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LM
27,6/7
486
Received 29 May 2006
Revised 7 June 2006
Accepted 18 June 2006
Library Management
Vol. 27 No. 6/7, 2006
pp. 486-493
q Emerald Group Publishing Limited
0143-5124
DOI 10.1108/01435120610702468
Developing corporate culture in
the Indian university libraries
Problems and challenges of change
management
I.V. Malhan
Department of Library Science, University of Jammu, Jammu (Tawi), India
Abstract
Purpose – This paper discusses the problems and challenges of change management in the
university libraries to facilitate their growth, resources management and service performance similar
to the work culture of the corporate sector.
Design/methodology/approach – Discusses the changing face of Indian university libraries.
Describes the developing corporate culture in the university libraries and explores the ways the
university libraries can manage change. Presents a case study of managing change at the University of
Jammu Library.
Findings – This study reveals the complexities of change management in the university libraries and
indicates that the university leadership, the library manager, and the professional staff play a key role
in affecting change in the university libraries. Highlights that change management and staff
development go hand in hand. The paper points to the fact that evaluation and review processes of the
universities for accreditation, grading, and certification also help to a great extent to facilitate and
manage change. The university libraries may adopt the work culture of the corporate sector for
building their collections, managing their finances, training their staff, upgrading their technologies,
ameliorating their operations, but for rendering their services they must ensure humanism in practice.
Originality/value – Problem areas identified and strategies tested provide an important input to the
university librarians for effectively managing change in the university libraries.
Keywords India, Organizational culture, University libraries, Change management
Paper type General review
Introduction
Educational institutions around the world are undergoing a change and competing like
business enterprises. Educational revolution is taking place in India too and all kinds
and levels of educational institutions are mushrooming all over the country. Slow pace
of changes in a number of government institutions has encouraged the private sector to
invest in educational infrastructure, impart quality education, and take advantage of
this great business opportunity. In the public sector too a few institutions of excellence
exist in the area of engineering, management and science education, e.g. IITs, IIMs,
NITs, IISc. These institutions have excellent infrastructure, follow rigorous evaluation
system for admissions, impart state of the art education, witness 100 percent job
placement of students, and contribute to the talent pool of the county. Their graduates
are in demand all over the world. Many foreign companies are also setting up their
R&D Centres in India because of the availability of highly competent engineering and
management manpower and comparatively low cost of running such centers.
 Because of globalization, growing competition in the higher education sector and Corporate culture
external pressure of market forces, the universities are undergoing change to stay in university
current and competitive in their areas of operation. Every component of the university
in general and library and information services in particular is undergoing libraries
metamorphosis. They face funding problems as the cost of running them is
constantly going up and the demands for developing additional resources and facilities
and rendering more services are also ever growing. Universities are therefore, almost 487
developing a corporate culture of management to cut costs, eliminate redundant
functions, achieve their objectives through effective management and care for their
customers. Changes in the universities that are mainly triggered by the developments
in information and communication technologies and fueled by the internet, profoundly
influence the way the universities function and perform difference jobs.
With the growing importance of management of knowledge resources and
providing knowledge-based solutions to various problems, the university libraries are
supposed to play a pivotal role in the university instead of the peripheral role of
assisting in information search and making available the documents having relevant
information. Ongoing advancements in ICTs and the growing necessity of managing
knowledge resources have influenced almost every facet of university libraries and set
the process of restructuring, finding new models of planning of these organizations and
remodeling of their services keeping in view the new possibilities of meeting users
information demands and providing greater conveniences to them. Because of
accelerated pace of electronic publishing, digitization of documents, development of
library networks and growing emphasis on the internet-based library services,
providing just in time access to information on any subject is not a problem for
university libraries. Quality filtering of enormous volume of information and
trafficking the high quality information to work processes and information user
communities of the university is in fact now a major challenge for university libraries.
In the highly competitive and growing market of electronic information resources, an
important area for concern for libraries is, to how to individually or collectively and
cost effectively acquire the best of information products and services. As electronic
archives are being built and made available online, libraries are doing away with
archival role for such information sources and buying online access for them instead of
buying the source. On the basis of frequency of use of certain resources, the libraries
are also considering paying as per usage instead of acquiring a source of information.
A lot of useful information also exists in the open access electronic information
resources and university libraries can collaboratively track, evaluate and pick up
sources of common concern and thus create virtual information repositories designed
and customized according to their requirements.

Changing face of Indian university libraries

University libraries in India are hybrid libraries and will continue to act as brick and
mortar libraries along with click and mortar libraries although the mix between paper
and electronic materials will shift somewhat in the passage of time. Majority of the
university libraries offer internet facilities to their users and some are having their web
sites and offering web-based library and information services. The UGC’s Information
and Library Network (INFLIBNET) provided initial grants and manpower to most
Indian university libraries to initiate their automation work. These libraries are now
LM integrated with the INFLIBNET. Some of them also have connectivity with the
27,6/7 Developing Library Network (DELNET). Following the consortia approach, the UGC
has also made available the access to a large number of costly ejournals to Indian
universities under its Infonet programme along with necessary hardware such as
V-SAT connectivity to these universities. A number of universities have also spent
enormous amounts of money from their own resources to fully automate their
488 operations and introduce RFID technology, e.g. University of Pune, University of
Jammu.
The Indian university libraries are in the process of restructuring their facilities and
work processes, remodeling their functions and re-engineering their services to
facilitate their enhanced role in the new information environment. A number of
libraries are digitizing their uniquely held collections. To facilitate compact storage of
information, they are even converting their print archives of information to CD-ROMs
and DVD-ROMs. Development of databases, application of expert systems, mobile
computing and more focused flow of specific information through intranets is likely to
have further impact the way services are offered to information user communities.
Several Indian networked university libraries have achieved the level of providing
any information just at the time of demand. However, they are yet to initiate the next
level of much desired service, i.e. just in time delivery of most appropriate and high
quality information at the place where desired. University libraries handle scholarly
information. Ontime delivery of any academic information anywhere is important.
However, for the dissemination of information in the university library environment,
the relevance and quality of information is equally important. Negroponte (1994)
writes, “some of the world’s senior cellular telephone executives recite this jingle,
‘anything, anywhere, anytime’ . . . . when I hear this mantra I try not to choke, because
my goal is to have ‘nothing, nowhere, never,’ unless it is timely, important, amusing,
relevant, or capable of engaging my imagination.” In the present information
environment, both medium and message are important. User communities are
themselves accessing the global information resources and chatting with their
colleagues abroad through the Internet medium, university libraries have a challenge
to provide worthwhile, qualitative, most engaging, motivating and interesting
information which even helps to integrate ideas, links related information and create
insights for the generation of new knowledge. In the ever-growing ocean of information
hooking and fishing out the worthwhile ideas and information is not a simple task. The
challenge for the university libraries is to separate relevant qualitative information
from trash and make this information available on time to help information user
communities to do and accomplish their tasks at hand.
As a lot of electronic information is available in unbundled form, repacking of
information according to institutional needs and its customization as per users’
requirements may become an important activity of university libraries. In the
anticipated future, these libraries will not only be under pressure to invent new
information products but also be innovating new services which ensure timely access
to information according to requirements and conveniences of various categories of
users. Maintaining unique and high quality collections, creation and marketing of
databases of regional information and indigenous knowledge, constantly adding value
and improving quality of services will be critical for Indian university libraries for their
very survival in the internet era.
 Indian university libraries also face a great challenge of preparing and empowering Corporate culture
information user communities by imparting need-based information literacy. For in university
decades, India has not been able to make effective use of its manpower because of
illiteracy. India will not be able to make most effective use of its literate manpower libraries
without imparting information literacy. The Indian university libraries are required to
launch massive movement and programmes for imparting information literacy to
enhance the capacities and competence of information users to make more effective use 489
of information resources and services.
Library and information personnel play a key role in the development of resources
and services of university libraries. Because of fluid information environment and
rapidly changing work performance requirements, skill and competency gap is often
created in employees. “Any large organization today has to survive, grow and prosper
in a highly competitive, dynamic, rapidly changing complex environment, where
human obsolescence is as common as that of machines and where survival is only of
the fittest” (Bhatia and Singh, 2000). To maintain the competitive level of university
library professionals, continuing education and need-based training of library staff will
be important requirement. Continuing education and training of staff will not only help
to enhance their capacity for work performance and ensure efficiency but also help to
quickly adopt and properly adapt with new information handling methods, knowledge
management tools and technologies and make effective use of contemporary
information systems and services. Keeping in view the ever-expanding operations of
libraries and new kind of service demands on one hand and limited financial resource
on the other, libraries are developing a corporate culture of management.

Developing corporate culture in university libraries

For the university libraries undergoing restructuring, management issues are now as
important as technical processes and operations. Libraries are developing their mission
statements, objectives and strategies to cut costs and enhance services, they are
reorienting their services keeping in view their customers requirements. They are
trying to have strategic alliances with other libraries for building collections and
providing enhanced services to their users through resource sharing. Privatization of
some of the sections, e.g. reprography and the internet access is just happening at some
libraries to improve efficiency, eliminate problems and achieve the desired quality of
work. To achieve the time targets of project-based work, some libraries are even
getting the work done through outsourcing, e.g. retro conversion of card catalogues,
introduction of RFID technology. As information technology products and equipment
soon become obsolete, the libraries may have to keep provisions for a recurring budget
for up gradation of existing and acquisition of new products and equipment. Fund
raising, fee-based services, zero-based budgeting, and the most appropriate use of the
available financial resources will be very important. The rigid hierarchical structure of
staff positions may be let loose to more flat management in the interest of greater flow
of information between various staff positions. Spatial management of staff is gaining
ground because it is being increasingly recognized that knowledge and expertise reside
in the mind of every human being and not just the prerogative of high fliers.
As the information products and services are volatile in nature and their value
changes with time, their timely promotion and delivery will be extremely important.
University libraries are now operating like corporate houses because information
LM deliveries are supposed to be on time, promises are to be kept, libraries’ monopolistic
27,6/7 practices for information supply are over as they are now supposed to compete with
rival information channels and services and growing privatization of even library
heritage is being witnessed. Libraries are also monitoring quality of their services and
trying to achieve the objective of international standards, e.g. IIT, Madras, University
of Jammu, Jammu. In their constant endeavor to achieve quality, libraries are trying to
490 have six-sigma performance in the process of information requested and information
supplied. They are also keeping strategies in place to deal with changes in the external
environment as well as internal functioning of universities and undergoing changes
accordingly. The greatest challenge before the university libraries is in fact
management of change.

Managing change in Indian university libraries

Rigid management principles cannot be laid down for managing change in university
libraries because every university library has its own organizational culture and there
are variations because of their existence in diverse cultural settings, variations in
leadership and priorities and levels of financial support available. However, there are
some helpful strategies, which can help to manage change for the better performance of
university libraries. In the first place there should be firm commitment on the part of
the university leader to develop and sustain a state-of-the-art university library system.
The leader will not do any miracles but can accelerate the process of change by
constituting staff teams and by personally monitoring the modernization work of the
library.
Management of change for the better is also made possible through change of
organization’s culture and organization’s behaviour. This involves change in ways the
things are handled and done. As the morality moves head downwards, the university
librarian himself should set examples of good practices and relentlessly contribute to
developing and fostering excellent work environment in the library and good working
relations among its employees. If the senior staff members are serious in their duties
and offer good guidance and directions, the others automatically mend their ways and
do the desired jobs. The factors which hinder work and create impediments in the
change process should be identified by the University librarian and his management
team and eliminated through the process of appropriate planning and strategy making.
The process of change can also be initiated and executed by continuous training of
library personnel enhancing their skills and increasing their competencies regarding
new methods of handling information. Training processes have helped a lot in
introduction of ICTs in the university libraries. In case staff is not able to handle
machines, development of ICT infrastructure is of no use, as machines remain idling at
work places. When staff is trained in handling machines and new methods of
information acquisition, processing and dissemination, the machines and new
techniques of handling information automatically get integrated in their work culture.
Change in the library environment, work processes and services can also be
facilitated through marketing approach. The basic principle of marketing is in the first
place create a demand for new kind of goods and services. When users are exposed to
new methods of accessing information and introduced to new techniques and
technologies through information literacy, they demand such services. As most
libraries now plan and execute customer need-focused services, they introduce changes
as desired by information user communities. Library customers’ enhancement of Corporate culture
information skills and competencies therefore put an indirect pressure on the library to in university
change and organize services as per customers’ needs and aspirations.
Information users have access to alternative information channels. They often libraries
measure the information value received against time spent. They desire quality and
timely delivery of information and even do not mind to pay for their services when
quality and saving of time is ensured. The success of a private company, namely ITC, 491
to provide agriculture information in Indian villages through e-choupal internet-based
service amply indicates that users prefer higher value. University libraries may face
immense competition from private information providers, e.g. Amazon.com has
announced a plan to sell books chapter by chapter and page by page, Google is
digitizing important books and making these available on the internet. Individual
university libraries cannot meet this massive challenge and national cooperatives like
INFLIBNET have means and mechanisms to meet this challenge provided the
necessary collaboration and desired level of coordination is facilitated. Change is also
thus facilitated when national level information systems such as INFLIBNET direct
the libraries to follow uniform standards and develop common minimum facilities.
Some university libraries let the change take place as a part of organizational
development. Because the university itself is modernizing and restructuring to meet
the new challenges and competition in higher education, its library is also changing to
meet the mission, goals and objectives of the university. In such cases strategic plans
are developed for better performance, efficiency and quality of work and services in all
the units and sub-units of the university and thus the university library also undergoes
change as a part of university level changes.
Change process is smoothed when all employees are willing to actively participate,
leader is interested to personally review the progress and managers are taking all
necessary initiatives and constantly learning. Kanter (1999) says, “Just as . . . athletes
must be willing to learn, accept the guidance of coaches, constantly be in training and
always alert to the possibility of improvement in their techniques, so must [managers]
be willing to learn.”

Case study of the University of Jammu Library

Managing change at the university of Jammu Library, to make it a state-of-the-art
university library was not an easy task. The major resistance came from some of the
frontline employees who could also easily influence junior employees in favour of their
opinion. There was no organizational culture to innovate and do something better and
even sometimes the basic library services were not available. The nature of library
service is in fact such that if we do it there is no end to it, if we do not do it, it does not
stop as users themselves struggle to find the requisite documents and information. The
library workforce did not care for modernization and improvement of the library. The
grants provided for automation of the library by the INFLIBNET were lying unutilized
for quite some time. Under such a background the university authority and library
management determined to bring about changes and modernize the University of
Jammu library system.
After environmental scanning and swot analysis, it was noticed that library
personnel morale and motivation level was very low. The reasons were investigated
and it was found that a reasonable recognition and reward system did not exist in the
LM library system. Some of the library personnel were not promoted and continued their
27,6/7 work under the same job designation for more than 25 years. Young recruits while
looking at the fate of such frontline employees also lost enthusiasm and desired
motivation for making the institution a better place to serve.
After analyzing the situation, the authorities recommended promotions and
better salary scales for frontline employees and also initiated steps for promotion
492 of other junior employees so that everyone may get his/her due. These decisions
and actions actually set the process of change of library’s organizational culture
and organizational behaviour. Along with promotions, however, a charter of duties
was also issued for greater accountability of library staff. In the meantime
National Accreditation and Assessment Council (NAAC) Committee of UGC
announced its visit to the university for its evaluation and rating. The library staff
worked in a team spirit to enhance the image of the library and improve its
functioning. Encouraged by the staff’s participation, authorities desired to depute
staff for conferences, seminars and staff trainings besides arranging in house
training to increase the awareness and enhance the skills and competencies of the
staff. Jammu University Library Staff Association (JULSA) was founded where the
staff could openly share their views and concerns and discuss their own
development as well as the development of the university library.
The second phase of change in the library occurred as a part of organizational
development and change. The university of Jammu applied for ISO certification and
before review process takes place, all the components of the university including its
library must be of world class standards. The full credit for second phase of change
goes to the university leader. The Vice-Chancellor himself paid several visits to the
library and took on the spot decisions which hastened the process of change. The
library formulated its mission statement, objectives and strategies to achieve these. In
the process it introduced RFID technology, developed its intranet, automated various
library operations, improved general facilities, restructured physical space for greater
users comforts, set up the Internet Lab and Edusat Lab. The university got the ISO
certification while users got access to a most modern library. The University of Jammu
library now has an inviting building space like a great corporate house but it is
rendering its services with a humanistic touch. Its manager is not considering himself
as a man of success, but rather what Albert Einstein said, become a man of value.

Conclusions
Rapid changes are taking place in the information environment and managing change
in the libraries and information centers is the greatest challenge of libraries. Library
personnel play key role in managing the process of change in the libraries. Change
management and staff development go hand in hand. Evaluation and review processes
of universities for grading and certifications also help universities to a great extent to
manage change. The interest and initiatives of the university leader help to a
considerable extent to facilitate desired changes. The university libraries may develop
a corporate culture to plan their resources and organize their facilities but for rendering
services to users, university libraries should maintain ethics, mitigate users’ problems
and practise humanism in service.
References Corporate culture
Bhatia, S.K. and Singh, N. (2000), Principles and Techniques of Personnel Management/Human in university
Resource Management, 2nd rev. ed., Deep & Deep, New Delhi, p. 91.
Kanter, R.M. (1999), When giants Learn to Dance: Mastering the Challenges of Strategy,
libraries
Management and Careers in the 1990s, quoted in Gallacher, C. (1999), Managing Change
in Library and Information Services, Aslib, London, p. 37, Unwin, London.
Negroponte, N. (1994), “Prime time is my time: the blockbuster myth”, Wired Magazine, Vol. 2.08, 493
August, p. 1, available at: www.wired.com/wired/archive/2.08/negroponte.html

About the author

I.V. Malhan is Professor and Head, Department of Library Science, University of Jammu, Jammu
(Tawi), India. He can be contacted at: imalhan_47@rediffmail.com

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