Successful Change Management in Libraries

• Do you want to be a change leader in your library?
• Would you like to understand and use various models and strategies to manage the challenges of change more effectively?
• Are you interested in helping to build a library culture that is resilient and ready to embrace opportunities?

The world we live in continues to change at a rapid rate. And libraries, which exist at the core of the communities they serve, are constantly changing, too. Changes in libraries are both challenging and inevitable. How we (as organizations and as individuals) address change ultimately determines our success.

Unfortunately, many organizational change efforts fail, often because the “human side” of change is overlooked. People are at the heart of any organization and a change management process that fails to recognize that will likely not succeed. In this course you will learn best practices related to managing change both from a project perspective and more importantly from a people perspective. Focus will be on people-centered strategies to effectively deal with changes and methods for developing more resilient people and organizations so that we no longer just cope with change but actually embrace it.

Instructor Jenifer Shurson notes, "One of the things that really makes this class different from many that are available is the focus on the human processes in response to change and how to help people through though phases or stages. The understanding you will gain regarding how humans experience change or transition differs greatly from an emphasis on change models that traditionally lay out a sort of project management model for change."

During the course, you will learn to:

• Define change and its relevance for libraries.
• Prepare for and manage resistance to change.
• Assess personal and organizational change readiness.
• Nurture resilience in ourselves and in others.
• Apply respected change models to your situations and goals.
• Develop a learning culture that supports ongoing changes.
• Be a change champion in your library!

After completion of this course, you will have a better understanding of change and you will be better prepared to successfully navigate it.

Course Description: This four-week online course will provide weekly readings, practical assignments, and discussion forums for sharing ideas and experiences. The instructor will provide essential resources, best practices, and useful tips and techniques that can be applied immediately in your library. As part of the course, you will be encouraged to ask questions and participate in discussions with others.

Course Outline: When you log in to the Infopeople online learning site, you will see weekly modules with these topics:

• Week 1: Defining Change and Preparing for Resistance
  • Identifying different types of change
  • Preparing for resistance to change
• Week 2: Acknowledging Loss and Building Change Readiness and Resilience
  • Identifying and managing stress related to change
  • Nurturing resilience in ourselves and others
• Week 3: Managing Change and Transitions
  • Applying change models to changes in your library
  • Strategically communicating about changes
• Week 4: Embracing and Sustaining Change
  • How to be a change champion in your library
  • Learning organizations and change

Pre-course Assignment: None.

Time Required: To complete this course, you can expect to spend 2 ½ hours per week, for a total of ten course hours. Each week's module contains a brief recorded presentation, readings and various options for assignments and discussions. You can choose the options most relevant to your work and interests. Although you can work on each module at your own pace, at any hour of the day or night, it is recommended that you complete each week's work within that week to stay in sync with other learners.

Who Should Take This Course: Library leaders, managers, supervisors and those involved with and impacted by library changes.

Online Learning Details and System Requirements may be found at: infopeople.org/training/online_learning_details.

After the official end date for the course, the instructor will be available for limited consultation and support for two more weeks, and the course material will stay up for an additional two weeks after that. These extra weeks give those who have fallen behind time to work independently to complete the course.

Keywords: leadership, change management