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Tammie Terry
Dr. Matthew Griffis
Library Management, LIS 605
September 21, 2014
From Surviving to Thriving

With our current economic conditions all types of libraries including public, private,

and academic have to find ways to cut back on spending. Utilizing budgets in new, more
creative ways is becoming a necessity in all communities. This article discussed the need
for continuous change in the areas of organization, structural and cultural areas within
libraries, especially larger libraries that specialize in research.

This article focused on the changes that the University of Arizona put in to place to

utilize funding in ways that would benefit the library best in the future. They based their
changes on five basic areas which includes:
Organizational and Cultural

Librarians and other employees work together using their best skills in more of a

team environment. Moving away from specific job titles helps library employees and
professionals work together using their best talents and abilities. At the University of
Arizona library support staff were placed in positions that managed facilities and library
services. Professionals spend most of their time working on research, as well as, training
employees. Projects that are most important for the future are the main areas where staff is
used, even if they have to be pulled from normal daily tasks. Technology is an area where
funding is spent, even if there are less employees working in an area. Encouragement is
given to people from many walks of life to work in the library. Having different ideas and

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opinions help the library move in a future forward mentality. Those employees that
continue learning and educating themselves are rewarded for their efforts.
Library Planning and Budgets

The library must follow the overall strategic plan of the school when planning the

librarys goals for the future. One very important goal is to plan for the future, rather than
for the present. Looking forward three to five years into the future will give the library a
good idea where to spend library funding. Budgeting decisions should be based on actual
data and customer needs. The actual library plan is most important, and not the budgets.
Budgets should be molded to fit the best plan for the library. Making a priority list is very
important. This helps finding the most important areas to use funding first. Have staff help
with library planning, this will help come up with diverse ideas for increasing library
funding through possibly creating revenue from other areas. This will decrease the
dependence on funding from sources such as state and local funds.
Creating Good Business Practices and Business Tools

Employees who continually strive to learn new things help improve the services

that are offered to library users. Technology is an area that helps libraries continue to
improve services that are offered. In many cases, advancements in technologies within the
library can often reduce costs of library services. Planning stages should evaluate what
library services will not be vital in three to five years in the future. Plans should be put in
place on when to abandon those services in the future. When employees are allowed to
take part in the planning stage they feel a part of the whole system. Making library patrons
more involved in their own research processes also helps the library employees. Looking at
the whole picture, rather than only looking at piece of the picture helps long term. Looking

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for businesses or other organizations outside the library for funding can also help libraries.
Library services that can be advanced in the future with little or no extra staffing are great
additions to libraries. Some staff can be more productive in different areas than where they
may be assigned. Change staff schedules and work assignments according to where the
staff can be the most productive. Look into sending some projects to outside companies.
This outsourcing can save money for the library, and can be a positive thing, even if
employees cannot be in complete control of all projects. It is better to get a service off the
ground rather than make it perfect. Staff can work on perfecting a service after it is offered
to the public.
Communication

Creating opportunities to retrieve information from inside and outside of the library

will prove to be an asset to the library as a whole. Good communication is vital for a library
to advance. In todays environment, using social media can prove to be an asset to the
library. Communication between faculty, students, and library leaders prove to be
beneficial to all involved.
Collections, Library Access and Delivery

The goal of the University of Arizona library is outlined as moving to primarily

digital libraries. They remove all duplicate print copies that are housed as digital copies.
Rather than trying to have all materials available for the patrons, they rely mainly on
patron requests. Jointly purchasing library materials with other libraries can also be a way
to save funding.

Creating a library that is based on service to patrons can be a difficult task. There

are really no easy ways to accomplish this task. Hard work and perseverance pay off in the

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end. Molding the librarys future is extremely important for the survival of the communitys
library. Employees cannot go back to the past, but can look toward the future.

In comparison, both the article From Surviving to Thriving and the book chapter

Change-The Innovative Process have many similarities. Change is an area that was
encouraged in both the article and the book chapter. When developing new services for
libraries, change can help move those services into the future. With the technological
advancements of recent years, library duties can be streamlined and changed to best utilize
staff skills and library funding.

One main similarity in both the article and book chapter was the idea that library

staff and managers embrace change and look into the future to anticipate what change
would be best for the library. The idea and implementation of change brings what seems to
be an empowerment for library professionals. Creativity in the profession allows staff to
implement change in areas that can greatly benefit everyone involved. Customer needs
must be evaluated on a continued basis, so changes can be made where needed to provide
the best services possible from the library organization.
Organization for Change

Today libraries are involved in activities outside of the actual library. Management

must divide time between library matters and outside activities such as civic and business
relationships. Trustees, friends groups, foundations, and funding groups are also a large
part of todays libraries. It is important for library managers to be teachers and mentors to
their staff. Implementing new changes takes the cooperation of everyone who is involved in
the process even if some members need to be encouraged or gently persuaded to accept
the future changes.

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Diagnose Needed Change

There are different types of change that can be found in organizations. Some change

may have positive effects and some may be more negative in nature.
Unplanned change can be a result of a problem or issue within the organization or
library that required quick changes in processes. Some examples of this type of change
could be budget cuts or disasters. This type of change is undesirable and can often be hard
to handle for the organization or library.
Planned change can be very positive for the organization and its employees.
Implementing planned changes can be done over a period of time, which gives everyone
involved time to adjust to and learn about the changes before they are implemented in the
organization. This is the most desirable form of change for everyone involved.
Resistance to Organizational Change

Although resistance to change can be difficult at times, it can also offer much needed

feedback to management. When changes fail, the failure can sometimes being attributed to
human feelings not being considered. Employees may not completely understand the
changes or may have misinformation. One factor may be the feeling of being threatened
because they feel that the current processes are best for the organization. If the change
process is slow, employees may become impatient with the implementation of the change.
Rapid changes in technology can leave workers feeling left behind with their knowledge of
the new technologies. Overall, some people just find change to be hard and may need more
encouragement to accept the new changes within the organization.

Managers in todays libraries need to focus to what future needs will be and plan

changes according to these needs. Cooperation among all levels of employees within this

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organization will help provide the best services to patrons who use those facilities. Change
can be difficult, but with planning and thoughtful implementation within the organization,
can be very beneficial to all involved including management, employees and customers.

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Works Cited

"Change the Innovative Process." Print.

Stoffle, Carla J., and Cheryl Cuillier. "From Surviving to Thriving." Journal
of Library Administration 51 (2011): 130-55. Print.