Page 51 - DLIS003_LIBRARY ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT

Library Administration and Management

Notes 3.1 Personnel Administration

3.1.1 Definition of Personnel Administration

Personnel administration can be defined as “the recruitment, selection, development, utilization
of, and accommodation to human resources by organizations.” The human resources of an
organization consist of all individuals engaged in any of the organization’s activities. Libraries
employ not only large numbers of people, but also very diverse kinds of people. It is not
unusual for sixty to eighty per cent of a library’s budget to be devoted to salaries. Thus effective
personnel administration is critical to a library’s achieving its goals and objectives. In times of
extreme financial constraint, the very survival of a library may be highly dependent upon the
quality of personnel administration.
Personnel administration as practiced in libraries is of a very uneven nature. Size is often a
controlling factor with the result that personnel officers or departments tend to be found only in
medium and large-size libraries. Personnel functions for staff in special libraries, school libraries,
and small academic libraries may be carried out by the personnel (now often termed “human
resource”) offices of the parent organization. However, personnel administration is inherent in
all organizations. It is an integral part of every administrative, managerial, and supervisory
position. Techniques may help in specific instances, but the important consideration is the
systematic overall approach to managing human resources.

Martin believes libraries have tended to rely on rather primitive methods of personnel
administration and have lacked sophistication in the handling of newer techniques.

Task Visit a public library and study the Personnel Administration system of it. Make a
report on it.

3.1.2 Aims and Objectives of Personnel Administration

The main aims and objectives of personnel administration are to:
Utilize human resources effectively.
Establish and maintain a productive and self-respecting relationship among all the members
of the organization.
Enable each person to make his maximum personal contribution to the effective working
of the organization.

Ensure maximum individual development of the personnel.
Achieve an effective utilization of human resources (besides material resources) for the
attainment of organizational goals.

Establish and maintain an adequate organizational structure and a desirable working
relationship among all the members of the organization by dividing organizational tasks
into functions, positions job, authority and responsibility.
Generate maximum group and individual development within the organization by
offering opportunities for advancement to employees or by training and job education;
by effecting transfers or by offering retraining facilities.

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