Changing Libraries: Facilitating Self-Reflection and Action Research on Organizational Change in Academic Libraries

Abstract

Visualization and mapping techniques can build a dynamic picture of information practices, including action research, within libraries, raising awareness of how the information landscape at each library may both support and retard research into the library's information practices. These techniques have implications for researchers as they generate richer data than interview or survey techniques, or methods that only take one “snapshot” of the state of practice. The data are also available to participants immediately, thus, allow for co-operative inquiry to take place in the library. Examples are offered from a project under way in two Norwegian academic libraries.

KEYWORDS:

• collaboration
• human resources
• library staff development
• management