Organizing for change - 1

Barbie E. KeiserUniversity of Vilnius LibraryMay 2007

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Today’s presentation will…

• Outline the driving forces behind the changes

• Develop a probable scenario of the future role of an information professional

• Identify an action plan for success, together with a recommended organizational approach

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Organizational structure for the academic library

• Will today’s organization meet the needs of the academic library in the 21st century?

• How do we determine what those needs might be?

• How do we prepare for the unknown?

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Your environment is changing• What impact does your library

have?• Can you prove your worth?• Is your influence increasing or

decreasing?

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Change

• Change yields opportunity• Perception of the library/the librarian

– Capabilities– Responsibilities

• Organizations/individuals begin to recognize the value of information– Information explosion– High cost of information– Role for the information

professional/information manager

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Objectives of an information system• Provide timely information• Integrate the information• Be concise• Provide information in the most

useful format• Provide information cost-effectively• Provide relevant information

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Why consider change?

• What is not working now?• What is within our power to

change?• How might that change be

accomplished?

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Identifying trends

• Technology • Competitive business environment• Management of organizations• Economics• Social issues/lifestyles• Information: management and

technology• Librarianship: the way we operate

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Changing world of information• Past• Departmentalized• Redundant• Limited access• “Free”• Manual

• Present/Future

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Their impact on libraries

• How can we deal (more) effectively with each of these changes?

• How can we help ourselves/our colleagues feel (more) comfortable operating within an increasingly technologically-advanced setting?

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Libraries and librarians: The old view• Responsive in nature• Requests come in writing or by telephone• People had no idea where data originated• A trial-and-error process• Information was deemed “free”• Value and worth of information never

addressed• A concept of “no competition”

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A different game today

• Technology is changing the world around us

• Global economy is increasing competition

• Organizations are re-structuring• New marketing techniques are

developing• Price competition forcing businesses to

cut costs

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The “new” information professional…• Expands activities beyond four walls• Accepts new roles as facilitator, educator, and

consultant• Increases visibility of operations, products,

services, and staff• Targets strategically important user groups• Uses accepted business techniques to justify

value and worth• Reinforces the value of information to all• Takes advantage of advances in information

technologies

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The “new” information professional… (con’t)• Cooperates with suppliers and competitors

to promote information and technology use• Recognizes competition and develops

techniques to deal with it• Anticipates requests for information• Develops products and services that are

unique and identifiable• Acts as a catalyst to broaden the vision of

others

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Expand your horizons

• Recognize the changing environment

• Realize the significance of these changes

• Reposition your library strategically

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How do we get there?

• Acknowledge the changes that have occurred

• Utilize changes to expand your role• Alter the perception of the librarian

by becoming a better business manager

• Market your skills and your library

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New responsibilities accompany new roles• Move from library to information to

knowledge management • Shift from managing information within a

library to facilitating access to information no matter where that information resides

• Deal ethically with information• Assure preservation of information/

information resources independent of media

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Portrait of the new librarian• Expands activities beyond the library’s four

walls• Anticipates requests for information• Supplies more analytical and strategic

information• Reinforces the value of information • Develops products that are unique and

identifiable• Recognizes competition and develops

strategies to deal with it– Works with publishers and vendors to

promote information use

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Portrait of the new librarian (con’t)• Accepts new roles of educator and consultant• Takes advantage of advances in information

technologies• Uses accepted business techniques to justify value

and worth• Acts as a catalyst to broaden the vision of others• Increases visibility of the library by participating in

university activities• Targets specific groups and develops services that

appeal to each group• Uses new technology to introduce profit-making

services

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How do we get from where we are to where we want to be?• Planning• Communication• Involvement• Education/training

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What might hold us back?

• Preconceived notions as to what the library can offer

• Communication of our role to others

• Existing structure/organization• Human resources• Economic realities

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What you will learn

• How to assess and understand the needs of your market

• How to identify your strengths and weaknesses

• How to identify opportunities that exist

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Consider alternative structures• Centralization vs. decentralization• Departmental vs. team approach• Partnerships with users; strategic

alliances with information producers/ providers

• Options for outsourcing (and other possibilities)

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New technologies enable new structures• Collection

development• Acquisitions• Cataloguing• Reference• Circulation• Inter-library loans

• Consortia• Internet• Digital libraries• Copyright issues• Transparency of

location

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Old vs. new structure

• Old• Internal focus• Departmental• Specialization• Restricted access

to information• ?

• New• External focus• Team/project-

oriented• Cross-functional

training• Open systems• ?

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Where are the opportunities for the University of Vilnius’ library?