Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Abstract
“There is an assumption that the public library is predominantly an urban institution, and while that depends on how the words ‘urban' and ‘rural' are defined” (Sager, p. 5), the statistics reveal that the majority of public libraries tend to exist in towns or population centers of under 25,000 (Vavrek, May 1983, p. 966). Whether or not one agrees with the projection that “…most public libraries, even the smallest, will be led by professional managers” (Kirwin, p. 7), the library and information science profession needs to increase its knowledge about those among its ranks who manage the majority of the nation's public libraries. One of the major problems facing rural public libraries is the recruitment and retention of directors. However, a major barrier to the tracking of trends in the management of rural library and information services is the paucity of data. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to provide a review of literature and research that can relate in some way to the recruitment and retention of public library directors.