Using Cross-Functional Teams to Break Down Silos in an Academic Library

Abstract

Academic libraries are often organized into discrete departments that have little to no interaction. This article describes how one mid-sized library with 30 librarians and professional staff used cross-functional teams to encourage personnel to interact in new ways and cultivate new skills. The teams helped develop leadership and project management skills in team members who were not currently in library leadership roles. Each cross-functional team served a specific purpose and was assigned projects to undertake that were not already under a specific department’s purview.  The keys to success included mandatory participation and assigned leadership roles to staff with no formal supervisory role in the organization. This unique approach ultimately benefited the entire library and successfully accomplished essential infrastructural projects whilst growing employees’ competencies and fostering ownership and engagement within the library with the added benefits of improved staff morale and buy-in for the library's strategic goals.