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To support the success of their students and faculty, libraries have to understand changing user needs. Robust user assessment programs and analysis of service patterns can reveal many of those needs. Many libraries have responded to changing user expectations by consolidating service desks and providing better organization of user services. Recent advances in assessment have added to libraries’ capacity to refine the scope and goals of service desk mergers. Assessment and analysis support better conceptual frameworks for realigning organizational structures and overarching service models. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Using a renovation and organizational restructuring in Ekstrom Library at the University of Louisville as a case study, this paper examines the assessment process, organizational restructuring, and physical renovation that resulted in service desks merging.

This study found that comprehensive and ongoing user assessment is crucial to planning for renovations and service changes. User needs awareness must then be linked with organizational models and service delivery systems. Service desk mergers will be successful when they result from thoughtful assessment and analysis.

Other case studies with assessment driven renovation projects, service desk mergers, and organizational changes would be useful to add to these findings.

This paper provides a process and framework for library leadership who are evaluating and revising service delivery models.

The perspectives and process described in this case study will be of value to improve library service delivery models.

Because many colleges and universities have growing numbers of students in online and blended programs, libraries should adapt their services and adjust their organizational structures to support them. Students have adopted blended learning programs whether or not the programs are officially designed as blended programs. Libraries need to change their service orientation in response and learn to scale services using available technologies. Scaling services and personnel resources also requires developing a scalable organizational learning culture. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Using a change in support for online/distance students and organizational restructuring in Ekstrom Library at the University of Louisville as a case study, this paper examines the review process, organizational restructuring, and focus on scaling services that resulted in a new service model.

This study found that scaling services as applied to IT and business organizations is also valuable as an approach in enhancing library services to online students. Changing user needs must be correlated with available organizational resources and technological solutions to deliver appropriate services. Modifying and building services with a goal of scaling them to appropriate levels will enhance library outcomes.

Other case studies concerned with responding to changing student expectations and scaling services and organizational resources would be useful to add to these findings.

The perspectives and approach described in this case study will be instructive for adapting library services to changing user environments.

The inclusion of LGBTQ + persons (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and having other sexual orientations and gender identities) is a crucial step in improving gender diversity in the workplace; however, till date, it remains a significant challenge for human resource management professionals. The current study critically examines this issue of an inclusive workplace for LGBTQ + people through a systematic review of the existing research that has empirically studied their experiences at the workplace. It also examines the resistance and challenges organizations face in LGBTQ + diversity training and provides future research avenues.

For systematically reviewing the literature, Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) model has been used. A total of 101 empirical studies have been reviewed.

The result shows that LGBTQ + people encounter multiple negative workplace experiences, including proximal (hiring discrimination and housing discrimination) and distal workplace discrimination (unsafe work climate, microaggressions and harassment). These aversive experiences lead to work stress while also mandating that people manage their sexual identity and style of dressing. This stress, in turn, impacts their work–family outcomes, job satisfaction and decision-making with regard to their careers.

The paper provides a holistic understanding of the aversive workplace experiences encountered by sexual minorities.

This study aims to increase the understanding of the early-stage identity-related information needs of transgender people.

This study draws on social constructivism, queer theory and information practice research. In accordance with the queer phenomenological approach which emphasises lived experiences, data was collected by interviewing 25 individuals who identified as transgender. The data was analysed with a focus on how early-stage information needs are formed into conscious information needs.

The formation of early-stage information needs were conceptualised as a chain including a trigger for information seeking, finding the right words and understanding the experience. Especially the bodily changes starting at puberty were strong causes of discomfort causing friction between the subjects' own gendered body and their gender experience, even leading to gender dysphoria. Finding words to describe the experience played an important role in the process of identity formation. In many cases this was difficult because of the lack of accurate and relevant information.

Providing information especially of varying transgender experiences is vital for individuals trying to understand and verbalise their gender identity.

This study provides an understanding of the early-stage information needs described by transgender people and the process of building identities through disorientation. This study suggests that early-stage information needs are a valid concept to help understand how embodied experiences and the friction between the lived experience and the social world can lead to information seeking.

This study aims to investigate the everyday life information seeking behavior of transgender people in Pakistan.

A quantitative study, based on a survey design, was conducted to explore the everyday information needs of transgender people along with the types and frequency of using information sources. This study further explored the barriers to seeking everyday life information. Data were collected from 378 transgender people from Pakistan.

Music related information was the most important daily life information need and television appeared as one of the primary information sources frequently consulted by the transgender people. The respondents revealed a variety of challenges in accessing information including lack of education, lack of understanding about available information sources, biased treatment by the public and lack of technological skills. Furthermore, a statistically significant difference was found in everyday information needs and sources consulted on the basis of their age and education.

The findings provide a guideline to educate information providers, government agencies and other stakeholders about the information needs of this marginalized community in Pakistan. This study also suggests ways in which stakeholder may improve information systems and services to better assist transgender people.