, public libraries must become the heart of the community by transforming into purpose-based institutions. Using lean management techniques will free up resources, including librarians, to focus on community transformation. Huber presents a hierarchy of basic, psychological, and fulfilment needs such as safety, community engagement, and creative expression, respectively. Discussed is the importance of each level of the pyramid along with suggested ways the library can play a pivotal role in improving community vitality. Potter ends each chapter with personal comments on the topic. Libraries already provide services to support the levels to varying degrees, but the authors lay out a unified plan involving community leaders. They contend metrics should be collected and displayed prominently in the library to demonstrate neighborhood growth. VERDICT Great ideas, although discussions are a bit simplistic at times. Large libraries should embrace the concept of being purposed-based, while small libraries will benefit from the ideas presented but may have more difficulty implementing the plan.-Lydia Olszak, Bosler Memorial Lib., Carlisle, PA © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

This slim and somewhat quirky volume is a mix of motivational speaking, data analysis, how-to-do-it manual, and nostalgia trip. Written primarily in the first person by Huber, a management consultant, the book provides a community-based perspective on modern public library management. Its 22 slim chapters cover a wide range of topics of potential interest to library directors, such as mission, vision, and values; safety and security; digital literacy and access; value-added marketing; and philanthropy. Each chapter combines some of the authors' personal experiences with a little current research. At the end of each chapter, Potter, a library director, provides his own insights, ideas, and perspectives to complement the consultant's. Readers can either follow the path of the book's organization, reading through the four main sections on survival, success, growth, and sustainability, or they can jump from chapter to chapter to read about their immediate needs. Some chapters are prescriptive in nature (marketing and functional literacy), whereas others are more conceptual (purpose-based community and sustainability). This work will help library directors obtain a well-rounded perspective on their role in the library as well as their library's role in the local community.--Tyckoson, David Copyright 2016 Booklist