Strike While the Iron Is Hot: Change Management in the Context of a New Political Administration

ABSTRACT

In 2013, the Missouri State Library was restructured due to the election of a new Secretary of State. This article evaluates the library's restructuring using interviews and an analysis of internal and external public records. Presented as a case study, changes to the library are examined in terms of change management and bureaucratic organization. Findings emphasize the value of communication and the impact of placing libraries within politically oriented organizational structures. It is recommended that administrators allow for more autonomy when making decisions that depend on professional knowledge.

KEYWORDS:

• professionalism
• change management
• state libraries
• bureaucracy

Notes

¹Figure tabulated from multiple editions of the Missouri Blue Book.