Agile Management Strategies for Success in Rapidly Changing Times:

an Australian University Library perspective

Andrew Wells, University Librarian

LIASA 2013

Outline - part 1

• Agility

– What is it?

• Agile management

– The concept

– Does it apply to libraries?

Outline - part 2

• Agile management and Australian university libraries

– The higher education system in Australia

– Examples of agile approaches

• Case study – UNSW Library

– Enabling agile approaches

Agile

• Adaptive

• Flexible

• Responsive

• Can change rapidly

• Are libraries agile?

Five ‘ways’ of agile management

1. Use peripheral vision

2. Encourage dissent

3. Experiment

4. Simplify and flatten

5. Act quickly

Australian higher education

• 39 Australian universities (population = 23 million)

• 3% of total university expenditure on libraries (2010)

• Was 3.4% in 1996

• Enrolments increased 60% between 2000 and 2010

• Library spend per student decreasing

Digital Transition

• Electronic preferred policies from early 2000s

• Stop taking print: release space

• Study seats increased 26% over a decade

• An example of Using peripheral vision (1st way)

• An example of Experimenting (3rd way)

Repositories and the future

• Australian Digital Theses Program 2001

• Repository projects – ARROW 2004-2008

• Research data management – ANDS

• Libraries used peripheral vision

• Lots of experimentation

UNSW and UNSW Library

• Major research-intensive university

• Large enrolment growth

• Special library structure in print environment

• Needed to simplify structure

• Example of Simplify and flatten (4th way)

Scenario planning

• A slow process, not agile! Some dissent (2nd way)

• Reduce duplication across special libraries

• Address major changes in information environment

• Move resources away from print to digital services

• Abolished special libraries

New structure

• Simple

• No ‘front-room/back-room’

• Structure reflects importance of digital information

• Simplify and flatten (4th way) has led to use of agile

management techniques

No service desks

• Help Zone

• Use peripheral vision (1st way)

• Learn from customer service models in other places

• Implemented quickly (5th way)

Self-help

• Self-help suits online environment

• 90% of borrowing is self-help

• RightNow software

• Knowledge Base develops in response to client needs

Stop doing things

• No information literacy classes

• Develop new services

– Research impact

– Research data management

– Research publications management

– Direct support for academic staff

• Find resources to experiment (3rd way)