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Managing

In Academic LibrariesBy Amos Gichuki

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Recent advancements in education have really

challenged the library and redefined the career of librarians to meet the

challenges of the changing environment.

3Troll (2002) ‘”these changes are evolutionary” systematic and visible. Old is gone new has come.

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Modern ICT especially computers, information networks & software applications, are making it possible for libraries to provide a variety of library and information services to their clients.

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Web 2.0 enables Millennial librarians to improve their lives through blogging about their favorite hobbies, updating public wikis, RSS feeds & keeping in touch with friends & family on social networks (Blackburn: 2011)

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CAS using new technology like emails, social networks like facebook and twitter. OPAC enabling users access to library at the comfort of their offices and home.

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Cloud computing for libraries that either do not have an adequate ICT infrastructure or simply do not want to maintain their own system, to use the system

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Online reference and instruction, desktop document delivery, self-checkout, and user initiated library loan and direct borrowing (Troll,2002)

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Access electronic databases offering thousands of digitized journals and e-books which are up to date, multiple accesses in various formats.

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New technologies that provide online reference & instruction, desktop document delivery, self-checkout, and user initiated library loan and direct borrowing

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Failure to change will lead to our redundancy as others progress

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How do I handle transition

14a) Research

driven change: Libraries need data that illuminate not only how, but also why they are changing to win or bolster support for the changing directions of academic libraries (Blackburn, 2011)

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A survey is ideal for providing data at the beginning of a change effort tracking change over time and evaluating the impact of the effort (Kirkpatrick, 1994).

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Consult, visit and ask other librarians and libraries to get information

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b)Staff Involvement90% of change initiatives that fail do so because human factors are not taken adequately into account. (Morgan, 2001)

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Any changes are likely to be painful without the co-operation & good will of the staff. Their ownership is crucial to gain commitment & overcome any apprehensions (Morgan, 2001)

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c)Training & retraining

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Short computer training and retraining programs should be organized from time to time to assist librarians or library staff who do not have the wherewithal to update their knowledge and computer skills

21electronic information

delivery, public relation, email, internet, so that the unskilled library professional can handle information efficiently (Siddike, Munshi & Sayeed: 2011).

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Collaboration

23Libraries need to develop

close working relationships with computing, academic & administrative staff, & achieve active involvement of all customers with more systematic evaluation & feedback mechanisms (Corrall; ,1995).

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