Deborah Oden (Jeanne) KM/LIS 5023 Final Paper

Your organization plans to utilize Library 2.0 functionalities. Other libraries have already incorporated Library 2.0 technologies into their communications. Patrons expect your library to offer these services as any other organization. Subsequently, as a manager, you decide to fully utilize the technology; however, you face strong resistance from your employees who have computer anxiety and know little value of the new technology. Identify the three most efficient strategies to address the employees concerns and launch the new technology and justify how your strategies can be successful in this context.

Library 2.0 is a concept reflecting the evolution of library services to reach out and empower users to participate with the organization information while constantly evaluating and adapting/adopting library services (Casey and Savastinuk, 6). Many libraries are adopting Web 2.0 technologies as tools to support Library 2.0 in order to meet user expectations with respect to information sources and provide greater access to information and services. Web 2.0 technologies enable users to interact with the information, comment upon it, and participate to build communities of shared and specific interest through use of Web 2.0 tools such as blogs, wikis, instant messaging, tagging, podcasting, mashups, and other social media such as Twitter and Facebook. These tools change the fundamental information flow from the traditional one-way (library>user) to two-way (library>user, user>library, user>user) (Kim, Henderson, and Hawamdeh 2010, 3). This change in information flow dynamic, and adoption of new technologies, can be difficult for libraries to manage in terms of both systems and employees. It is possible that computer anxiety masks a deeper resistance to change, since most staff work with computers and can learn new software and tools with proper training. Library managers must consider various strategies to successfully implement a

2.0 program and navigate all these changes and attitudes. Although strategies should be also be considered for budgeting and evaluation, this paper focuses on strategies for planning, organizing, and leadership that can be used to overcome employee resistance and launch new Web 2.0 tools that support the Library 2.0 concept. Specifically, it will discuss self-organizing, organic structure, and transformational leadership as effective strategies for planning, organization, and leadership, respectively. Planning, organizing, and leadership are complex management functions, but can be broadly defined for the purpose of this discussion. Planning is based on the overall strategic objective and focuses on the long-term, short-term, implementation, and evaluation methods used to accomplish an effort, usually incorporating purpose, policies, program, action, decision, and resource allocation (Stueart and Moran, 2007, 66, 75). Organizing is the construction of a system of responsibilities, coordination, and information flow to accomplish goals, define tasks and boundaries, and control performance (Kim 2010, 3). Leadership is both an ability and a process that can be used by managers to inspire confidence and support among followers that permits a group to reach its goals (Stueart and Moran 2007, 322). Self-organizing is a planning strategy that incorporates an organizational evaluation and articulation of the values and vision to create a continuous process for achieving goals (within the context of values and vision) that requires ongoing reevaluation by management and staff as well as adjustment because learning is also ongoing (Stueart and Moran 2007, 67). This is a good planning strategy to use in rapidly-changing organizations and environments, where technology changes rapidly and learning can guide change. Since self-organizing planning features ongoing

learning and feedback, usually by groups or teams, this would be a good planning strategy for the library to be free to use information skills in new ways, to experiment and take risks (Anderson 2007, 196) without having to define tools at the beginning and being locked into them. As a planning process, it would signal to employees that ongoing change is the new normal, and show how their feedback and learning is an important component of the overall plan to develop these tools. Drucker states that ongoing learning and innovation are attributes of knowledge workers, and managing such is a key factor in productivity for this group (2008, 197). For a group of knowledge workers with computer anxiety, the knowledge that they will have ongoing feedback into a process focusing on innovation could reduce some anxiety and increase focus on more relevant task and content issues. Organic structure is a flexible organizational strategy that is well-suited to changing environments and information professionals because it places an emphasis on expertise and reacts to new challenges; it also emphasizes lateral and horizontal communication and allows job duties to shift as needed to react to a changing environment. All of this is a reflection of the participatory and changing nature of Web 2.0 technologies, so organic structures complement the goals. The flexible structure allows for staff development to more effectively improve their own performance which (is) also tied strategically to the organisations performance (Kloppenborg 2009, 172). Referring to Library 2.0 development and the nature of ongoing change, Casey and Savastinuk assert, a well-structured organization that incorporates change into its operational structure will have an improved chance of weathering whatever changes come next (2010, 9). Stueart and Moran acknowledge that it is uncommon for most

libraries to use an organic structure but acknowledge it works better in smaller libraries or subgroups of larger ones (2007, 186-187). A smaller group using an organic structure might be better able to experiment with Web 2.0 tools and implementation to develop organizational best practices before launching them on a larger scale, which aligns with Druckers knowledge-worker attribute of continuing innovation (2008, 207, 197). Transformational theory of leadership assumes that people can be changed and transformed (Kim 2010, 14) as well as inspired with positive interactions with leaders who convert individuals self-interest to that of the wider group. Transformational leaders encourage participation, share power and information, enhance other peoples selfworth, and get others excited about their work (Stueart and Moran 2007, 332). Drucker agrees that any new enterprise with knowledge workers requires changes in basic attitude and must be piloted through initial stages (Drucker 2008, 206) in order to demonstrate success and build confidence. Knowledge workers who have the leadership of an inspiring, engaged, and successful leader are more likely to feel perceived as an asset, which is a determiner for productivity (Drucker 2008, 197). Library 2.0 acknowledges the core competencies of professional staff and seeks to extend them to a wider and participatory user group including both staff and patrons. A transformational leader can find ways to connect these core competencies and show how they are not replaced, but rather enhanced, using Web 2.0 tools (Matusiak 2006, 295). By emphasizing the goal vs. the tools, a leader can help resistant staff to understand the benefits of making the effort as well as seeing that it is possible to achieve, both personally and on an organizationally. On a wider scale, a transformational leader can help connect employees own Web 2.0 use with user

interests, and see the connections between people, technology, and resources which is the key to success (Huwe 2009, 28). In conclusion, management strategies that are successful and reflect the participatory nature of the program can help successfully pilot, as Drucker says, a new organizational effort like Library 2.0. If employees are resistant to change, then planning, organizing, and leadership strategies that are premised on change will include aspects of professional values, adjustment, learning, listening, innovation, and definition and are more likely to be positively received than mechanistic strategies. Selforganizing (planning), organic structure (organization), and transformational leadership all include or emphasize these aspects. Additionally, all three would be wellsupplemented with consideration of culture and emotional intelligence, recognizing there are internal and external influences that accompany change. Participatory service and change are the heart of Library 2.0 and technology is the tool that can help us get there.Embracing change can be scary. But once a library starts to change and decides to see change as a constant state, then it becomes easier and easier. Rather like kinetic energy, it is easier to change when you are already moving forward (Casey2010, xxii, xxxiii). Acknowledging the change and dealing with its various manifestations is important but does not have to derail a program. Leaders who recognize the current realities and effectively convey a vision can help accomplish this change.

References
Anderson, Paul. 2007. All that glitters is not gold Web 2.0 and the librarian. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science 39(4): 195-8. Casey, Michael E. and Laura C. Savastinuk. 2007. Library 2.0: A guide to participatory library service. Medford, NJ: Information Today. Drucker, Peter F. 2008. Management, rev. ed. New York: Harper Collins Publishers. Huwe, Terence K. 2009. Thriving on technologys edge, Computers in Libraries [October 2009] 29(9): 26-8. Kim, Yong-Mi. 2010. Lecture notes 4, KM/LIS 5023: Organizing. University of Oklahoma. Kim, Yong-Mi, Dylan Henderson, & Suliman Hawamdeh. 2010. Comparative analysis of Library 2.0 usage in academic and public libraries: An empirical study. Under review with Information Technology and Libraries submitted on March 25, 2010. Kloppenborg, Paul and Damian Lodge. 2009. Forgotten anything: library staff competencies for the learning commons. Library Management 31(3): 169-85. Matusiak, Krystyna K. 2006. Towards user-centered indexing in digital image collections. OCLC Systems & Services 22(4): 283-98. Stueart, Robert D. and Barbara B. Moran. 2007. Library and information center management. Libraries Unlimited: Westport.