Change in a small law library: how we moved our department into the 21st century

Information Outlook, April, 2005 by Karen A. Nuckolls

When I arrived at a newly created position as head of technical services at a small academic law library, I found my work cut out for me: change my department's outdated procedures and bring it into the 21st century. After all, change is constant--and scary--and it affects everyone differently. The very fact that I was coming into a new position to make changes was, no doubt, upsetting to my new staff.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Over the years, I have learned that among library staffs there are those who find change unsettling, those who are intimidated by change, and those who are resistant to change. For me, the questions were twofold: how to find acceptance and how to unite these diverse types. I am sure that many readers can relate to at least some aspects of this task.

I was lucky to have a director who was very supportive of my efforts and spent many hours helping me understand the history of the library and offering suggestions and guidance. Because the library had been chronically understaffed, the Technical Services staff had not had a great deal of individual supervision. With the director's help, I determined that my first priority was to develop a plan that would build an acquaintance with them and their daily routines--and that would build a relationship within our department. During my first month on the job, I focused on three areas that were likely to change: staff, procedures, and personal growth--both mine and theirs.

To begin, after observing them at their jobs, I scheduled one-on-one meetings with each staff member, during which I discussed any problems or concerns they were having. In addition, I invited each staff member to come to my office to discuss privately anything they wanted addressed. I immediately began the tradition of having weekly meetings with my department, in which all staff members had a chance to give reports on their respective areas, an effort that I felt was important in generating a good team spirit.

On a chart I prepared, I asked each staff member to fill in his or her responsibilities so I could identify duplicate procedures within each area and assess weaknesses that could be resolved in the redevelopment of the department. I also worked with the director in using the library promotion and retention guidelines to set standards to which employees would be held accountable. I held six-month reviews to make sure my staff knew the consequences of failing to meet those standards.

In addition, I began working on a job description for the position of acquisitions associate, which had been vacant for 18 months. This activity acquainted me with the rules and regulations involved in hiring on campus. When a candidate was hired, I held a party to welcome her to our department, as was my custom. I am planning several other gatherings in the near future, because I believe there is a need to celebrate important staff achievements and completed projects--and it's good for morale.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

A project that truly tested our newly developed relationships was the reassignment of offices. Plans had been underway for several months to redesign Technical Services. When I arrived, there was no space for me in Technical Services, so I shared the Public Services librarian's office. Because one room was larger than the other, we switched the two Acquisitions staff members into the smaller room, and I joined the Serials staff in the larger room. Instead of dreading this change, the staff became fully engaged in the process. I handed out a time line, and on a weekly--and sometimes daily--basis, we discussed items to discard or relocate, staff preferences for new chairs, and the configuration of privacy areas. I believe that introducing this topic early on, answering questions whenever they came up, and assigning parts of the project to each staff member ensured that the change took place with everyone working for it--instead of against it. In fact, I think it gave us a renewed focus on our jobs in the year ahead. The staff learned that they can tackle large projects and survive, and it has brought us together in an improved working relationship.

Reviewing Procedures

With a new hire and staff issues addressed, I began my review of library procedures with the Acquisitions area. The Technical Services librarian was reassigned as Acquisitions librarian. She now works solely on ordering, acquiring, and receiving new materials and replacements.

Updating how we generated budget reports was also long overdue. In the past, these reports had not accurately reflected the available monies at any given time during the year. I have encouraged the Acquisitions librarian to use Access queries to pull out relevant information relating to statistics and budget, and she has taken classes in beginning and intermediate Access. I also implemented tracking by invoice rather than by purchase order, because the price at the beginning of the ordering process was rarely the final one when the invoice arrived. With these procedures in place, I have real expectations of useful reports for the next fiscal year.