Designing a Library for the Future: A Case Study on Reorganization Laurie L. Thompson The University...

Designing a Library for the Future:

A Case Study on Reorganization

Laurie L. Thompson

The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

ICML9September 20-23, 2005

Laurie L. ThompsonUT Southwestern Medical Center Library

Dallas, Texas, USA

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Outline• Problems facing the library prior to

reorganization

• How did we address these problems?

• Data collection and evaluation

• Unexpected findings

• Outcomes

• Lessons Learned

• Assessment



Dallas, Texas, USA

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Problems We Were Facing

• Too oriented toward print

• Too many dysfunctional teams

• Too fragmented

• Too little money



Dallas, Texas, USA

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Preconceptions

• Reduce number of teams

• Shift some personnel within existing unit structure



Dallas, Texas, USA

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How Did We Address These Issues?

• Organizational Efficacy Task Force

• Detailed timeline/methodology

• Keep private information private



Dallas, Texas, USA

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Data Collection and Evaluation

• Unit charges

• Team responsibilities

• Individual job inventories

• Unit managers’ analyses

• AAHSL statistics

• Environmental scan

• Literature review



Dallas, Texas, USA

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Findings

• Tasks needing additional personnel

• Obvious/immediate changes

• Debatable changes requiring additional information

• Talking points for individual managers and staff

• New or modified charges for units

• Global issues



Dallas, Texas, USA

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Outcomes

• Fewer teams• Consolidation of digital collection

activities• New units• Regions and regional meetings• Council to monitor and recommend

further changes

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DirectorAssociate Director

InformationDesk

Campus OutreachReference &

Education

InterlibraryLoan

Special ProjectsLibrarian

Digital Infrastructure

R & D

Acquisitions& Licensing

Digital Access

Print ResourceMgt &

Optimization

Library Administration

Information Systems

DirectorAssoc Director

1 exempt 1 non-exempt

Regional Facilitators

University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas Library

Contact Region Collections Region Support Region

Organizational Efficacy Council


Teams & Task Forces

Info Resources Development

Corporate Communications

Technical Liaisons

Task Forces

8/21/03

10


InformationDesk


Education

InterlibraryLoan



R & D


Digital Access

Print ResourceMgt &

Optimization


Information Systems








Teams & Task Forces



Technical Liaisons

Task Forces

8/21/03

11


InformationDesk


Education

InterlibraryLoan



R & D


Digital Access

Print ResourceMgt &

Optimization


Information Systems








Teams & Task Forces



Technical Liaisons

Task Forces

8/21/03

12


InformationDesk


Education

InterlibraryLoan



R & D


Digital Access

Print ResourceMgt &

Optimization


Information Systems








Teams & Task Forces



Technical Liaisons

Task Forces

8/21/03

13


InformationDesk


Education

InterlibraryLoan



R & D


Digital Access

Print ResourceMgt &

Optimization


Information Systems





Contact Region Collections Region

Support Region



Teams & Task Forces



Technical Liaisons

Task Forces

8/21/03

14


InformationDesk


Education

InterlibraryLoan



R & D


Digital Access

Print ResourceMgt &

Optimization


Information Systems


1 faculty1 staff






Teams & Task Forces



Technical Liaisons

Task Forces

8/21/03



Dallas, Texas, USA

15

Guiding Principles

• Create a clear goal for the project at the outset– Have the right people in the right number of jobs

(allocated to the right tasks) to best support our current environment and the Library’s stated vision for the future.

• Develop a unifying vision statement and use it to lead the change

• Priority ONE



Dallas, Texas, USA

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Guiding Principles

• Assemble a guiding coalition to manage the project

• Choose members based on needed skills– varied experience– analytical skills– consensus-building abilities– capacity to approach problems with a global

perspective



Dallas, Texas, USA

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Guiding Principles

• Communicate, communicate, and communicate again– Share detailed methodology– Invite input and suggestions from all staff– Involve Human Resources department– Avoid public surprises



Dallas, Texas, USA

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Guiding Principles

• Incorporate transition planning• Outcomes assessment• Not all problems can be solved with

reorganization– Additional efforts to address other issues

revealed

• Expect the unexpected and be flexible



Dallas, Texas, USA

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Year 1 Assessment

• Staff survey– What’s going well? What’s working?– What is not going well? What’s not working? – What would you like to be different and how would

you change it?– Does your unit have the right number of people

doing the right tasks to accomplish the charge of the unit (rate from 1 [poor] to 4 [excellent])?



Dallas, Texas, USA

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Findings

• Widespread satisfaction

• Some misalignments still existed

• Cataloging operations



Dallas, Texas, USA

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Year 1 Adjustments

• Departments remained the same

• Shifted cataloging operations

• Realigned staff in 3 departments– ILL– Information Desk– Information Systems



Dallas, Texas, USA

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Where are We Today?

• Year 2

• OEC successful

• Assessment valuable

• Continued satisfaction with new organization

Designing a Library for the Future

Laurie Thompson, [email protected]://www4.utsouthwestern.edu/library/

Higa ML, Bunnett B, Maina B, Perkins J, Ramos T, Thompson L, et al. Redesigning a library’s organizational structure. Coll Res Lib. 2005;66(1):41-58.

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