The policy/procedure manualpart I: making and abiding by good policies

Purpose – This article's purpose is to show the importance of making and sticking to well‐made policies and how to make them. Design/methodology/approach – The article starts with the importance of good policies and procedures, differentiates between the two and then lays out points on how to make and abide by good policies. Findings – The findings are that making and abiding by good policies reflects the library leader's management style and the values of the institution and they are necessary for any organization to be effective in carrying out its mission. Practical implications – Libraries need to have and abide consistently by good policies in order to function properly. Social implications – Libraries need to have and abide consistently by good policies in order to truly benefit their constituents. Originality/value – The value of the article is in learning how to firmly establish a basic aspect of good library management that will help the library director make sound management decisions in diverse situations.