CHANGE MANAGEMENT IN THE LIBRARY ENVIRONMENT FOR ORGANIZATIONAL RENEWAL

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

The library can be likened to a living organism that grows and dies. Ranganathan (1931) outlined the five laws of library science of which the fifth stated that, “the library is a growing organism.” This law focuses on the need for internal change. He argued that libraries must accommodate growth in staff, physical collection and patron use. This involves growth in the physical building, reading areas and services among others which calls for change as the library grows. Change is an inevitable concept in human and organizational life which cannot be overemphasized due to man’s insatiable nature as well as the dynamics of the social world. The dynamics of the social world such as the characteristics of products and services which come to bear on its ability to satisfy stated or implied user needs through improvements in technology, services and patrons demands create opportunities for change. Change is commonplace in organizations and the library cannot be exempted. Change management is any action or process taken to smoothly transition an individual or group from the current state to a future desired state of being (Varkey & Antonio, 2010). The concept of change management in libraries cannot be overemphasized as the monumental libraries of the past where materials were chained to tables have given way to the open access libraries of our time. In striving for competitive edge in the global marketplace, libraries may change strategy and processes, undergo mergers and acquisitions, restructure or downsize, or implement new technologies all of which bring about changes in organizations (Bordia, Lloyd, Restubog, Jimmieson, and Bernd, 2011). Laudon and Laudon (2005) posit that the introduction or alteration of an information system has a powerful behaviourial and organisational impact as it transforms how individuals and groups perform and interact. Organisational change may be seen differently by each organisational member. For some people, change in their organisation might present the prospect of facing new challenges, of gaining promotion and of furthering their career. For others, it might present a reduction in responsibility, a loss of status or even an enforced career break. Whatever the perception of organisational change, it means entering new territories and “playing the game by new rules’’ (Gillian, 2000). Bordia et. al, (2004) indicate that these changes have profound implications for employees as they have to cope with uncertainty and stress associated with the changing work context and increased work demands. According to Kotter (1995) employees are very vital for the successful implementation of any change program as they may resist the change initiative. Resistance to change has long been recognized as a critical factor that can influence the success or otherwise of an organisational change effort. A study by Maurer (1996) indicated that one-half to two-thirds of all major corporate change efforts fail and resistance is the “little- recognised but critical contributor” to this failure. Zaltman and Duncan (1977) define resistance as any conduct that serves to maintain the status quo in the face of pressure to alter the status quo. Schein (1988) indicates that resistance to change is an ever-present organizational phenomenon which must be overcome for the smooth implementation of change. In this study, public and private university libraries have not been exempted from the concept of change, as they have responded to changes especially within the field of technology and the provision of library services. That is, changes in technology have affected university libraries in the provision of their services thereby quickly responding to them in order to meet the demands of their clientele and to ensure their continuous existence. For instance, the ever increasing demands of patrons have led to the provision of technologies and services such as Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC), 24-hour reading rooms, research commons, institutional repositories, electronic services just to mention a few to satisfy the  needs of their clientele. The dynamic and turbulent nature of the environment in which libraries operate, coupled with the changing demands of patrons creates an atmosphere of continuous change in libraries. This change must be effectively managed in order to derive its full benefits. Varkey (2010) indicates that the inevitability of change premises that as soon as one becomes familiar with something, it is already time to enhance it. Technological advancements as well as social and financial imperatives have dramatically accelerated the speed of change in information provision and for that matter services provided in the libraries. Developing technology, the changing needs of patrons and economic pressures are among the many factors that contribute to the need for libraries and information centres to continually modify their practices. A preliminary investigation by the researchers at the Balme Library revealed that the most frequent problems that affect change implementation in academic libraries includes the absence of a highly visible leader to take ownership of such projects, a longer than planned time frame to complete the change process, major unanticipated problems and ineffective coordination of activities.