case study

State the main problem and any sub-problems. Describe at least three possible ways that one could respond, write a 3 page paper

How Do You Manage? Case Study: Seal of Disapproval

By Michael Rogers

“

Did you see this nonsense?” Virginia Conway asked fellow librarian Lois Brody.

“What, Ginny?” said Brody. The two women are among the staff of the medium-sized

Walker Public Library.

“This new directive from on high,” Conway said, pointing to an item in the local

newspaper. “After that huckleberry in the comptroller’s office sent a letter to the papers

about that project, now there’s a thing in the paper saying the city decided that no

municipal employees—that would be us—are allowed to submit anything for publication

without their supervisor’s approval.”

“I’m definitely bringing this up at the next meeting,” said Conway.

Good to her word, Conway waited until Director Joe Tagliani opened up the meeting to

staff concerns.

“Anyone have anything they want to bring up?” he said, smiling broadly.

“I do,” said Conway. “Following last week’s flap over a member of the comptroller’s

office apparently providing the local press with some information the office considered

sensitive, the paper says that city employees acting in a capacity related to their job are

not allowed to provide information for publication to outside sources without their

supervisor’s approval. Is that true?”

“That’s what I’ve heard,” Tagliani said. “This thing apparently caused quite a stink, and

the city is clamping down hard.”

“Does this limit our talking to the press and those people, or does it mean that anything

we say as librarians has to go through channels before being released?”

“I’m afraid so,” the director said.

“Come on, Joe, that’s ridiculous,” said Maureen Hanlon, beating Conway to the punch.

“Wait a second,” said Conway, not to be outdone. “You know a bunch of us review for

the library press. Are you saying that my one-paragraph book reviews, which put my

expertise to private use and have nothing to do with this library, must be vetted by my

supervisor before I can submit them just because the name of this library appears along

with my own in the byline?”

“Again, I’m afraid so,” Tagliani said. His smile had fled for parts unknown.

“Isn’t that a violation of my Constitutional rights?”

“I’m a librarian, Ginny, not a lawyer,” said Tagliani, “so I couldn’t address that.”

“And what if the supervisor doesn’t approve of what you submit?” barked Hanlon,

rejoining the fray. “Is my supervisor suddenly an editor who has the right skills to cut or

rewrite my stuff? The people at

LJ

are bad enough.”

“I don’t like it any better than you do,” Tagliani said, putting up his hands defensively. “I

write for publication, give speeches, and sit on panels at conferences as much as

anyone here. My material is going to have to be approved, too.”

“Didn’t mean to gang up on you, Joe,” Conway said apologetically, “but this is

infuriating. Speaking to the press on the library’s behalf or making a speech to some

group is one thing, but writing an article or even a brief book review for professional

journals is something else.”

“It’s okay, Ginny,” said Tagliani. “I’m glad you brought this up, because you’re reacting

the same way I did when I heard it. Let’s put our heads together and come up with a

battle plan for fighting back. I think this is absurd and agree it might not even be legal.