香港中文大學圖書館系統 University Library System

1. 香港中文大學圖書館系統 University Library System The Chinese University of Hong Kong The Academic Librarian: Dinosaur or Phoenix? Die or Fly in Library Change Management The Chinese University of Hong Kong April 11-12, 2007 LEUNG Yau Ching Put On Your Wing, For Nothing Is Holding You Back

2. Two Collection Relocation Initiatives • In 1993 summer in the University Library System • Subject-Orientated Library Scheme • In 2006 summer in the University Library • Intershelving the circulating books in one sequence disregarding Western or East Asian languages • Re-arranging the circulating books and bound journals on six floors of two buildings in a more logical manner

3. 1993 vs 2006 • The 1993 relocation • Volumes : less than one million • No intershelving, mainly mass relocation and re-shelving • Workload shared by all libraries of the University Library System • The University Library System closed for a week • The 2006 relocation • Volumes : nearly one million • Mainly volume-by-volume relocation and re-shelving • Workload on the Circulation Department • University Library and all its collection remained open to users • Concurrently carried out with a number of inter-related tasks

4. Changes Making Differences • Keen competition • Tasks no longer coming and completed one by one • Services becoming increasingly customer orientated • Library support needed in summer by: • summer classes for undergraduate and postgraduate students, course students, and six formers of the secondary school • faculties who need to use the library to prepare for their classes and conduct their research • subscribed members who are now much more aware that they have paid to access the library collections and facilities • the alumni who, driven by life-long learning, expect that they can use the library to support their work and study

5. The 2006 Intershelving & Relocation Initiative

6. Profile of Collections Involved • Circulating books: 720,000 volumes • Bound journals: 200,000 volumes • Number of bays of bookshelf: 5,400 • Linear metres: 33,000 • Stacks: 98% full for books, 80% full in average for bound journals

7. Distribution Before Relocation UL: University Library Building TKP : Tin Ka Ping Building

8. Distribution After Relocation UL: University Library Building TKP: Tin Ka Ping Building

9. Concurrent, Inter-related Tasks • Refurbishment of the new Law Library on TKP 4/F (by the Campus Development Office) • Evacuation of the Law collection and Law Library Office from TKP 3/F to the temporary storage and office (by professional movers) • Refurbishment of TKP 3/F after the evacuation of the Law collection and Law Library Office, as well as TKP 2/F (by the Estate Management Office) • Installation of 1,000 bays of compact shelving on TKP 2/F and TKP 3/F, and a small portion in the new Law Library on TKP 4/F (by the compact shelving vendor)

10. Constraints • Timeframe: from mid-May to the end of August 2006 • Carried out on top of the regular and routine services, and with four concurrent, inter-related refurbishment and installation tasks • Affected collections remained open throughout to allow user access as usual as possible, implying • disturbances, if unavoidable, be kept as minimum and orderly as possible • assistance to users be available throughout • stakeholders be informed of the latest progress of the intershelving and relocation

11. Not To Be Held Back How ?

12. Rule 1: Being Dynamic to Achieve Project While Maintaining Routines • Managing routines vs managing project • Concurrently but not at the expense of one another • A structure that its administration, management, budgeting, and resources allocation can support regular and project operations simultaneously

13. Rule 2 : Identifying the Necessary Resources & Acquiring Timely • A new initiative may require skills and resources not available in the establishment • Identifying the required resources • 1,200 sets of bookshelf plates • 1,000 bays of compact shelving • Manpower • 40 student helpers employed on a hourly basis • 6 clerical assistants on a 2-month contract • professional movers • Acquiring timely, deploying timely • Speedy and simplified acquisition procedures whenever necessary

14. Rule 3 : Always Knowing Yourself Well • Plan ahead, but prepare for things turning out not as planned • Be flexible to revise the plan and schedule, to identify alternatives, and to make the right decision, in short time • Good and comprehensive understanding of one’s area of responsibility, one’s department, and one’s library

15. Rule 4 : Right People for the Right Task • Jobs • People • All positions are important and essential • Who can do which job best and most cost effective • Prepare and assign accordingly

16. Rule 5 : Environment Encouraging Harmonious Mixing of Resources • Regular and non-regular resources together to achieve the new initiative • Environment and culture that encourage regular staff and new colleagues on short term employment to work together harmoniously and effectively as instant as possible • Clear job descriptions and responsibilities, right expectation and understanding of each party

17. Rule 6 : Identifying and Addressing the Needs of Stakeholders • Who are the stakeholders • library users • library colleagues (Public Services and Law Library in particular) • shelvers, clerical assistants and student helpers • Campus Development Office, Estate Management Office, and their contractors • compact shelving vendor • professional movers • What are their needs and interests • What are the disturbances that affect their needs and interests • Measures addressing to the disturbances, needs and interests • Keeping track of stakeholders’ reaction

18. Rule 7: Timely & Effective Communication • Essential to flow of information or instruction to the stakeholders • Managing the expectation and reaction of the stakeholders • Timely : arousing the awareness of the stakeholders to the current or coming situation, making them be prepared to accept the situation • Effective: reaching each of the stakeholders, in the context of the needs and interests of each of them, as a result each is informed of and prepared to accept the situation

19. Rule 8 : Organized Abandonment • “Free resources from being committed to maintaining what no longer contributes to performance, and no longer produces results.” (Drucker, 1999) • Evaluation of the routine operations and services on a regular basis • Abandonment of obsolete operation in an organized manner to release resources for new initiatives

20. Rule 9 : Teamwork • Give the synergy effect that “can approach situations and produce solutions that are even beyond the capabilities of the group of experts” (Osheroff, 2007). • Structure and culture encourage and facilitate teamwork of regular and non-regular staff • Sharing success with each team member alike

21. What Has Been Achieved • Intershelving of the 720,000 volumes of books completed in 1.5 months, from May 15 to June 30, 2006 • Bound journals relocation completed in three weeks, from Aug 25 to Sep 11, 2006, because of the progress of the concurrent tasks • Statistics of the circulation, in-house use and entrance showed the intershelving and relocation affected users little in their using of the University Library • No user complaints, nor complaints from library colleagues or any other stakeholders throughout