Personnel costs and patterns in libraries

PERSONNEL COST PROJECTIONS are becoming a key component in overall library planning. Strategic plans and the results of a process of defining visions and values provide critical guides to where and how personnel should be allocated. The article also examines factors such as accountability, new programmatic initiatives, and client-centered approaches in terms of examining personnel costs. A review of studies related to personnel costs and allocation reveals the need for predictive cost models in this area. In general, personnel allocation must be done not from formulas but based on programmatic priorities determined through careful planning.