New Library World

Emerald Article: Academic libraries and information technology Bruce E. Massis

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To cite this document: Bruce E. Massis, (2011),"Academic libraries and information technology", New Library World, Vol. 112 Iss: 1 pp. 86 - 89 Permanent link to this document: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/03074801111100481 Downloaded on: 25-05-2012 References: This document contains references to 17 other documents To copy this document: permissions@emeraldinsight.com This document has been downloaded 2138 times.

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NLW 112,1/2

WHATS NEW IN LIBRARIES

Academic libraries and information technology

Bruce E. Massis
Educational Resources Center, Columbus State Community College, Columbus, Ohio USA
Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss the convergence of the academic library and the information technology departments regarding whether this is, as has been suggested, an arranged marriage or a synchronous melding of two related services, and to establish an awareness of the various models resulting from this concept. Design/methodology/approach The approach takes the form of a literature review and commentary on this topic that has been addressed by colleagues. Findings Findings suggest that there are several models of service that have been developed out of this concept resulting in varying levels of acceptance and success. Originality/value The value in addressing this issue is to create an awareness of the issue of convergence of the academic library with the IT entity on a college campus. Keywords Academic libraries, Information technology, Librarians, Colleges Paper type Viewpoint

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Introduction As early as 1990, published articles began to appear advocating the convergence of the academic library and the information technology unit on a college campus. Even earlier, in the 1980s, the position of Chief Information Ofcer (CIO) was created to serve as the leader of the then emerging unit known alternately as the information technology department, computing services, or in several instances, information services. That particular terminology rankled librarians in the way the library applied it and in the manner by which the information technology department chose to use it. While the word information was applied to the actual naming of the information technology department, the primary focus was on technology rather than information. Then, information technology entities began to shorten the two terms to the now commonly used acronym IT and it became the popular identier for that entity to address the word technology, thus leaving behind the word information primarily in the bailiwick of the library. Because the words information services were tossed into the mix, the librarians on campus took particular notice. After all, that was their area of expertise and librarians could not dene the librarys mission related solely to technology. Technology was simply a tool for libraries, not unlike any other
New Library World Vol. 112 No. 1/2, 2011 pp. 86-89 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited 0307-4803 DOI 10.1108/03074801111100481

The author would like to acknowledge the following colleagues who provided invaluable comments for background on this column: Adrian Alexander, Megan Fitch, Todd Kelley, Tracey Leger-Hornby, Deborah Ludwig and Jeffrey L. Russell. The author would like to extend his special thanks to his good friend and colleague, Linda Landis, who inspired his research for this column.

tool used to support students and the curriculum. What did this competing service have to do with information, other than provide electronic access to acquire it? In many institutions, the division was perceptible. . . . it appeared that these consulting functions would be the hardest areas to merge because of social and cultural differences in the two professions (Oden et al., 2001). The librarys mission is to serve as the information provider on campus and the IT departments mission is to support the technology systems on campus and manage a technological infrastructure used by the library to deliver that information. From the library perspective the obvious partners were primarily the faculty, and in the model whereby the library sat under the academic side of the house the convergence of the library and IT services made little sense. Technology was not going to replace library services, but it would be used as an important method to facilitate fullling its mission. Could a convergence then of two such services actually serve the students and faculty with greater efciencies? With this question posed to college administrations, the discussion turned to actions. An arranged marriage? (Hwang, 2007) From a library administrators perspective, one where effective and responsible management is necessary to consider potential convergences from a cost-savings perspective, was there enough evidence to indicate that this merge could be successful? Also, could resources be reallocated as an outcome of such a convergence resulting in greater efciencies to better serve students and faculty? It certainly appeared to some administrators that this convergence could indeed provide those efciencies. However, to both the library and IT, in some institutions, it was still viewed as more of an arranged marriage than a love-match. One opinion emerged suggesting that:
. . . mergers have been pursued just to gain access to the librarys physical space and budget to support the college IT infrastructure, which most institutions are struggling to fund adequately. There are synergies that can be realized between libraries and IT shops, but largely the similarities are in the management concerns of the two entities (staff and budget size, keeping desks covered, etc) It is a terrible mistake to try to make a library into an IT operation, or vice versa (Stahl, 2008).

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On the other hand, while not an overwhelming transformation across most colleges, there have been more than enough successful examples of the converged model that have been developed to indicate that while such a convergence may not be acceptable in all institutions of higher education, it can prove effective in others. Converged models In the years that have followed those initial discussions of convergence, a number of successful models have emerged. According to the most recent annual Core Data Service, published by EDUCAUSE, the percentage of the approximately 900 colleges and universities reporting indicated that 14 percent of libraries in two-year institutions and 18 percent of libraries in four-year institutions report to the IT Leader (EDUCAUSE, 2008) pointing toward the converged model of service. Of course, that also implies that 86 percent of two-year institutions and 82 percent of four-year institutions reporting do not subscribe to the converged model. Among those are a

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small number of institutions which would have previously reported subscribing to the merged model but which have returned to their individual departmental structure. Interestingly, the leadership of these mergers can come from either department, with support from the administration and the faculty. A number of mergers are happening at small liberal-arts colleges after take-charge leaders usually CIOs arrive and see traditional boundaries between library and technology work blurring (Foster, 2008). Also, whether or not the merged model is successful at an institution can be linked to a number of factors.
. . . the reasons can depend upon the talent that an organization has (or hasnt), organizational goals and situations (nancial and other), leadership (especially Presidential and Vice Presidential level), and the organizational culture (and subcultures) (Kelley, 2010).

While in some examples, the CIO is in charge of the combined entity, it has also been posited that, in some cases, however, . . . the library director becomes head of the combined operation (Pakala, 2008). The models of the merged services range from a simple convergence of the two departments, to a three-way model where, although converged, are actually split between the library, IT supporting the college and IT supporting the academic departments, or another three-way model where the college has, . . . merged the Library, Media and IT . . . (Russell, 2010). An example of an even more varied model has been established wherein one group manages the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, another handles desktop support, still another manages laboratory support, and yet another supports the library and academic computing services, all under the same merged unit and reporting to the CIO. Summary While there have been some instances where certain converged models have found themselves decoupled over the years, returning to their individual missions and re-positioned as individual departments, there is a visible benet to the converged model. An example of that would consist of greater reliance on the shared strengths that each unit brings to the table, rather than approaching it simply as a marriage of convenience in order to produce a cost saving, which can bring with it an enhanced level of academic benet to the students and faculty. Given the evolution of the electronic frontier and its effect on the learning tools used by students and faculty to serve their information needs, it may be possible to consider one of these converged service models to ensure that student learning is effectively supported at every level and cost efciencies that can be realized by the institution as well, thus providing a double benet.
References EDUCAUSE (2008), Core Data Service, available at: http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ PUB8006.pdf (accessed September 6, 2010). Foster, A. (2008), Strains and joys color mergers between libraries and tech units, The Chronicle of Higher Education (Section: Money & Management), Vol. 54 No. 19, p. A1. Hwang, C.J. (2007), Why us? Arranged marriage: libraries and computer centers, Library Management, Vol. 28 Nos 8/9, p. 540.

Kelley, T. (2010), Library/IT convergence question, September 1, Message posted to www. educause.edu/groups/libit Oden, R.H. Jr, Temple, D.B., Cittrell, J.R., Griggs, R.K., Turney, G.T. and Wojcik, F.M. (2001), Merging library and computing services at Kenyon College: a progress report, Educause Quarterly, No. 4, p. 19. Pakala, J.C. (2008), Libraries, IT units, and Google (letters to the Editor), The Chronicle of Higher Education (The Chronicle Review), Vol. 54 No. 22, p. A35. Russell, J. (2010), Library/IT convergence question, September 6, message posted to: www. educause.edu/groups/libit Stahl, B. (2008), IT-library mergers require good leaders (letters to the Editor), The Chronicle of Higher Education (The Chronicle Review), Vol. 54 No. 23, p. A39. Further reading Breivik, P.S. and Gee, E.G. (2006), Higher Education in the Internet Age: Libraries Creating a Strategic Edge, ACE/Praeger Series on Higher Education, Greenwood, Westport, CT. Campbell, J. (2006), Changing a cultural icon: the academic library as a virtual destination, Educause Review, Vol. 41 No. 1, pp. 16-31. Dickerson, C., Kuerbis, P. and Stiles, R. (2007), Learning Centers, Libraries, and IT: providing integrated support services in a learning commons, Educause Center for Applied Research. Research Bulletin, Vol. 7 No. 5, 10 pages. Ferguson, C., Spencer, G. and Metz, T. (2004), Greater than the sum of its parts: the integrated IT/Library organization, Educause Review, Vol. 39 No. 3, pp. 38-47. Hirshon, A. (1998), Integrating Computing and Library Services: An Administrative Planning and Implementation Guide for Information Resources, CAUSE Professional Paper Series, No. 18, CAUSE, Boulder, CO. Ludwig, D. and Bullington, J. (2007), Libraries and IT: are we there yet?, Reference Services Review, Vol. 35 No. 3, pp. 360-78. Lynch, C. (2000), From automation to transformation: forty years of libraries and information technology in higher education, Educause Review, Vol. 35 No. 1, pp. 60-8. McKinzie, S. (2007), Library and IT mergers: how successful are they?, Reference Services Review, Vol. 35 No. 3, pp. 340-3. Rosser, J. and Penrod, J.I. (1990), Computing and libraries: a partnership past due, Cause/Effect, Vol. 13 No. 2. Corresponding author Bruce E. Massis can be contacted at: bmassis@hotmail.com

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