1. Library Transformation Plan:
applying organizational change theories
Sonia Dávila Cosme, MLS

2. Understanding
organizational change
• Mohrman (1989)define large scale
organizational change as “a lasting
change in the character of an
organization that significantly alters it
performance”(p.2).

3. Possible effects of
change
• Reformation of the organizational
structure.
• Peoples interaction in the
organizational structure.
• Resistance or attitude towards
change.

4. What is transformational
change?
• Anderson and Ackerman (2001) explains that during a
process of transformation organizations convert and
renovate significantly. This process “requires a shift of
culture, behavior, and mindset to implement successfully
and sustain over time” (p. 39).

5. Transforming the
library through change
• Library transformation responds to
our principal stakeholder , which are
students. Who are they? What are
their needs? Do we need to change
in order to satisfy their
requirements?

6. Millenials, who are they?
 According to DeBard (2004) Millennials are the most
diverse generation in the history of higher education,
and also the biggest, “seventy –six and ninety million
depending on immigration trends and the relative wealth
of their parents, Millennials have been made to feel
important by those, including colleges and universities,
who would sell them a product or service” (p. 35).

7. Problems Background
 According to Oakleaf and VanScoy
(2010) most higher education
institutions consider student learning
a keystone of their institutional
mission. Consequently, many
academic libraries focus their
missions on student learning.
 According to research, students who
regularly use the library are more
successful academically that the ones
who do not use it (De Jagger, 1997;
Oakleaf & VanScoy, 2010).

8. Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary
Skills (SCANS)
Figure 1. Skills and competencies identified by the Secretary’s Commission of Achieving Necessary Skills of the U.S.
Department of Labor (1991, p.iii).

9. What is a learning
commons?
A learning commons is defined as:
“…a dynamic, collaborative environment on
campus, often physically in the library that
provides assistance to students with information
and research needs. It combines individual and
group study space, in-depth reference service, and
instruction from a variety of sources, including
librarians and information technology staff. Some
of its key concerns are learning, writing,
technology use, and research. Its main purpose is
to make student learning easier and more
successful” (York University, n. d.).

10. Rationale of the plan
 The justification of this plan is to
develop a project that will transform and
adapt the learning spaces and services of
the library; based on the characteristics
of Millennials and the competencies that
they need for a solid job performance in
the 21st century.

11. How to implement the
proposed changes
 To better serve Millennials, library
leaders have to transform the old
paradigm of service, moving their
employee’s to change their previous
conceptions about what service is.

12. The Strategic Plan
• Hendrickson (1991) presents that “strategic planning offers the
best opportunity for library managers to create an effective
future for the library organization” (p. 37). Strategic plans are
great to use because administrators set in them the strategies
the organization should use to make changes.

13. The Strategic Plan
To create a strategic and an operational plan that addresses the problem of
Millennials in libraries, we as administrators must consider the following
steps:
1. Indentify the informational needs of millennial library users through
surveys, focal groups, interviews, statistics, etc.
2. Analyze and compare results of user studies and identify the informational
needs of users and its implications to library services.
3. Establish strategic directions and measurable objectives based on the
informational needs of Millennials.
4. Design and create a strategic plan to implement changes.

14. The Strategic Plan
5. Present to employees the informational needs of
Millennials and discuss the necessity to move
towards a new model of service.
6. Present to employees the strategic plan and make
the necessary modifications based on the
discussions employees have towards the problem
and the proposed changes.
7. Develop an operational plan
8. Implement the plan and evaluate results.
9. Assess results and make the necessary changes.

15. Strategic line #1- Physical facilities and technological
infrastructure
Goal- Remodel library spaces in order to consider the
characteristics and learning preferences of Millennials.
Responsibilities KPIs Timeline Assessment tools
1. Create and 1. Increase 1. 2010-2011  Satisfaction
Develop a available 2. 2010-2011 surveys
learning spaces per  Analysis of
commons square 3. 2011
Library
2. Strengthen footage Statistics
the 2. Increase  Collect and
technological bandwidth. analyze
infrastructure 3. Rates of technology
3. Implement visitors and usage
the learning usage
commons. statistics

16. Strategic line #2- Staff and organizational structure
Goal- Improve and adapt the organizational structure in order to
meet the technological changes and needs of users.
Responsibilities KPIs Timeline Assessment tools
1. Propose a new 1. Organizational 1. 2011  Organizational
organizational chart approval surveys
2. 2010-2011
structure for the
2. % employees  Users satisfaction
library. 3. 2010-2012
meeting studies
2. Initiate a continuing
 Pre and post tests
professional education
development
3. Participation rates
program.
on workshops.
3. Train Faculty,
librarians and
staff on the
competencies
indentified by
SCANS and
information
literacy skills.

17. Strategic line #3- Information resources Goal- Guarantee
to students’ unlimited access to library collections in
order to meet their research and information needs.
Responsibilities KPIs Timeline Assessment tools
1. Extend the electronic 1. % of titles added to 1. 2010-2012  Rubrics
collection and the collection
2. 2011  User satisfaction
provide access
2. # of evaluated online survey
through the virtual 3. 2012
resources
library.  Statistical analysis
3. Rates of online
2. Evaluate online
visitors.
resources that
promote the
development of the
necessary skills and
competences for a
solid job
performance.
3. Develop an online
bibliographic index
based on the
evaluation of online
resources.

18. Strategic line #4- Services
Goal- Transform library services to meet
the requirements and needs of students.
Responsibilities KPIs Timeline Assessment tools
1. Evaluate 1. % of user 1. 2010  Surveys
traditional satisfaction
2. 2012  Focal groups
library services
2. % of usage
3. 2011-2012  Pre and post test
2. Expand online
3. # of modules and
and virtual  One minute
students served.
services papers
3. Create  Portfolios
supplemental
web-based
modules to
develop basic
skills and
competences in
students.

19. Operational Plan
• Lewis, Goodman, Fandt and Michlitsch
(2006) assert that “operational planning
focuses on determining the day-to-day
activities that are necessary to achieve the
long term goals of the organization” (p.
128).

20. Operational Plan 2010-2011
Goal Activities Who’s Responsible
Remodel library spaces in 1. Administer a survey to 1. Librarians
order to consider the students 2. Assessment and
characteristics and learning 2. Analyze survey results Evaluation Office
preferences of Millennials. 3. Hire an architect to 3. Library Director
remodel spaces 4. Planning and Facilities
4. Approve plans Office
5. Remodel the library 5. Construction company
6. Create the Learning 6. Librarians
commons
Improve and adapt the 1. Revise and discuss the 1. Library employees and
organizational structure in organizational chart library director
order to meet the 2. Propose structural 2. Library director
technological changes and changes 3. Administration
needs of users 3. Approve new chart

21. Operational Plan 2010-2011
Goal Activities Who’s Responsible
Guarantee to students’ 1. Expand the electronic 1. Collection development
unlimited access to library collection. librarian
collections in order to meet 2. Evaluate actual services 2. Librarians
their research and through a student 3. Librarians
information needs survey.
3. Analyze usage statistics.
Transform library services 1. Analyze data from 1. Librarians
to meet the requirements surveys. 2. Researcher assigned by
and needs of students 2. Initiate a focal group the Assessment and
3. Develop communities of evaluation Office
practice 3. Library director,
librarians, library staff

22. Evaluation plan
• Kaye and Allison (2005) present that
evaluation should be a continuous
process in any organization. Formal
evaluations should be done regularly to
see if the library is meeting the goals
settled in the strategic plan.

23. Assessing the plan
• The purpose of assessing the plan is
to improve library services.
• A good way to assess if library
activities are been successful is by
using Key Performance Indicators.

24. Implications for future
change efforts
• Commitment
• Credibility
• Communication

25. How to deal with
potential pushback
• By using facilitating leadership
techniques, managers can take into
consideration the preoccupations
and concerns of internal and
external stakeholders.

26. How to deal with potential
pushback
 Kezar (2001) presents that in order to succeed leaders
have to guide people to move towards a different reality.
The best way to do this is by envisioning the future and
“focus organizational members’ attention on the desired
future rather than on the present situation and
organization…leaders create change by helping
employees to view the organization through different
lenses and by reframing issues so that people can
understand and enact the needed change” (p. 47).

27. References
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28. References
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•

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