But This Is How We Have Always Done It: Overcoming Resistance to Change in the Quest to Support Distance Learners

Abstract

The Standards for Distance Learning Library Services created by the Association of College and Research Libraries asks the distance learning librarian to be an advocate for an institutional culture of support for distance learners. The Standards make it clear that the distance learning librarian must initiate and participate in institution-wide projects. However, both individuals and organizations in which they serve struggle with change, and such resistance to change is a major barrier to creating a supportive institutional culture and convincing colleagues to participate in collaborative projects. Librarians using the Standards to guide their work must understand how to strategically manage resistance to change. This article will discuss how one online learning librarian used leadership and project management practices to address resistance to change in the library organization and across the college. It gives practical recommendations for leadership and project management skills that will help distance learning librarians and others working to enact the Standards at their academic institutions.

Keywords:

• Leadership skills; resistance to change; academic libraries; leading change; distance learning; project management; project management skills; leadership