Keeping up quality Information Services during transformation

Purpose: To investigate future scenarios of assessment of Information Services staff performance in South African academic libraries in times of chaos. How chaos affected performance agreements and assessment in specific... [ view full abstract ]

Purpose:

To investigate future scenarios of assessment of Information Services staff performance in South African academic libraries in times of chaos.

• How chaos affected performance agreements and assessment in specific academic libraries?
• How to address change in service delivery performance assessment in SA academic libraries?
• Establish the role of middle management of academic libraries in maintaining quality information services.

Design, methodology or approach:

Exploratory study regarding available literature and a survey of some academic libraries in South Africa. Innovation or creativity follows times of chaos and we need to establish how South African academic libraries can contribute to service delivery in times of chaos. Quality service need to be maintained and middle management need to know how to assess performance during turmoil and drastic change. Perceptions about current trends and actions will be identified with a short survey.

Findings:

We anticipate findings from our literature review and survey. As the current status of drastic change is dynamic and ongoing findings are not yet conclusive.

Conclusions:

Certain recommendations and practical implications may emerge into future scenarios:

• Nothing changes – keep on doing what we do.
• Small adaptions – “We’re just trying to fit the old things into the new form, instead of asking what is the new form going to do to all the assumptions we had before.” (Hichert, 2016).
• Radical change – The extent of change needs to be explored?

Originality and value:

We took our cue from the 14^th Annual Library Symposium, November 2016 (Stellenbosch, South Africa), where the theme was "Shaping the academic library of the future: adapt, empower, partner, engage". We realise that #feesmustfall is reshaping the higher education landscape in South Africa and we need to adapt our processes, empower our students and staff, partner with all stakeholders and engage in discourse on issues that determine the fate of academic libraries.  The ensuing chaos/uncertainty is also impacting on the service delivery of academic libraries and in particular service delivery staff performance assessment.  Therefore new and innovative ways to assess staff performance need to be identified and be part of the conversation in this time of chaos.

References:

Hichert, T. (2016).  How to be ‘future fit’ and manage complexity and uncertainty.  Paper presented at the 14^th Annual Library Symposium. Stellenbosch, South Africa.

Neerputh, S. (2004). Developing guidelines for performance appraisal of subject librarians in KwaZulu-Natal academic libraries. Pietermarizburg: University of kwaZulu-Natal. (Thesis M.I.S.).

Riaz-Mohamed, A. (2015). Uncomfortable about current protests? Embrace your discomfort and be part of social change. Thought Leader. http://thoughtleader.co.za/psyssa/2015/10/22/uncomfortable- about-current-protests-embrace-your-discomfort-and-be-part-of-social-change/

Seeman, C. (2015). “No One Gets Left Behind”: managing library Human Resources during dramatic shifts in Academic Libraries. In Hines, S.S. & Simons, M. (Eds.), Library Staffing for the Future. Bingley: Emerald, pp. 101 – 125.  (Advances in Library Administration and Organization, 34).

Stilwell, C., Bats, R., and Lor, P.J. (2016). Introduction: redefining the role of libraries in the political process and in conflict situations. Library Trends, 65(2), 93-107.