Radical Transformation in Traditional Organizations

Radical Transformation in

Traditional Organizations;

or,

Power Leveling and Avoiding “The Wipe”

Jeffrey TrzeciakUniversity Librarian McMaster University

My Introduction• Relatively new to McMaster• 20+ years experience• Public/academic libraries • Grant initiatives involving

archives, museums and others• Systems background• Last position: Wayne State

University, Detroit

Member: Gamer Generation• Level 70• Tauren (Horde Faction)• Hunter Class• Currently Level 70 and

enjoying the Burning Crusade

• Born: 20-Sep-2006– Jeffrey Temin

July 2006• University Librarian at

McMaster University– Top 100 Universities

worldwide– Canada’s most research

intensive– Recognized as “Canada’s

most innovative”– Problem-based learning

Notable alumni

Dave Thomas Martin Short Eugene Levy Ivan Reitman

Why did I choose to come to Canada?

McMaster University Library Context

McMaster University LibraryChallenges• Library in state of decline

– 1991: Ranked 86th among Association of ResarchLibraries

– 2006: Ranked 109th

Significant Challenges

• Lowest funded research library in Canada• Lowest # of librarians in ARL• Lowest #FTE in ARL• Unionized environment• Length of service• App. 40% staff in “back office”• 10-15% of staff on LTD• Biggest challenge: campus perception

McMaster: Organization in transition• 8 weeks after I started: Provost stepped

down• University: “discovered” $20m structural

deficit• Freeze vacancies• Across the board cuts• Significant changes at VP and Dean levels

In spite of the challenges…• Acquisitions

– Nearly $700,000 base budget increase– $600,000 one-time funding– Increased funding from indirect costs

18 Months later...

In spite of challenges…• Created 7 new librarian positions

– Gaming Librarian– Marketing/Communications/Outreach– Teaching and Learning– Digital strategist– Digital technologist– E-resources– Archivist/Librarian

• Two new positions on the way– Data/GIS Librarian– Scholarly Communications Librarian

• Inherited Classroom Audio Visual Services– Staff of 10– Budget of $1m– Responsible for all classroom technologies

• Opportunity to integrate instructional technologies, academic resources, and support services

In spite of challenges

Campus Leadership• Lead, $6m Innovative Learning campaign

item• Co-chair, Task Force on Teaching and

Learning• Chair, Burlington campus learning space

design committee• iSci, honours research science

Campus News

Local News

National News (CBC, G&M)

National Television (Canada AM)

Last December: PR hat trick

University Affairs The SpecG&M

Recipient:2008 ACRL

Excellence in Academic Libraries

Award

How did we get here?

“The Change Agent’s Handbook”

TheChangeAgent’sHandbookA Survival Guide for Quality Improvement

ChampionsDavid W. Hutton

TheChangeAgent’sHandbookA Survival Guide for Quality Improvement

ChampionsDavid W. Hutton

1. Clarify the mission, vision, and reasons for change

TheChangeAgent’sHandbookA Survival Guide for Quality Improvement ChampionsDavid W. Hutton

TheChangeAgent’sHandbookA Survival Guide for Quality Improvement ChampionsDavid W. Hutton

A new message, bold vision, get attention

Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric.

Problem: Institutional Perception

2006: Banner Year

Educational uses: Horizon Report• “reason students

log on”• “may represent a

key way to increase student access to and participation in course activities”

New VisionMcMaster University Library will be recognized as Canada's most innovative, user-centred, academic library.

Captured attention of the President

• Board of Governors• First presentation by

a University Librarian to the Board

2. Establish the roles, responsibilities, and structure to support change

TheChangeAgent’sHandbookA Survival Guide for Quality Improvement ChampionsDavid W. Hutton

TheChangeAgent’sHandbookA Survival Guide for Quality Improvement ChampionsDavid W. Hutton

Transformation Team

Transforming our organization• Stopped doing what we didn’t need to do• Eliminated copy cataloging as a function

– 8 voluntary separation packages;– 6 months pay– $300,000 salary savings

• 9 new positions created– 7 new librarians

• New positions=new functions

Reassignments• Metatadata librarian• User Experience Librarian• Director of Liaison Program• Director of Assessment• Development officer• Clerical support:

– Digitization– maps– e-reserves– tiered reference

Seven new librarians in one year• Digital Strategies Librarian (Nick Ruest)• Digital Technologies Librarian (John Fink)• Teaching and Learning Librarian (Karen Nicholson)• Marketing, Outreach, Communications Librarian

(Catherine Baird)• Immersive Learning/Gaming Librarian (Shawn

McCann)• E-Resources Librarian (Janice Adlington)• Archivist Librarian (Rick Stapleton)

3. Develop the required leadership team capability

TheChangeAgent’sHandbookA Survival Guide for Quality Improvement ChampionsDavid W. Hutton

TheChangeAgent’sHandbookA Survival Guide for Quality Improvement ChampionsDavid W. Hutton

Informed ourselves: guest speakers• Faculty: Dr. Brian Detlor (Business), Dr. Claude

Eilers (Classics) and Dr. Geoffrey Rockewell(Multimedia)

• Mike Ridley (Guelph)• Perry Willett (UofM)• Alane Wilson (OCLC)• Michael Stephens (tametheweb)• Joan Lippincott (CNI), • John Shank (blendedlibrarian.org)

Retraining: Learning 2.0 @ Mac

http://macetg.wordpress.com/about-learning-20-mac/

4. Determine the key strategies for achieving the change

TheChangeAgent’sHandbookA Survival Guide for Quality Improvement ChampionsDavid W. Hutton

TheChangeAgent’sHandbookA Survival Guide for Quality Improvement ChampionsDavid W. Hutton

Transformation: Four themes• Transforming ourselves• Transforming our resources• Transforming our services• Transforming our facilities

Needed to capture the attention of the campus community.

5. Develop implementation plans Implement and monitor progress

*innovative, user-centered

TheChangeAgent’sHandbookA Survival Guide for Quality Improvement ChampionsDavid W. Hutton

TheChangeAgent’sHandbookA Survival Guide for Quality Improvement ChampionsDavid W. Hutton

First in Canada: Endeca

First academic library as “Amazon Associate”

First in Canada: Digital Commons

First to provide reference service in Second Life

“Availability of the infrastructure is not enough - we need the people who connect resources to problems. That's what librarians can do - they can help instructors think about how they can use the different resources and they can help us implement meaningful pedagogical activities using the information resources and infrastructure at hand. This is really not that different from having lots of books on the shelves - we still need librarians to help us use those resources imaginatively. “

First in Canada: Kirtas and Lulu

Drupal: Peace and War• Open source content

management• Open content• Digitize materials from 20th

century peace and ward• July launch:

– 600 WWI maps– 600 WWI aerial photos– 600 WWII posters– 120,000+ Russell letters– Much, much more

First ARL to go Evergreen ?• “Conifer”• Open source

ILS• Partnership

with Windsor and Laurentian

Our Facilities Learning Commons @ Mills and Thode

-Grid computing

-Visualization

-RFID

-Augmented reality?

6. Determine causes ofunder- and over-performance

TheChangeAgent’sHandbookA Survival Guide for Quality Improvement ChampionsDavid W. Hutton

TheChangeAgent’sHandbookA Survival Guide for Quality Improvement ChampionsDavid W. Hutton

7. Assess the current situation

TheChangeAgent’sHandbookA Survival Guide for Quality Improvement ChampionsDavid W. Hutton

TheChangeAgent’sHandbookA Survival Guide for Quality Improvement ChampionsDavid W. Hutton

Assessment• LibQUAL• SAILS

• Still a work “in progress”• Annual reviews

– UPC– Budget

• This year: Thode Science and Engineering Library staffing model review

• Staff vacancies: no “status quo”• Assessment plan: this year

8. Celebrate, reflect, document

TheChangeAgent’sHandbookA Survival Guide for Quality Improvement ChampionsDavid W. Hutton

TheChangeAgent’sHandbookA Survival Guide for Quality Improvement ChampionsDavid W. Hutton

ACRL Award• Recipient 2008 ACRL Excellence in

Academic Libraries Award• Sponsored by Blackwell Book

Services• Previous recipients include:

• Cornell• Virginia• Arizona• Georgia Institute of Technology• Others

Last but not least…..

9. Apply learningThe

ChangeAgent’sHandbookA Survival Guide for Quality Improvement ChampionsDavid W. Hutton

TheChangeAgent’sHandbookA Survival Guide for Quality Improvement ChampionsDavid W. Hutton

My own lesson:

Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric.

Note of caution

Tell all the Truth but tell it slant---Success in Circuit liesToo bright for our infirm DelightThe Truth's superb surprise

As Lightening to the Children easedWith explanation kindThe Truth must dazzle graduallyOr every man be blind---

Emily Dickinson

Questions?Jeffrey Trzeciak

University Librarian

McMaster University

Mills Memorial Library

905-525-9140

trzecia@mcmaster.ca