A qualitative survey for the academic libraries in the throes of a great recession

Abstract

Abstract. Over the last years the economic crisis affected the wide range of activities and services that Academic Libraries provide. On the other hand the demand for such services is increasing due to the reduced individual income of the librarie's users. The management of libraries is sometimes forced to make agonizing decisions regarding further shrinkage or/and mergers. An alternative to this scenario involves a strategy for advocating the value and developing alliances and collaborations among the Academic Libraries. The paper focuses on academic libraries in Greece during the economic crisis of the last five years with the aim to investigate problems and difficulties as well as challenges; changes brought about are discussed proposing at the same time a framework not only for overcoming the difficulties but also for exploiting the new opportunities. Initially, an overview of the role and function of academic libraries is presented with emphasis on their social character. Key leadership issues are explored in the context of on going restructuring attempts in order to establish viable operational models for academic institutions.

Business Process Management Analysis with Cost Information in Public Organizations: A Case Study at an Academic Library

“…Public sector organizations, such as academic libraries, are compelled to provide firstclass services despite their limited funding. Academic libraries have experienced significant cost reductions over the last decade due to reduced financial resources and digitalization of services [1][2][3]. The libraries' managers need to adopt cost saving techniques and analyze process costs to manage this challenge.…”