The Bigger Picture: cultural change and the eLib programmeAlison ScammellAlison Scammell

International Institute for Electronic Library International Institute for Electronic Library ResearchResearch

De Montfort University, Milton Keynes, UKDe Montfort University, Milton Keynes, UK

email: ascam@dmu.ac.ukemail: ascam@dmu.ac.uk

eLib Supporting Study (March-July 1997) Mobilisation effects of eLib activities on Mobilisation effects of eLib activities on

cultural change in higher educationcultural change in higher education Project Team: Clare Davies, Alison Project Team: Clare Davies, Alison

Scammell and Matthew Hall Scammell and Matthew Hall Project Director: Prof Charles OppenheimProject Director: Prof Charles Oppenheim

Background to eLib

Intended to implement Follett Report Intended to implement Follett Report recommendations regarding IT in HE recommendations regarding IT in HE librarieslibraries

59 projects, all collaborative between two or 59 projects, all collaborative between two or more HE institutions, from 1995more HE institutions, from 1995

Most projects 18 to 24 months in durationMost projects 18 to 24 months in duration Research and development programme: Research and development programme:

emphasis on learning by doing emphasis on learning by doing

Programme areas within eLib

Electronic JournalsElectronic Journals Access to Network Resources (subject Access to Network Resources (subject

gateways etc)gateways etc) Electronic Document DeliveryElectronic Document Delivery On-Demand PublishingOn-Demand Publishing Pre-printsPre-prints

Programme areas within eLib

ImagesImages DigitisationDigitisation Training and AwarenessTraining and Awareness Supporting StudiesSupporting Studies

The project brief:

To examine assumptions regarding cultural To examine assumptions regarding cultural change in eLib, especially the Training and change in eLib, especially the Training and Awareness projects (T&A)Awareness projects (T&A)

To examine factors inhibiting/stimulating To examine factors inhibiting/stimulating ability of eLib to 'mobilise' cultural change ability of eLib to 'mobilise' cultural change effects in HEeffects in HE

The project brief:

To recommend a strategy for successor To recommend a strategy for successor programmes to ensure that organisational programmes to ensure that organisational and human issues are built in to ensure and human issues are built in to ensure future cultural changefuture cultural change

Approach and methods

Literature review on cultural change issues in Literature review on cultural change issues in relevant technological/organisational relevant technological/organisational environmentsenvironments

Analysis of eLib project and programme Analysis of eLib project and programme deliverablesdeliverables

Interviews with key actorsInterviews with key actors Informal discussions with project staffInformal discussions with project staff WorkshopWorkshop

Cultural change

"The main aim of eLib, through its projects, "The main aim of eLib, through its projects, is to engage the higher education is to engage the higher education community in developing and shaping the community in developing and shaping the implementation of the electronic library" implementation of the electronic library" (eLib Programme Information pack)(eLib Programme Information pack)

Cultural change defined

"Cultural change involves new frames of "Cultural change involves new frames of reference, new ways of acting. Cultural change reference, new ways of acting. Cultural change results from actors acquiring new symbolic results from actors acquiring new symbolic resources (cognitive frames/paradigms: resources (cognitive frames/paradigms: concepts, knowledge, skills) in changed concepts, knowledge, skills) in changed structural contexts (organisational contexts, structural contexts (organisational contexts, work processes) where these symbolic resources work processes) where these symbolic resources are meaningful, deployable and operational." are meaningful, deployable and operational." (Tavistock Institute)(Tavistock Institute)

A working definition of cultural change Lasting structural and social changes Lasting structural and social changes

(within an organisation or set of linked (within an organisation or set of linked organisations), PLUSorganisations), PLUS

Lasting changes to the shared ways of Lasting changes to the shared ways of thinking, beliefs, values, procedures and thinking, beliefs, values, procedures and relationships of the stakeholdersrelationships of the stakeholders

Cultural change is not:

technical development or the uptake of technical development or the uptake of electronic resourceselectronic resources

individual information-related behaviourindividual information-related behaviour technical success of failure of a projecttechnical success of failure of a project sending people on training coursessending people on training courses raising awareness of technical raising awareness of technical

developmentsdevelopments

Reasons why we need mobilisation of cultural change To provide a positive orientation to the To provide a positive orientation to the

electronic (or hybrid) libraryelectronic (or hybrid) library Technical developments instigate need for new Technical developments instigate need for new

skills among academic librariansskills among academic librarians Skills and awareness will require constant Skills and awareness will require constant

updating, so new approaches to training requiredupdating, so new approaches to training required New roles required New roles required New attitudes required New attitudes required

Reasons why we need mobilisation of cultural change New relationshipsNew relationships Redefining the information intermediaryRedefining the information intermediary Implications of financial changes (funding)Implications of financial changes (funding) Changes in higher education: shift from Changes in higher education: shift from

teaching to learningteaching to learning

The Stakeholders

In higher education:In higher education: LibrariansLibrarians AcademicsAcademics IT staffIT staff StudentsStudents AdministratorsAdministrators Funding bodiesFunding bodies ParentsParents

The Stakeholders:

PublishersPublishers Subscription agentsSubscription agents BooksellersBooksellers Document delivery agentsDocument delivery agents

The Stakeholders

The local and wider community:The local and wider community: Business and industryBusiness and industry Public librariesPublic libraries TaxpayersTaxpayers

Causal factors in cultural change

Size of projectsSize of projects staffingstaffing fundingfunding durationduration spread of subjectsspread of subjects critical mass of contentcritical mass of content

Causal factors in cultural change

Maturity of projectMaturity of project Degree of innovationDegree of innovation Who runs the projectWho runs the project Training and awarenessTraining and awareness ApproachApproach

‘‘organisation-and-use’ or ‘task-and-technology’organisation-and-use’ or ‘task-and-technology’

Causal factors in cultural change

User expectationsUser expectations Personalities: champions or dragonsPersonalities: champions or dragons Extent of involvement of library staff as a Extent of involvement of library staff as a

wholewhole

Causal factors in cultural change

Levels of organisational commitmentLevels of organisational commitment The institutional contextThe institutional context Organisational usability of productsOrganisational usability of products Communication and terminologyCommunication and terminology

General Initial Findings

Little observable cultural change as yet Little observable cultural change as yet directly resulting from eLib directly resulting from eLib

Projects too over-stretched to consider Projects too over-stretched to consider cultural changecultural change

Late start to evaluation activities meant Late start to evaluation activities meant projects continued to have a heavy technical projects continued to have a heavy technical emphasisemphasis

Training initiatives

Are training initiatives active in mobilising Are training initiatives active in mobilising cultural change or reactive to it?cultural change or reactive to it?

Need to address the convergence issue (new Need to address the convergence issue (new roles and relationships)roles and relationships)

Broader professional awareness, not just a Broader professional awareness, not just a focus on technical expertisefocus on technical expertise eg the importance of the underlying issues of eg the importance of the underlying issues of

copyright and charging mechanismscopyright and charging mechanisms

Training initiatives

A wide range of organisational and A wide range of organisational and managerial 'competencies' managerial 'competencies' Communication skillsCommunication skills Negotiating skillsNegotiating skills Coalition building skillsCoalition building skills Project management skillsProject management skills

Training initiatives

Need for training and awareness to be Need for training and awareness to be aimed at middle managers/budget holdersaimed at middle managers/budget holders

Need to ensure skills can be immediately Need to ensure skills can be immediately put into practiceput into practice

Library schoolsLibrary schools

Librarians as catalysts in the change process Encouraging changes in academics' Encouraging changes in academics'

information use information use Negotiations with publishers/rights ownersNegotiations with publishers/rights owners The importance of providing network The importance of providing network

learner support (eg NetLinkS programme an learner support (eg NetLinkS programme an important catalyst in defining these important catalyst in defining these activities)activities)

Future needs and recommendations need to encourage learning from previous need to encourage learning from previous

work (should be demonstrated in proposal work (should be demonstrated in proposal and onwards)and onwards)

more emphasis needed on human factors, more emphasis needed on human factors, user/organisation-driven approachuser/organisation-driven approach

need to define individual institutional need to define individual institutional context(s) at start of project, and make context(s) at start of project, and make explicit recognition of diversity of institutionsexplicit recognition of diversity of institutions

Future needs and recommendations explicit involvement of library schools, and explicit involvement of library schools, and

feedback into curriculumfeedback into curriculum more T&A aimed at library managers and other more T&A aimed at library managers and other

budget holders within HEIsbudget holders within HEIs more T&A aimed at tackling broader training more T&A aimed at tackling broader training

issuesissues co-ordinated, strategic and grass-roots action co-ordinated, strategic and grass-roots action

regarding publisher relationshipsregarding publisher relationships need for centrally-provided ongoing supportneed for centrally-provided ongoing support

Changing work trends

Flatter hierarchiesFlatter hierarchies Less managementLess management Empowerment of individualsEmpowerment of individuals Trend towards project work rather than Trend towards project work rather than

functional roles functional roles Multidisciplinary nature of jobs (“portfolio Multidisciplinary nature of jobs (“portfolio

skill set”)skill set”)

Changing work trends

Remote, mobile and flexible working patternsRemote, mobile and flexible working patterns Teleworking, business centres, hot-deskingTeleworking, business centres, hot-desking

Sub-contracting/freelance workSub-contracting/freelance work Partnerships and joint ventures, more Partnerships and joint ventures, more

collaborative working collaborative working The learning organisationThe learning organisation Continual changeContinual change