Restructuring the university library to meet a customer service environment : a New Zealand perspective

Abstract

The literature on academic librarianship over the past decade shows a growing trend in emphasis placed upon the modification or changing of the traditional organisation structure of university libraries. This process is also known as "restructuring". Scattered among the numerous restructuring efforts documented so far, are not only the discussions of the various factors and reasons underlying such a change, but also the ways university libraries are going about the change(s). However, the case studies do not as yet document any New Zealand experiences.Taking into account this restructuring trend, and specifically the omission of any New Zealandexperiences, this study, conducted over two trimesters proposed to explore if and how university libraries in New Zealand are changing their organisational structures.Firstly, the author wanted to know whether New Zealand university libraries are changing their organisational structures. Secondly, the author wanted to find out how university libraries in New Zealand are changing their organisational structures, if they were doing so. Thirdly, the author wanted to find out the underlying reason(s) for the restructure,if any were being carried out. Fourthly, the author wanted to find out whetherthere were any common characteristics underlying the changes. Finally, the author wanted to find out whether the changes (if any) have been successful.The literature of academic librarianship has been filled with articles discussing restructuring, but have the organisational structures of university libraries actually changed over the past decade? There has been a great deal written about the need to modify structures, but are new models emerging that will allow university libraries to be successful in the future? This study will explore if there are new models emerging in the study of New Zealand university libraries