Women, Weight And Eating Disorders A Socio-Cultural And Political-Economic Analysis

This Article Discusses The Nature and function of various political processes which affect resource allocation to libraries and explores how to analyze these processes accurately. It discusses the marketing of library "products" through supplementing traditional measures of input and output with considerations of impact and by seeking to adapt and express library products in terms of the cognitive universes of decision makers. Finally, the article offers a selection of practical strategies intended to assist the individual librarian to maximize the probability of success in political processes.

Herbert Grover, Wisconsin's State Superintendent of Public Instruction from 1981 to 1993, frequently opened his speeches to library groups by stating that, although many consider politics to be a "dirty" game, it is nevertheless one of the primary means by which scarce resources are divided up in our society. He would further note that, although it is entirely a matter of personal choice whether or not to participate in political processes, those who choose to stand aloof should also be prepared to do without the resources that these processes make available (Grover in a speech delivered to the State Superintendent's Conference for Public Librarians and Trustees, May 1989). As a former state legislator and the head of a state agency, Grover most of often used the phrase "political process" to mean the way in which funds at the state level are allocated for library services. But, in fact, his words apply equally well to almost any library situation. Whether a library is governed by a municipality, a district school superintendent, a board of regents, or a corporate department head, the resources received to conduct operations are determined by political processes. It is the purpose of this article to provide a brief overview concerning just how to utilize these processes effectively.

...