Management and the 21st Century Library

Ústav informačních studií a knihovnictvíUniverzita Karlova v Praze

Barbara B. MoranUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillSchool of Information and Library Science

With Support from the Fulbright Scholar Program13.3.06

The Library

Is one of the oldest types of institutions

Is in the midst of rapid change The changes mirror those going on in

other institutions and in society as a whole

Three Waves of Social Change

The Age of AgricultureThe Age of Agriculture

The Age of InformationThe Age of Information

The Age of IndustrializationThe Age of Industrialization

Most modern libraries are“hybrid” libraries

They must move beyond their traditional role as custodians of books and integrate new methods of storage and transmission of information into an already existing structure.

+

Modern Libraries

Link users Information

Today’s users expect more from libraries than ever before

Trends in Library Management

Strategic Planning Organizational Structures Staffing Budgets Change Management

Today’s Presentation will focus on:

The Importance of Planning

Planning Bridges the Gap Between Where We Are Now and Where We Want to Be

Futuristic Aspects of Planning Are Troublesome

Because we live in a turbulent environment it is hard to make long-term plans

Strategic Thinking provides a plan of action for resource

allocation affects performance and financial

success

Strategic thinking is an outgrowth of the open systems approach to organizations. It is now felt that you cannot successful manage an organization without paying attention to the environment.  

Set Mission,Objectives,

and Strategies

FormulateStrategies

Analyze theEnvironment

Identify Opportunitiesand Threats

Analyze Resources

IdentifyStrengths andWeaknesses

ReassessMission andObjectives

ImplementStrategies

EvaluateResults

The Strategic Management Process

Competitive Competitive IntelligenceIntelligenceCompetitive Competitive IntelligenceIntelligence

EnvironmentalEnvironmentalScanningScanning

EnvironmentalEnvironmentalScanningScanning

Analyzing the

Environment

Analyzing the

Environment

SWOTSWOTAnalysiAnalysi

ss

WeaknessesWeaknessesThreatsThreats

OpportunitiesOpportunities

StrengthsStrengths

SWOT Analysis

• Strengths: What are your advantages? What do you do well?

• Weaknesses: What could be improved? What is done badly? What should be avoided?

Opportunities Where are the good opportunities

available to you? Are there trends that look promising?

Threats What obstacles do you face? What is your competition doing?

Is changing technology threatening your position?

Identifying Opportunities

Opportunities inthe EnvironmentOpportunities inthe Environment

Organization’sResources

Organization’sResources

Organization’sOpportunities

Libraries have competitors so: They are becoming more user oriented Are “borrowing” ideas from other

organizations such as bookstores Are looking for value added

opportunities Are finding ways to market their services Trying to improve services by measures

such as benchmarking and LibQUAL

Tools for Putting Strategy into ActionEnvironment

Organization

StrategyPerformance

Leadership Persuasion Motivation

Culture/values

Structural Design Organization Chart Teams Centralization/decentralization Facilities, task design

Human Resources Recruitment/selection Transfers/promotions/training Layoffs/recalls

Source: Adapted from Jay R. Galbraith and Robert K. Kazanjian, strategy Implementation: Structure, Systems and Process, 2d ed. (St. Paul, Minn.: West, 1986), 115, Used with permission.

Information and Control Systems Pay, reward system Budget allocations Information systems Rules/procedures

What HappensAfter

StrategiesAre

Formulated?

ImplementationImplementation

EvaluationEvaluation

Contingency Planning

Attempts to plan for the unexpected

Trends in Organizational Structure

Most libraries still hierarchies but with more communication between sections

New departments to fill new responsibilities Some libraries using teams of workers New structures to reflect user orientation

Collaboration

Adaptable Duties

Fewer Rules

Informal Communication

Decentralized Decisions

Flatter Structures

Rigid Hierarchy

Fixed Duties

Many Rules

Formal Communication

Centralized Decisions

Taller Structures

New Organizational FormsNew Organizational Forms

OLD New

Team ApproachTeam Approach

Most Popular New Way to Organize

Team OrganizationTeam Organization

Advantages of Teams

Reduced barriers among departments

Quicker response time

Better morale Reduced

administrative overhead

Disadvantages of teams

Dual loyalties and conflict

Time and resources spent on meetings

Fewer opportunities for traditional career advancement

Staffing Issues Libraries are more automated than

ever before but still are labor intensive organizations

The staff is the library’s most important resource

What characteristics do new hybrid librarians need?

The New “Hybrid” Librarians Need to: Have traditional library skills

including a commitment to service Be technologically savvy Be flexible and able to cope with

changes Be able to work cooperatively Be life long learners

New trends in staffing libraries More flexible jobs

and work patterns Coping with a

diverse workforce Need for staff

development

New Ways to Structure Positions

Job sharing Flexible hours Job rotation Telecommuting Outsourcing

The Challenges of a Diverse Workforce

Need new skills in managing workers from different cultural, linguistic, and national backgrounds

Need for Staff Development

Recruitment and retention (and salaries to match skills)

All Librarians need to be life-long learners

Where can they get additional training?

Career ladders and means for progression within an organization

Budgets and Finance Budgets are almost

always too small We all seek ways

to provide better services more economically

Because most libraries are publicly funded we are accountable to the taxpayers

Cost of all typesof library materialcontinues to rise

Libraries are coping with budget shortfalls by:

Entering cooperative partnerships to cut costs

Looking for innovative ways to provide access to periodical literature

Giving up some services to implement others

Looking for champions and allies in the budgeting process and in fund raising

Cooperative agreements and consortia

TRLN NCLIVE

New approaches to scholarly publications such as

JSTOR SPARC Open Access

It is sometimes necessary to cut services to remain effective

What are you doing that doesn’t have to be done?

Cultivate Champions for Libraries

Politics of Management Create strategic alliances Cultivate sponsors and donors

Librarians as Change Managers The cycle of change is never-ending so

librarians need to accustom themselves to it

Librarians need to handle change effectively to survive and thrive in today’s environment

The future for libraries can be an exciting and challenging one for those libraries that are both able and open to change.

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