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Convergence of Libraries and Technology Organizations: New information support models
Christopher D Barth, Luther College, USA
- one of the most complete assessments of converged support models available
- designed to both allow assessment of the application of a converged model, and discussion of successful implementations
- includes experiences, perspectives, and examples from many leaders in converged information support organizations
- disruptive innovations in the fields of information support and higher education make questions of organizational structure and effectiveness very timely
This book describes and discusses the convergence of library and technology support in higher education. Over the past 15 years, a number of institutions have pursued merging library and technology services into a single information support organization. These mergers have taken different forms, but all seek to redefine information support in a 21st century model that promotes the interdisciplinary use of information. The coming years will see significant change affect libraries with the continuing disruption of the Internet and digitally-based services. Coupled with economic pressures, libraries and technology organizations will increasingly be forced to look closely at long-held assumptions of how their teams are organized and how work is divided and shared. Convergence of Libraries and Technology Organizations provides useful and practical guidance on converged information organizations as an effective response to change in the information profession.
ISBN 1 84334 616 8
ISBN-13: 978 1 84334 616 6
Q2 2011
200 pages 234 x 156mm paperback
Approx. £47.00 / US$80.00 / €60.00
Not yet published
About the author
Christopher D. Barth works as the Executive Director of Library and Information Services at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, USA. He has 10 years of experience working in ‘merged’ library/technology organizations and is beginning his fourth year leading a merged library/IT team. Previously he worked as Director of Information Resources at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, USA, and as Librarian at the Anchorage Daily News in Anchorage, Alaska, USA. He has previously published a history of Kenyon College titled Kenyon Reborn.
Contents
History of Information Service in Higher Education (overview of the evolution of information support); Assessing Possibilities of Convergence (examination of the conditions that give rise to convergence); Organizational Design in Converged Organizations (discussion of the breadth of organizational designs); Integration: The Process (exploration of the stages and steps to deploying a converged organizational design); Leadership Considerations (investigations into the importance of leadership to success in convergence); Staffing Considerations (understanding the unique staffing opportunities and challenges within converged organizations); Professional Culture, Religion and Politics (assessment of professional identities and their effect on convergence); Specialization vs. Generalization (evaluation of theoretical structures of work in converged organizations); Future Evolutions of Converged Organizations (forecast of opportunities and challenges ahead).