Getting Started with Organizational Design at Your Library

Abstract

Is your library a business? Or is this even the correct question to ask? Maybe a better question is: What can libraries learn from the business world to become more successful? One such mechanism is the concept of organizational design. This means taking a hard look at an organization’s structure, culture, procedures, and systems, then assessing how things need to change (Office of Personnel Management, 2018). Thinking about your organization’s design is a foundation for strategic planning. The following section poses a conceptual framework, followed by contemplative questions to encourage your library to start or continue conversations related to organizational design in order to facilitate planning and change.