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There can be few libraries where the need for reorganization has not at some time been felt, and it is therefore a subject of very wide interest. The previous paper dealt with the planning of special library buildings, with their equipment, and administration—the present paper will deal with reorganization as applied to the stock of a library, and with the more usual aspects of that type of reorganization, namely recataloguing and reclassification. As would be expected, a fair amount has been written about the problem. Unfortunately, it is a matter in which so much depends on local conditions, on the scale of the operations, on what has gone before and what is to follow, and on the resources available, that it is difficult to give comprehensive practical advice. Most of the literature is therefore confined to generalities, and many of these, though arrived at by investigation of reorganization in a large number of libraries, might equally well have been reached by the use of common sense. This particular attribute has always had a very high value in special librarianship, and if, at the end, you are able to dismiss this paper as ‘just common sense’, then I shall feel that it has been a most useful contribution to the problem!

This case study evaluates the success of a change management process in a very small academic library at a public, rural college. It considers the existing literature on the subject and how it applies to this setting and details the change process.

The authors developed a new tool for assessment of work and its relationship to the organization design, dubbed a “Penny Chart.” The relationship between work areas uncovered by this charting led the change efforts and determined how jobs would be described and marketed.

Conducting a work reorganization within the confines of a very small library staff has extensive benefits, but does not come without the existing drawbacks of working with limited and shrinking resources in the current climate of higher education. However, intentionally charting the relationship between areas of work and determining natural areas of overlap and authority had significant benefits to the organization as a whole.

There is little to no existing literature on conducting a significant reorganization of this size of academic library. This paper contributes significantly to the literature by proposing a new method for reorganization when there is no change to the official reporting structure due to the size of the institution. In addition, this method will be valuable to institutions of all sizes conducting any significant reorganization.

From 2007 to 2009, Kansas State University Libraries (K-State Libraries) committed to strategically assess and redevelop their organizational structure. The Libraries’ Strategic Plan and position redistributions commenced in 2007 and 2009 respectively, with adjustments in 2010 to accommodate the university’s K-State 2025 Strategic Plan. Together, these changed the roles of former subject librarians, dividing and transferring responsibilities for outreach, reference, instruction, and collection development. Among the more significant changes was the creation of departments devoted to patron groups, rather than specific academic disciplines. Illustrating how the reorganization changed the roles of traditional library services, this chapter outlines the responsibilities of three librarian positions: Undergraduate and Community Services, Faculty and Graduate Services, and Content (collection) Development. The librarians are also founding members of the K-State Libraries Arts Matrix, an ad hoc team operating within the new organization to enhance communication and expand subject expertise in the visual and performing arts. These transitions presented both opportunities for engagement and specialization, as well as challenges to communication and subject identity. These issues are addressed, including solutions offered by the matrix model. Although this study is limited by the neoteric existence of this model, and lack of precedents for comparison, K-State Libraries’ example may offer a viable model for institutions adapting to fiscal realities. Additionally, matrices may supplement the traditional subject librarian model for those seeking to enhance engagement and collaboration. This chapter offers further insight into a strategic planning process, as well as a transparent, inclusive strategy for librarians adjusting to organizational change.

The main purpose of this paper is to discuss the strategic repositioning of an academic library using the dynamic capability framework.

The discussion is based on the re‐organizational process of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Library. Three stages are focused, illustrating how the library managed to be dynamically capable, including: sensing the environmental impacts; realigning and reconfiguring its resources; and implementing effective strategies to respond to these challenges.

The library adopted a multitude of channels and media in sensing environmental challenges. By going through a strategic reorganization, the library has realigned and redeployed its staff resources to better prepare for incoming changes. The reformed organization moved ahead with renewed culture and values, including better internal communication, team spirit, collective learning mechanisms, and effective user communication.

Reorganization is complex and can be highly stressful. Participative culture and effective communication seem to be successful mechanisms.

Cross‐training on work procedures and routines in other units provided organizational learning mechanisms. This collective learning broadened staff's work knowledge, enlightened their understanding of complex processes, fostered good team spirit, and improved overall effectiveness, as more staff become aware of the overall performance implications of their actions.

The paper shares various reorganization concerns and how they were handled. The benefits of a large‐scale cross‐training program are outlined.

Fernandez knew, as did Kenneth Burke to whom Fernandez owed so much, that the fundamental human problem of maintaining what he elsewhere called the “inchoate sense of wholeness” was critically linked to the never-ending dilemma of “the degree to which men can feel the aptness of each other’s metaphors.” And since the publication of “Persuasions and Performances” nearly 30 years ago, a great deal of anthropological, sociological and historical work on “power and resistance,” “hegemony,” and “cultural reproduction and change” can be usefully framed as particular responses to a number of fundamental questions implicit in Fernandez’ quote – When, and under what types of conditions, does any particular “metaphor” or “trope” serve to promote cooperation and social integration? When, and under what types of conditions, does it serve to promote conflict and social disintegration? When and how is the “aptness” of any given “metaphor” or “trope” lost? We believe these to be among the most central, enduring questions in the Human Sciences.

Reviews the history of political and professional debates on the optimum size of public library authorities in the UK. Discusses conclusions on size in the major legislation and reports on public library policy prior to local government reorganization in 1974. Considers the effects of the 1974 local government reorganization and examines the subsequent continuing debate. Concludes that in the light of further impending modification of the UK local government system, further research is required into the structure and size of a public library service.

As a result of rapid environmental changes, organisations of all types are rethinking their organisational structures in an attempt to provide greater effectiveness and efficiency. A few years ago business process re‐engineering (BPR) was considered the most promising way to restructure an organisation, but has become less popular as shortcomings associated with the process have become evident. Today, greater emphasis is being placed upon modifying the actual organisational structure. Most restructured organisations have moved away from rigid hierarchies to flatter, more flexible structures. Many of the same forces (including increased automation, changing information needs and expectations of users, reduced budgets and the need for staff to have more autonomy over their own work) that have precipitated the reshaping of other organisations have also affected academic libraries. This paper describes some of the factors leading to changes in the organisational structures of academic libraries and provides an overview of trends, excluding convergence, discernible in North America. The paper includes suggestions for steps to be taken to facilitate successful reorganisations, and comments on possible future developments that might radically alter the organisational structures of academic libraries.

The purpose of this paper is to describe the motivations, creation, and implementation of workflow and organizational redesigns within two academic library acquisitions departments: the University of Alabama (UA) and the University of Florida (UF).

Both institutions utilized a combination of goal identification, staff contribution, and Blackwell's workflow consulting services to build and implement new acquisitions workflows.

A comparison of the projects reveals two paths to conducting a reorganization of acquisitions in academic libraries, but with the same goal: doing more with less staff while promoting a more cost‐efficient model of operations.

In evaluating these analysis projects at UA and UF, common successes that are applicable to future undertakings were identified.

In 2010 and 2013, the libraries in the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries (ASERL) were surveyed to identify benchmarks and programs to support resource sharing. Benchmarks and challenges identified generate discussions regarding programming, networking, and other support to improve resource sharing operations. This paper seeks to address these issues.

This study compares and contrasts the two surveys using mixed methods data analysis. This study assesses ILL performance and explores the challenges and trends interlibrary loan practitioners see today.

The article identifies changes and trends in consortia-wide transaction volumes; staffing levels; campus document delivery; professional issues and challenges; and library organizational schemes.

The study did not include data from constituencies outside of interlibrary loan. It also did not include interview follow-ups with survey participants to discuss challenges and reorganizations in greater detail. Future interlibrary loan research could focus less on operational metrics and more on broader issues such as e-resources and change management. Mixed methods are effect tools for benchmarking and comparative case studies.

Individual libraries can compare themselves to the operational benchmarks and use insights drawn from comment analysis to stimulate conversations regarding current and future roles for interlibrary loan. Consortia can duplicate the study to understand their operational benchmarks and their particular contexts.

The study provides comparative benchmarks for research libraries and consortia spanning three years. It demonstrates substantial shifts in issues faced by libraries and librarians.