Session Number
Fourth Plenary Session
Keywords
Change Management; Leadership; Information Technology
Description
In this era of shrinking budgets and advancing technology, libraries inevitably need to change to keep up with the times. This is especially true in regards to changes in the Information Technology (IT) services provided by libraries. Some traditional services are no longer used and others must be rearranged so that the library remains a vital component of the campus. Reorganization of personnel often takes place to accommodate these changes. Organizational change may initially appear overwhelming, especially if it involves many people with strongly held opinions and beliefs about maintaining traditional library services. However, a structured process, transparency, and effective communication can assist in making the change easier and the implementation smoother. A process pulled from established literature on change management was used in a reorganization of IT personnel at the J. Willard Marriott Library at the University of Utah, which provided all three ingredients with great success. A review of successes and suggested improvements are explored.
Included in
Change Management in Libraries: An Essential Competency for Leadership
In this era of shrinking budgets and advancing technology, libraries inevitably need to change to keep up with the times. This is especially true in regards to changes in the Information Technology (IT) services provided by libraries. Some traditional services are no longer used and others must be rearranged so that the library remains a vital component of the campus. Reorganization of personnel often takes place to accommodate these changes. Organizational change may initially appear overwhelming, especially if it involves many people with strongly held opinions and beliefs about maintaining traditional library services. However, a structured process, transparency, and effective communication can assist in making the change easier and the implementation smoother. A process pulled from established literature on change management was used in a reorganization of IT personnel at the J. Willard Marriott Library at the University of Utah, which provided all three ingredients with great success. A review of successes and suggested improvements are explored.