Changing an organisation's culture: enhance your library's ability to change and be innovative

Abstract

Libraries are facing rapid political, social, economic and technological change. The challenge for today's library manager is to create an organisation which can not only respond to these changes but create change through innovation. Through adaptability and innovation libraries can retain their vitality and effectiveness as service organisations. Organisational culture, that is the organisation's vision, common values and assumptions, and the rituals, symbols and myths which support these, can be managed to allow an organisation to respond to the challenges of the 90s. Through a structured change process involving assessment of the organisation's existing culture, setting a new vision for the organisation may create a culture which is responsive to change and innovative.