Merging? Converging? A Survey of Research and Reports on Academic Library Reorganization and the Recent Rash of Marriages Between Academic Libraries and University Computer Centers

Denise J. Johnson

Countless academic libraries have undergone administrative reorganization during the last 20 years, largely due to changes in workflow due to automation. Administrative change is resurfacing as a concern in the library literature of late. As libraries become more technology dependent and university computer centers become more information aware, many universities are making organizational changes to reflect the changing roles of libraries and computer centers. One increasingly common response to the changes is to reorganize the administration of the departments involved, so that they either form or are part of an information technology unit.

Whereas it was once common practice for the library director and the director of the university computer center to report directly to their university's administrator, it has now become common for universities to form information technology units with an executive level administrator, to whom unit heads report. This administrator often has a title such as chief information officer, associate provost for Information Technologies, or vice president for Information Resources and Technology. In many smaller universities, one of the existing unit heads (e.g. the library director or the director of computing) is asked to serve as a coordinator of all information technology units (hereinafter referred to as chief information officer). In larger universities, the chief information officer is likely to be a separate position. The academic and support units reporting to this administrator vary from campus to campus. Often, the library and the computer center are the largest sub-units in an Information Technologies unit. Other units which are frequently a part of Information Technologies include: audio-visual services, campus radio and television services, telecommunications, and networking services.

The Bradley University, Cullom-Davis Library has been a sub-unit of an Information Resources and Technologies unit for more than 10 years. Recently, however, the unit as a whole underwent an internal reorganization. The following list of resources is provided to assist others who are going through a reorganization process or who are considering reorganization. At the time I began researching the subject, there was no appropriate subject heading for retrieval of materials on the subject of merging administrative units. A new subject heading has since been added to the Wilson Library literature database, which should make it easier to find such materials in the future: Data processing departments: relations with libraries. Materials are included both on internal library reorganization and on reorganization of the administrative structure under which university libraries operate. I have included only English language materials. The listings for articles I have read are annotated.

Resources

Abrahamson, Gayle and Ron Dehn. "When you both pull from the same end of the rope," Colorado Libraries, 20 (Fall 1994): 17-19.

Abrahamson and Dehn describe relations between the library and the computer center relations at the University of Southern Colorado in Pueblo.

ACRL Task Force on-Libraries and Computer Centers, "Libraries and Computer Centers," CG-RL News 48 (September 1987): 442-447.

Barker, Joseph W. "Integrating Acquisitions: Reorganization at the University of California, Berkeley." Library Acquisitions: Practice & Theory, 16 (1992): 355-360.

Barker describes the reorganization of the Acquisitions and Serials departments at Berkeley, including a set of principles used in the process.

Bechtel, Joan M. "Libraries and Computing Centers Working Together: a Success Story," The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 14 (March 1988): 34a-34b+.

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Boss, Richard W. "Libraries and computer Centers," College & Research Libraries News, 8 (September 1987): 442-447.

Breaks, Michael. "Problems in Managing the Campus Information Utility," IATUL Quarterly, 5 (June 1991): 142-149.

"CAUSE Study Finds Infotech Librarians Are Underpaid; Paper Says Librarians Receive 13 Percent less Pay than Their Counterparts in Computer Centers for Same Work," Library Journal, 118 (October 15, 1993): 13.

"Computer Centers & University Libraries," Library Journal, 111 (May 1, 1986): 22.

Corbin, John. "Technology and Organizational Change in Libraries." Library Acquisitions: Practice & Theory, 16 (1992): 349-353.

Corbin asserts that libraries need to have an "organizational structure oriented around technology." His major theme is that the functional organizational model is best adapted to the future needs of libraries.

Creth, Sheila D. (1987). Designing a Library Future: The University of Iowa Libraries in 1987-1997. Unpublished planning document. University of Iowa Libraries.

The University of Iowa Libraries planning document was developed from a planning retreat, and was intended to provide guidance in their planned reorganization.

Creth, Sheila D. "Creating a Virtual Information Organization: Collaborative Relationships Between Libraries and Computing Centers," Journal of Library Administration, no. 3/4, 19 (1993): 111-132.

Crooker, Cynthia, Robert Killheffer, and Cecile Mandour. "The Reorganization of Technical Services at Yale," Technical Services Quarterly 9 (1991): 27-41.

The authors describe the 1989 reorganization of the technical services departments at Yale, focusing on the shift from a functional to a subject organizational model.

Dewey, Barbara I. "Preparing for Automation and Staff Reorganization within the Planning Process," Library Personnel News, 3 (1989): 62-64.

This article describes the reorganization of the University of Iowa Libraries in preparation for automation. The author emphasizes the need for planning and includes a staff utilization study and educational symposia.

Dewey, Gene L. "Technical Services Reorganization at the University of Wisconsin-Madison: A Subject-Oriented Approach." Library Acquisitions: Practice & Theory, 16 (1992): 373-377.

Dewey describes the reorganization of the Acquisitions Department at UW-Madison along subject lines and with migration to NOTIS.

Dougherty, Richard. "Libraries and Computer Centers: A Blueprint for Collaboration," College and Research Libraries 48 (July 1987): 289-296.

Dougherty, Richard. "Libraries and Computing Centers: Gateways to Networked Information Resources," Library Issues 13 (July 1993): 3-4.

Engeldinger, Eugene A. and Edward Meachen. "Merging Libraries and Computing Centers at Smaller Academic Institutions," Library Issues 16 (January 1996): 1-4.

The authors describe restructuring efforts at Carthage College and UW-Parkside, focusing on the public service vision, enhanced communications and a unified budget approach to technological support.

Feng, Cyril C. and Frieda Weise. "Implementation of Integrated Information Services: Library/computer center Partnership," Journal of the American Society for In formation Science, 39 (March 1988): 126-130.

Fitch, Donna K., Jean Thomason, & Elizabeth Crabtree Wells. "Turning the Library Upside Down: Reorganization Using Total Quality Management Principles," The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 19 (1993): 294-299.

The authors describe a major reorganization of the Samford University Library based on the principles of Total Quality Management. In addition to a description of a reorganization in a midsize academic library, the authors provide guidelines for team decision making and a substantial list of references.

Giesecke, Joan R. "Reorganizations: An Interview with Staff from the University of Arizona Library," Library Administration & Management, 8 (1994): 196-199.

During the major reorganization at the University of Arizona Library, Giesecke interviewed staff members about the processes involved and the effects the reorganization was having on the workforce. This article is of particular interest because the reorganization at the University of Arizona was both a major restructuring and a thoughtfully planned process.

Flowers, Kay A., Kerry A. Keck, and Janice L. Lindquist. "Collection development and acquisitions in a changing university environment," Library Acquisitions, 19 (Winter 1995): 463-469.

The authors describe combining library and computer center staff at the Fondren Library of Rice University.

Gaughan, Thomas M. "Budget-struck Stanford Library Merged with Computer Center," American Libraries, 21 (October 1990): 830.

Gomez, Joni and Harrell, Jeanne. "Technical Services Reorganization: Realities and Reactions," Technical Services Quarterly, 10 (1992): 1-15.

Gosling, William A., Margo Crist, and Brenda L. Johnson. "Cooperative efforts in new methods of information delivery: the Michigan experience," 90 (March 1996).

Hall, Natalie. "Are Libraries and Computer Centers Converging? A Match Made Online; Two Service Providers at UCLA Plan to Wed Form and Function in the 1990s," American Libraries, 21 (January 1990): 70.

Hoadley, Irene B. and John Corbin. "Up the Beanstalk: an Evolutionary Organizational Structure for Libraries," American Libraries, 21 (1990): 676-678.

Hoffman, Helen B. Martin A. Kesselman, and Linda Langschied. "Student Access to Online Searching: the Library and the Computing Center Team Up," The Journal of Academic Librarianship. 14 (November 1988): 306a-306b.

Jacobson, Susan. "Reorganization: Premises, Processes, and Pitfalls," Bulletin of the Medical Library Association, 82 (1994): 369-374.

Jacobson's article describes a reorganization at the Columbia University Health Sciences Library and provides tips on making a reorganization effort successful. Jacobson draws from management as well as library literature and provides an extensive resource list.

Jasper, Richard P. and Jane B. Treadwell. "Reorganizing Collections and Technical Services: Service is the Key." Library Acquisitions: Practice & Theory, 16 (1992): 361-366.

Jasper and Treadwell describe the reorganization of the Collection Management and Technical Services departments at Emory University.

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Kesner, Richard M. "The Library as Information Center: A 'Utility' Model for Information Resource Management and Support," Library Trends 42 (Winter 1994): 373-394.

Lester, Daniel W. "Libraries, Computer Centers, Pecking Orders, and Keeping up with Technology," Technicalities, 14 (November 1994): 2-5.

Long, Kevin Brook and Beth J. Shapiro. "On Paths that Have Converged: Libraries and Computing Centers," Library Issues 14 (1994): 1-4.

Long and Shapiro describe the Rice University reorganization, focusing on a user-centered approach. Macartney, Nigel S. "Convergence planning," Library Association Record, 97 (August 1995, supplement): 3.

Macartney describes planning an integrated library and computer center for the University of Hertfordshire.

Martin, Marilyn. "Academic Libraries and Computing Centers: Opportunities for Leadership," Library Administration and Management 7 (Spring 1992): 77-81.

Miller, Ellen G. Wasby, "Managing Automation for Results: the Role of the Campus Computing Center," College ff Research Libraries News, no. 4 (April 1985): 160-164.

Mitchell, Maurice and James E. Williams. "The Virtual Library: the Computing Center Perspective," in The Virtual Library. Meckler, 1993: 131-44.

Molholt, Pat A. "What Happened to the Merger Debate?" The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 15 (May 1989): 96a-96b.

Molholt, Pat, "On Converging Paths: The Computing Center and the Library," Journal of Academic Librarianship 11 (November 1987): 284-288.

Neff, Ray. "Merging Libraries and Computer Centers: Manifest Destiny of Manifestly Deranged," EDUCOM Bulletin 20 (Winter 1985): 8-12.

Niles, Judith. "Acquisitions and Collection Management Reorganization: An Exercise in Crisis Management." Library Acquisitions: Practice & Theory, 16 (1992): 379-382.

Niles presents a reorganization model based on existing needs and conditions, including staff cuts and overarching organizational changes.

"NYU Opens New Computer Center," Wilson Library Bulletin, 65 (December 1990); 16.

Ogburn, Joyce L. "Organizing Acquisitions: The Yale University Experience." Library Acquisitions: Practice S-Theory, 16 (1992): 367-372.

Ogburn describes the reorganization of the acquisitions functions at Yale in 1989 and in 1992.

Potter, William Gray. "Libraries, Computing Centers, and Freedom of Access," The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 13 (November 1987): 298a-298b.

Russell, Thyra Kaye and Barbara G. Preece. "Collaborative efforts towards a "library of the future" at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale," Illinois Libraries, 77 (Fall 1995): 192-1944.

Sanders, William H. "Libraries and Computing Centers: a Marriage in the Making?" in Information Technology, IT'S for everyone! (proceedings of the LITA Third National Conference, Library and Information Technology Association, Denver, September 13-16, 1992, edited by Thomas W. Leonhardt. American Library Association, 1992: 196-197.

Schmidt, Karen A. "After Acquisitions Automation: Managing Staff Reorganization: Report of the Program Sponsored by the LAMA/SASS Acquisitions Systems Committee," Library Acquisitions: Practice & Theory, 17 (1993): 91-94.

Schmidt reports on an ALA program on staff reorganization.

Shapiro, Beth J. and Kevin Brook Long. "Just Say Yes: Reengineering Library User Services for the 21st Century," The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 20 (November 1994): 285-290.

Stephens, Jerry Wayne. "Computer Center or Library Director: Is There a Choice?" in Insider's Guide to Library Automation. Greenwood Press, 1993: 307-314.

Ten Have, Elizabeth Davis. "Serials in Strategic Planning and Reorganization." Serials Review 19 (Summer 1993); 7-12, 48.

Discusses organization for improved workflow.

Turner, Judith Axle. "Campus Libraries Seen Threatened by Other Sources of Information," The Chronicle of Higher Education (December 4, 1985): 30-31.

Wachel, Kathleen and Edward Shreeves. "An Alliance Between Acquisitions and Collection Management." Library Acquisitions: Practice &Theory, 16 (1992): 383-389.

Wachel and Shreeves describe the 1990 reorganization of the Acquisitions and Collection Management departments, which were part of a general library reorganization at the University of Iowa.

Winters, Barbara A., Special Section Guest Editor. "Organizational Models: Introduction to Special Section." Library Acquisitions: Practice & Theory, 16 (1992): 345-348.

In her introduction to the LAPT Special Section on reorganization, Ms. Winters describes the rationale behind the special issue and outlines the requirements set for contributors to the issue. She describes the themes that emerged from contributed papers and briefly discusses future organizational models.

Wit, Larry. "On the Convention Circuit; Merging Libraries and Computer Centers?" Technicalities, 6 (August 1986): 3+.

Woodsworth, Anne and James F. Williams. "Computer Centers and Libraries: Working Toward Partnerships (reprinted from Libr Adm Manage Mr '88)," Argus 19 (Winter 1990): 87-88+.

Woodsworth, Anne. "Computing Centers and Libraries as Cohorts: Exploiting Mutual Strengths," Journal of Library Administration, no. 4, 9 (1988): 21-34.

Woodsworth, Anne, Theresa Maylone, and Myron Sywak. "The Information Job Family: Results of an Exploratory Study," Library Trends, 41 (Fall 1992): 250-268.

Woodsworth, Anne. Patterns and Options for Managing Information Technology on Campus (Chicago: ALA, 1991).

*Denise J. Johnson, Access Services & Government Documents Librarian, Cullom-Davis Library, Bradley University, Peoria.

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