Relocation or Dislocation: Optimizing Change in Technical Services

Abstract

The relocation of library technical services units' workspace can become an opportunity to reassess all aspects of workflow, physical layout, and work environment. When the Resource Services Department of the George A. Smathers Libraries suddenly lost one-third of its workspace to a new Digital Library Center, the managers and staff learned valuable lessons about optimizing change. Relocation can be a difficult time for staff, but staff involvement, good communication, and positive attitudes can help everyone survive and perhaps gain from the experience. This article discusses the various strategies and methods used by the department to make the most of a relocation situation while maximizing outcomes.

When Preservation Moves Off Campus

“…2 Williams and colleagues outlined the challenges, changes, and opportunities they faced during a 2000 relocation of the Resource Services Department (RSD) at the University of Florida. 3 While the relocation of the RSD, which consisted of contributed cataloging, acquisitions, and central bibliographic services units, was within one building and not off campus, the staff of the department faced many of the same issues confronting those making a more significant geographical change. The authors discussed space planning, workflow interruptions, and the deeper issues of personal loss and other emotions engendered by such a move.…”