College and Research Libraries Editorial Creating and Managing Change: Some Controversy, Some Level-Headedness "We are being swept downstream by a torrent of change. The familiar vanishes and we have shifted into the rapids with- out really noticing them. Some people are acting as if they are still on a slow- running river; others recognize that they are surrounded by white water."- · Robert Theobald1 Many writers have said that the only con- stant in our society may be change. Fur- thermore, we are often reminded that when the only certainty is dramatic, un- predictable change, we can no longer rely on what worked in academic libraries in the past to be the best approach in the fu- ture. To extend the above perspective by Theobald, are we librarians arriving at a point where we cannot predict our course through the rapids and are beginning to see rocks appearing ahead? On the con- trary, I believe we should not perceive the transformation of academic andre- search libraries through the eyes of an alarmist! Unquestionably, the rate of change is occurring faster today than ever before in the history of academic libraries. The academic library was begun in a much simpler time, a time when most knowl- edge was printed in books and the cre- ation of new knowledge was less over- whelming. Today, the academic library must strive for greater relevance on its campus and take its responsibility for in- formation dissemination more seriously. Technology: A Powerful Lever for Change It is difficult to quibble with the observa- tion that technology has improved the 402 human condition in general and, specifically, the effective- ness of libraries. Technology has signifi- cantly improved the performance of li- braries! It has played a greater role in creating and implementing change in li- braries than in any other dimension of our volatile culture. One of the obvious ben- efits derived from modern technology is the improvement in users' information acce.ss. Owing to sophisticated technol- ogy, users can now access intellectual re- sources held in various libraries through- out . the world. Greater user self- sufficiency is certainly a dividend real- ized from library technology. Technology has made it possible for academic librar- ians to become a much greater "integral" part of the academic enterprise. Value- added components derived from new technology are undoubtedly enabling the library to become the centerpiece of the campus. At the same time libraries are becom- ing more accountable in their responsi- bility to disseminate information. Long- standing values are being revisited and reconsidered where necessary. New jobs are being created and long-existing jobs are being evaluated and sometimes dis- solved. Technology is enabling us to break out of old thought patterns and develop a whole new way of thinking andre- sponding. The worldwide networked inter- change perpetuated by an emerging glo- bal information infrastructure will ini- tially have a subtle impact on smaller aca- demic libraries but will eventually result in a huge influence on all academic librar- ies. The internationalization of scholar- ship will call for new approaches in col- lection development, different staffing patterns, and new collaborative endeav- ors. Creating and sharing digitized col- lections will significantly enhance the scholarly communication process. All of these changes are bringing new chal- lenges and opportunities for creating and delivering better library services. Discontinuous Change Change is different now than it was in the past; for example, change is discon- tinuous and not part of a pattern. This new characteristic of change makes the librarian's planning process much more trying. However, the word "change" des- ignates one of the most conspicuous and pervasive features of our sensory and in- trospective experiences-only the related feature of plurality is equally so. Due to the complexities of change, we are wit- nessing more efforts toward libraries be- coming "learning organizations." A bona fide learning organization is one that learns and wants its people to learn. With unlimited opportunities for change, the library must continually expand its capac- ity to create its own future. Upside-Down Thinking Libraries have a tendency to change gradually and prudently. Academic li- brarians have not been encouraged to take significant risks for several reasons, including limited financial resources. Change, for its own sake, has been viewed as leading only to a type of dysfunctionalism in libraries that reduces their effectiveness or equilibrium. Since more discontinuous change is being en- couraged, should not more emphasis be placed on upside-down thinking? This type of thinking would include looking at library practices and issues from back to front, inside-out, or upside-down. Such thinking would stimulate our imagina- tions or spur our creativity. Some libraries have already deviated from the normal way of doing things. For Editorial 403 example, libraries have been outsourcing some of their activities (e.g., technical ser- vices), more of the acquisitions' budget is being used for site licenses and elec- tronic formats, and some libraries are em- ploying more part-time staff. We can in- dulge in some upside-down thinking by asking questions such as: Will the aca- demic library become less "place centric" but more "user centric"? How soon will libraries permit more of their staff to work (telecommute) from their homes? How soon can we expect a larger mix of infor- mation technologists and librarians? When will we finally come to our senses and determine a library's worth and ef- fectiveness on factors other than the size of its inventory and the capacity to iden- tify items within it? In these uncertain times we should not be modifying or re- cycling all of the conventional wisdom that worked in a bygone era. Moving from Passive to Aggressive When traditions solidify, vitality dimin- ishes and creativity fades. Today's effec- tive library must embrace creativity, in- novation, and entrepreneurship. And it must provide an environment that en- courages and supports risk taking! In the viable library, there is our inherent re- sponsibility to calculate strategies appro- priate to existing and anticipated exter- nal and internal factors. Libraries· cannot remain predominantly passive institu- tions. Those of us who work in libraries should step up to our responsibility in improving their effectiveness. We should recognize that technology can be a domi- nant driving force of change. Via technol- ogy, we have the opportunity to recon- struct library services that will be more resourceful for current and future users. Notwithstanding the discomfort, anxiety, and stress brought forth by change, librar- ies are expected to continue refinement and improvement. Radical changes in li- braries are becoming more the norm than the uncommon. The preparation, timing, and strategies associated with making 404 College & Research Libraries changes are paramount. Thus, it is fitting ·-to end this discussion with a surfing metaphor: "the time to change is when you don't have to; when you're on the crest of the wave, not when you're in the trough." 2 DONALD E. RIGGS September 1996 Notes 1. Robert Theobald, The Rapids of Change: Social Entrepreneurship in Turbulent Times (In- dianapolis: Knowledge Systems, 1987), 11. 2. Robert J. Kriegel and Louis Patler, If It Ain't Broke . .. Break It! 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