Every Step You Change: A Process of Change and Ongoing Management

ABSTRACT

Established services have the benefit of experienced and knowledgeable staff, confirmed money streams, designated space and resources, and recognized links to users and stakeholders. So when change needs to happen, it requires a great deal of patience, skill, and an unwavering belief in a better future. After more than 30 years operating in a large academic institution, a distance education (DE) library service needed change. Services needed to be added, resources needed to be improved, and overall processes needed to be streamlined and upgraded. This article will reveal the dramatic changes that occurred over the span of 6 months to change this service from an office literally drowning in paper with a “this-is-the-way-we've-always-done-things” orientation to a new paperless service with a Web-based request, monitoring, and statistical tracking system. Screen shots demonstrate how staff track requests and keep separate records for library and distance education departmental reporting purposes.