Introduction

1. Going from “Good to Great” in Turbulent Times: Changing Library Organizational StructuresDeWitt Wallace LibraryMacalester College Organizational Change: DeWitt Wallace Library Macalester College

2. Introduction • Reorganizing, re-structuring, re-engineering, …making do with less • Staying ahead of constant and rapid change • Overcoming a climate of negativity • Developing a climate that rewards process improvements • Implementing new services, being creative and innovative • Combating the “deserted library” syndrome – perceived or real • Transitioning to digital library while preserving print Organizational Change: DeWitt Wallace Library Macalester College

3. Outline for today • Background on Macalester • Brief overview of process of organizational change • Development of cross-functional working groups • Development of Performance Measures • Ongoing change and future developments • Model as it applies to other academic libraries Organizational Change: DeWitt Wallace Library Macalester College

4. Background on Macalester Small-medium sized liberal arts undergraduate college • 1800 students, 150 faculty, 350 staff • “emphasize academic excellence in the context of internationalism, diversity, and commitment to service” • Library staff currently is 18.11 FTE (20) • 11 staff members with an MLS, 9 without an MLS • No faculty status • Member of CLIC consortium – 8 institutions • Shared integrated online system – CLICnet • Staff participation on working groups and committees within CLIC Organizational Change: DeWitt Wallace Library Macalester College

5. Organizational Change at DeWitt Wallace Library, Macalester College Why did we start back in 1996… • Tasks that had migrated from traditional department structure • Outdated job descriptions • New tasks, new responsibilities, increased workload – no new staff • New systems, new services • Need to improve communication - more interconnections, decisions that impacted others • Need to improve decision-making • Need to eliminate some tasks – prioritize • Morale Organizational Change: DeWitt Wallace Library Macalester College

6. Guiding principles • A commitment to collaboration in which ideas and skills of others are recognized and valued – all voices are equal – • My philosophy - all staff are “professionals” • Process was always all-staff inclusive • Desired outcome – less hierarchy, flatter organization • Maintain traditional services – preservation of print and non-print materials • Strive to be innovative and introduce new information technologies • Continuous, ongoing training – learning organization • Defined the ideal organization… Organizational Change: DeWitt Wallace Library Macalester College

7. The ideal organization – as defined in 1997 • Everyone knows what is going on • Team leaders are a cohesive group • Everyone is involved/committed • Team members and team leaders are empowered to make decisions • Everyone on campus views the library as accessible and responsive • We have flexible staffing to respond to changing needs Organizational Change: DeWitt Wallace Library Macalester College

8. Ideal, cont’d • Everyone is stretching, growing, or enhancing his/her capacity to create and learn • Visions of the direction of the enterprise emerge from all levels • Responsibility of top management is to manage the process whereby new emerging visions become shared visions (+more; formed by staff, agreed upon on May 29, 1997) Organizational Change: DeWitt Wallace Library Macalester College

9. Changes in organization • Teams Formed • Collection Management • Public Services • Technology and Administration • Job classification • Library Associate • Senior Library Associate • Library Specialist • Team Leader Organizational Change: DeWitt Wallace Library Macalester College

10. Vision, Mission, Goals • User-centered library • Personalized and customized service • Emphasis on outreach and marketing • Ongoing feedback and evaluation Organizational Change: DeWitt Wallace Library Macalester College

11. Three Teams + Management Team Collection Management Team Technology & Administration Team Management Team Public Services Team Organizational Change: DeWitt Wallace Library Macalester College

12. What do we currently have in 2003? • Shared vision • Shared values • Strategic Plan based on “Strategic Directions” – 3 years – developed in January 2002 • Teams – 3+ Management Team • Cross-Functional Working Groups – members from each team • Performance Measures/Personal Portfolios – Strategic Frameworks for teams, working groups, and individuals based on strategic plan Organizational Change: DeWitt Wallace Library Macalester College

13. Cross Functional Working Groups • Proposed in 1999 • Improve collaboration – less work centered in just one team • To effectively accomplish library goals • Improve/increase communication • Increase participation in decision-making • Encourage all library staff to participate in areas according to interests, skills, and expertise • Two areas left untouched • Performance Measures • Outreach and Marketing Organizational Change: DeWitt Wallace Library Macalester College

14. Started with a few groups… • Staff Training and Development Committee – model that was used to develop cross-functional teams • Collection Development – involved public services and technical services • Web Development – all teams contribute to library web site information • Staff Intranet Organizational Change: DeWitt Wallace Library Macalester College

15. Reporting Structure • Team members continue to report to team leaders • Evaluations conducted by team leaders • Working groups included team leaders • Decision-making • No budgetary implications – decision within groups • Budgetary or procedural changes – to Management Team Organizational Change: DeWitt Wallace Library Macalester College

16. Groups defined • Statement of Purpose • Identified membership – reps from each team • Decision-making authority (who did group report to) • Meetings – frequency • Communication – minutes taken and shared with staff • Recently added Library Digest Newsletter Organizational Change: DeWitt Wallace Library Macalester College

17. Existing Working Groups – includes at least one member from each team • Collection Development • Special Collections • Ejournals • Preservation • Outreach • Preservation • Reference • Instruction • Staff Training & Development • Student Employment • Web Organizational Change: DeWitt Wallace Library Macalester College

18. Two more items • Performance Measures • Staff Training and Development Organizational Change: DeWitt Wallace Library Macalester College

19. Performance Measures/Personal Portfolios • Developed in 2000, implemented in June 2001 • Full year implementation 2002 • Features • Each team has a strategic framework tied to library strategic plan • Each team member has personal goals tied to team strategic framework • Personal goals may be part of working group or team strategic plan • Measurable goals – milestones, outcomes, deadlines • Peer reviews twice a year • Total staff “buy-in” Organizational Change: DeWitt Wallace Library Macalester College

20. Staff Training and Development • In order to be a learning organization • Every staff member participate in a professional development opportunity • Workshop • Professional conference • Symposium • Course (Science Museum) • January – In House Training Opportunities • Professional development included in performance measures Organizational Change: DeWitt Wallace Library Macalester College

21. Rewards and Recognition • Performance measures and merit increases • Milestone Celebrations – annual lunch • Fun – personal recognition, staff meetings Organizational Change: DeWitt Wallace Library Macalester College

22. What’s working… • Improved communication • Staff training – every single staff member participated in a continuing education, conference, or workshop experience in 1999-2000, 2001-2002 • Budget for 2001-2002 increased funds • Outreach group finally formed • Collaboration greatly improved • Performance reviews occur annually, much better participation by staff Organizational Change: DeWitt Wallace Library Macalester College

23. Job classification and ladder of advancement Liaison program Ongoing review – January is our month for planning and development of goals January 2003 – reviewed organization and agreed “it’s working” Ongoing Change and Future Developments Organizational Change: DeWitt Wallace Library Macalester College

24. Model as it applies to Academic Libraries • Flattened hierarchy • Automation and interconnectivity of all areas a major influence in our development • Faculty status may be an issue • Macalester culture a factor • Collaboration within library - improved • Collaboration with faculty – developing • Center for Scholarship and Teaching Organizational Change: DeWitt Wallace Library Macalester College

25. Strategic Directions • New initiatives – campus portal (LESTER) development made possible by this organizational structure • Ongoing change – new technologies, new software, new processes • SFX implementation • Tested Virtual Reference • Wireless in the library • 1st library in CLIC to implement eReserves in 1997 • Information Fluency – pilot project for 1st year seminars • More outreach, more programs, more instruction Organizational Change: DeWitt Wallace Library Macalester College

26. Conclusion • Are we better off today than six years ago? • How much is structure and how much is staff? • Would this work somewhere else? Depends on the culture of the organization. • Has the staff become more flexible and adaptive? • Catalog librarians working at the reference • Leadership - participatory, walk around regularly, more delegation – always with an eye on inclusion Organizational Change: DeWitt Wallace Library Macalester College

27. Challenges and Opportunities • Greatest challenge is to have everyone engaged and in agreement on the direction the library should be heading and which priorities should receive the most attention and effort. Organizational Change: DeWitt Wallace Library Macalester College

28. Leaders don’t drive change “You drive a car. It is a machine that you control, with the aim of getting where you want to go. The car takes you there. You do not ‘drive’ a plant to grow…Nor, we would argue do leaders ‘drive’ their organization. The organization is a human community. It is a living system, like the plant…There is no one driving it. But there are many tending the garden.” [Peter Senge, The Dance of Change, p.21] Organizational Change: DeWitt Wallace Library Macalester College

29. Your comments or questions? Organizational Change: DeWitt Wallace Library Macalester College

30. You will find the presentation @ www.macalester.edu/~fishel/arld2003.ppt Thank you! Organizational Change: DeWitt Wallace Library Macalester College