Making the Best of the Best

Library success is a direct result of staff quality, engagement, and satisfaction. Careful selection and training of library staff and commitment to their growth are essential to staff retention, which bears directly on organizational effectiveness. Regardless of the type of library, accountability for outcomes has increased, placing greater importance on the quality of staff appointments, employee skills development, and how staff melds into a team in the work place. The cycle of employee excellence is fueled when supervisors provide challenges, opportunities, and recognition relevant to individual work styles. The authors describe the importance of effective recruitment and supervision to staff retention by discussing effective leadership characteristics, outlining the need for a supervisory commitment to ongoing employee training and motivation, and providing suggestions for building successful supervisor-employee relationships in libraries.