Can evidenced based research methods assist library managers in becoming better managers?

Evidenced based librarianship (EBL) has tended to focus on how effectively librarians deliver information to their clients. One area less developed, is the use by library managers of evidenced based research methods to improve their own management skills and abilities. This paper will focus on a case study, undertaken in 2005, that assesses how effective library managers believe themselves to be, compared to how they actually rate against a series of measures, using a number of objective and subjective evaluation techniques such as questionnaires, performance evaluation and 360 degree feedback. This work is based, in part, on the research of psychologists Kruger and Dunning (1999), indicating the gap that exists between people’s perceptions of their skills and their actual skill level. It is anticipated that the evidence drawn from this case study will provide a preliminary basis for identifying gaps in management education and training and form the basis for a broader study of management competency in libraries.