Reorienting through teamwork: one library’s experience of organizational change

Context: A health sciences library supporting high research activity and serving colleges of medicine, nursing, pharmacy, health sciences, public health, dentistry, agriculture, food, and environment.

Objectives: In 2020, our university library system started a reorganization process that impacted many aspects of our health science library. This poster will detail the opportunities and challenges associated with the reorganization. We will give an outline of the steps in the reorganization and the culminating changes to the services and programs offered by the health science library.

Design: The process started with the closure and merger of an agriculture branch library into the health science library. Following the absorption of an additional library, several changes to personnel and job duties ensued. In 2021, the InterLibrary Loan departments from the main campus library and the health science library merged into one department and removed the separate ILLiad account for the medical center library. In 2022, the campus wide liaison librarian structure was revamped to include the health science librarians. Liaison core competences and best practices were developed over a period of ten months. The new liaison structure includes a team-based approach which requires upskilling faculty and staff in the health sciences library. In 2023, an external consultant was hired to evaluate strengths and opportunities of the medical center library. As a result, a new organizational structure was implemented.

Evaluation: This poster examines the process and planning for evaluation, including communication workflows, meetings, and time management. Evaluation will take place after the full organizational structure has been implemented. The liaison competencies consistent of standards in the areas of outreach and engagement, research services, scholarly communication, and teaching and learning. Liaisons will have at least two years of professional development before they are evaluated based on the competencies. Additionally, the liaison competencies will be reexamined in five years.

Outcomes and next steps: The word reorganization can lead to feelings of uncertainty and anticipation. This was certainly the experience in our library system. We overcame these challenges by working as a team and supporting one another through the transitions. The next steps will be to establish the new leadership team and begin redesigning the administrative process of the library and liaison model to facilitate the formalized team based model.