Choosing Our Futures … Still!

ABSTRACT

In 1997 the Association of College and Research Libraries held a national conference on “Choosing Our Futures.” The conference challenged libraries to make changes and shape their own destinies. Fifteen years later, it is no less imperative for academic libraries to evolve, adapt, and transform. This article examines the dynamics of change and what makes it so challenging to accomplish. It looks to the business world for ideas, inspiration, and innovations. It examines what libraries can proactively do to lead change and to choose their futures.

KEYWORDS:

• academic libraries
• best practices
• change management
• innovation
• leadership
• library management

Acknowledgments

Carla J. Stoffle was scheduled to present this article with Cheryl Cuillier, but Stoffle was unable to attend the conference.

Notes

1. See “The Entrepreneurial Imperative Advancing from Incremental to Radical Change in the Academic Library” by James G. Neal in the January 2001 issue of portal: Libraries and the Academy.