Management development in public libraries in New Zealand

Abstract

This study investigated management development in eleven public libraries in New Zealand. Types of activities offered to staff and the organisational and structural components behind the management development were investigated. Data was collected using a web-based survey administered to libraries in the Metronet group. The management development activities of these libraries were compared to types of development recommended in the literature. The results indicated that the participating libraries offered a wide range of management development activities to their staff. The libraries' tended to have good organisational support for management development, but many libraries lacked overall structural elements considered necessary to deliver successful activities both for the management development participants and for the organisation.