The more things change do they really stay the same … or, is change the only constant?

Citation

Boese, K.C. (2004), "The more things change do they really stay the same … or, is change the only constant?", The Bottom Line, Vol. 17 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/bl.2004.17017aaa.001

The more things change do they really stay the same … or, is change the only constant?

The more things change do they really stay the same … or, is change the only constant?

As I was reading the articles and columns in this issue, it struck me that change, evolution, and adaptability came up time and again. True, one may need to scratch the surface or look at a topic with a different mindset, but sure enough, there it is. Is this unusual for a journal on management? Not really. But librarians, I think, are more adaptable than many professionals.

Perhaps my awareness of our profession's constant state of evolution is more heightened of late due to the flux in my own library. Some have likened the Smithsonian Institution Libraries (SIL) to an octopus, having a strong central services core and branches reaching throughout the institution – at last count, we had some 20 branch locations. Currently, SIL has undertaken a study of all technical services functions, with studies in reader's services to follow. The next few years will no doubt witness many changes in how we do business – get the books on the shelf, provide access to information, and even basic personnel management.

The following four articles mirror this. Both McCarthy and Hall focus on physical change, examining aspects of library building projects. The other two involve changes of the mind. Seer's techniques for effective management in law libraries contain much of value for any library. Likewise, Talha's overview on total quality management challenges librarians to seek out universal management truths that can enhance the quality of library service.

This journal, too, will see a year of change. Starting with this issue, John T. Furlong and I have assumed the mantle of editor, taking over from James H. Walther. Our goal is to maintain the excellent standards Jim brought to the journal, while keeping apace with the issues concerning libraries today. To do this, we have already made some changes on the Editorial Advisory Board, and possibly more will follow.

Changes will occur in our regular features as well. Most notably, we welcome as a new editorial contributor John S. Wilson, director of Library Advancement and Special Projects at Baylor University Libraries – who is taking over the reigns of the fundraising features from Gwendolen Rochester Leighty. Readers will be familiar with our other editorial contributors, though many of the actual features will evolve to include issues or present information in what we hope to be a more comprehensive fashion.

Though it has been my experience that many people approach change with trepidation and angst, I have come to see it as exciting, positive, and something to embrace. Sure, it can be exhausting. I often feel as if I have run another marathon. None-the-less, when things are in a state of flux, that is when the greatest opportunities exist for reinvention, reexamination, and continued success.

Kent C. Boese