Developing a Team Management Structure in a Public Library

While much of the development of learning organizations within libraries has taken place in large academic institutions, Peter Senge’s theoretical concepts are just as valuable in public libraries, even comparatively small rural libraries. Utilizing the University of Arizona Library as a case study, a prototype of an organizational structure based on teams has been developed for the Teton County Library in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. This article includes a blueprint for a nonhierarchical, circular team management structure and describes the function, relationship, authority, and accountability of the library’s teams, as well as a vision for leadership. It also provides a model of teamwork incorporating Senge’s five disciplines into a single process that facilitates organizational learning.