The Management of Change and Improvement in Academic Library Performance.

As academic libraries increase in size and become more complex, their organization tends to become more bureaucratic in nature and resistant to change. This paper describes a range of both internal and external strategies which have been used to introduce constructive change into the management of academic libraries in North America and the major consequences of the change which emphasizes: the need for particular ideas and resources; the effectiveness of several programs of collective management; the need for organizations to attain a certain level of development before successfully introducing major changes; the leadership requirements of the process; and the need for rational, effective staff involvement in the process. (Author/KKC)