Dean of Libraries Carla Stoffle arrives at the University of Arizona on the heels of severe budget and personnel cuts which have been compounded by years of benign university neglect. As a result, the library has not kept pace with technology, there is no integrated online system, and staff morale is at an all-time low. Stoffle and her colleagues work to transform the library from a hierarchical institution driven by budget constraints to a team-based, customer-focused learning organization that views the budget as a tool for implementing priorities. Through a collaborative strategic planning process, the library eliminates a department-based structure and implements a system of teams organized by customer group/function and vested with decision-making authority. These changes are accompanied by a new peer review system and ongoing training on the use of data for planning and assessment. Stoffle also strengthens relationships with other campus stakeholders and develops budget-saving partnerships with outside vendors. In a fiscal environment of chronic underfunding and understaffing, the new structure enables the library to improve quality and service delivery while remaining flexible and responsive.
Subjects: Reorganization; Strategic Planning
Setting: Large Public
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