Abstract
“Are libraries dying?” is a question raised in the digital society. Adaptation of academic libraries is a good case example of organizational change and resilience. In amidst of the digital society where people are connected to mobile devices and can retrieve information at a click without visiting libraries, they are required to adapt themselves to proof their existence. The study presents findings from a qualitative case study research conducted with eight academic libraries in Thailand with a purpose to explore their adaptation in terms of redefined roles, values, and practices. The study revealed key drivers: social and technological changes leading changes in customer expectation and the adoption of emerging technologies. Although the core mission to support the community learning remains the same, their values and roles have been expanded to include building a creative and innovative society through providing developing seamless access and connection to global knowledge. Functions of library spaces are not limited to ‘quiet reading spaces’ but are now ‘third places’ where communities gather and collaborate; ‘creative spaces’ where innovations can be cultivated; and ‘safety but freedom spaces’ where people feel free to think and question. These developments, however, raise a dilemma as they require a significant technological investment, while their budgets have decreased every year. Sustainability or how academic libraries secure their sustainable futures has then become a key challenge. The organizational adaptation also requires staff to continuously reskill and upskill as well as modify their mindset and resilience to be strong enough to face organizational challenges.
Presenters
Saowapha LimwichitrAssistant Professor, Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2023 Special Focus—Rethinking Organizational Resilience
KEYWORDS
Organizational Adaptation, Academic Libraries, Organizational Change and Resilience
