ABSTRACT
It has been suggested that in the nonprofit world of the library, there is no visible bottom line. That is, there is no one number, no percentage of revenue increase the director and his team must meet, no projected profit margin that must be exceeded from the previous year that impacts upon the success or failure of the operation. Also, it has been argued that because there is no bottom line, the currency with which the library staff works is much different. Because it appears not to be a cash bottom line, the employee must work in an environment emphasizing favor, rather than corporate profits, to achieve success or receive the gift of promotion. Who one is close to, who one can grant favors or from whom they can be withheld often dictates whether library employees are appreciated in their own environment. Whether an employee has success in suggesting programs that increase the funding stream of the library has little impact on whether the organization survives, so suggestions that would actually make money for the library are often dismissed out of hand. Well, that was the past.
