The Library's Alignment Project

I am very pleased to be able to share with you some news about an organization-wide project that will impact all of you in the very near future.  The Alignment project has its foundation in a set system-wide priorities that all 500 of us at Metro will work to achieve over the next three years.  These priorities and the associated initiatives will be folded into the Library Unbound strategic plan, and our success will be measured using Market Penetration and Member Retention, among other indicators.  A copy of a memo I shared with Xchange outlining this is attached to this post.

During yesterday’s meeting with Xchange, we talked about our need to focus our efforts and resources along the same trajectories in order to accomplish the goals of Library Unbound.  We also spoke about the need for a different structure and set of operating models and processes that will facilitate our work and enable our shared success.   Many of you may think of the Alignment project as a reorganization or restructuring effort involving the Library’s org charts.  While it will surely have an impact on those, it is much more than the rearrangement of boxes on a chart.  It will truly align our staff resources and processes so that we will be able to more easily and better meet our targets for growing Market Penetration and Member Retention (M&M), while ensuring that all members – regardless of the library they choose to use—will receive the highest quality library services and experiences. 

The major components of the Alignment project will be:

1. A new service model.  We are moving from a model that focuses on circulation and reference to one that focuses on access and engagement.  We’re defining these as:

• Access: functions that enable the use of the collections, including the general circulation functions, holds, shelving and re-shelving of materials, and collection maintenance (weeding).  This also includes directional questions, basic computer help, data gathering, displays, etc.
• Engagement: relationship building, InterReach, reference, research, readers’ advisory, programming, strategic planning, evaluation and analysis, civic participation, etc.

2. Overhaul of public service jobs and titles to match the new model.  The changes here will provide greater opportunity for staff, will acknowledge areas of specialization (Children’s Teens, Adult), and will ensure consistency from library to library.
3. Creation of a new Learning Experience division (led by the Chief Learning Experiences Officer) to responsible for developing system-wide services, programming, and experiences that will be delivered by the library staff.   
4. New supervision model that moves to a more function-based approach.
5. A career ladder for all staff, giving folks tracks for advancement that includes both management and non-management tracks for all staff (non-librarians and librarians).
6. Grouping of departments into divisions for cohesive management – DVS will move to the Finance & Business division with BUS.  Maintenance will join Info Tech Systems, Planning & Assessment, Security, and Marketing & Communications for an Operations division.  Human Resources and Training & Development will become the Organizational Development division, and will include a component for organization communications, taking over the intranet.
7. The five regions will be regrouped creating a West of I-44 group, an East of I-44, and a Central group.
8. The DN Library will add specialized services to its focus, including genealogy, Oklahoma Collection, a member call center, and a virtual library for virtual access and engagement.

Of course, I realize the first thing most folks will be wonder about are the effects of the Alignment project on their work group, their job, and them personally.  So, let me also include the following assurances:

1. This is not a reduction in force or down-sizing effort.  We will have 100% employment after the Alignment, meaning that everyone who works for the Library now, will have a job when the Alignment is complete.
2. There will be no impact on your salary or wages.  This is not a cost-cutting measure.
3. Undoubtedly, job responsibilities will shift for some folks, and we will provide you with some drafts and samples of what some of those changes might look like.  We’re still working on these details and we should be able to share them soon.
4. There will be options for folks who want new challenges or who feel that their talents would be better suited in a different position. We want folks to help determine where they see themselves best fitting, and so we will be asking everyone, and talking through the decisions.
5. The Alignment project will provide all staff with a career ladder, outlining the longer-term prospects.  It’s not a hard-coded thing – it’s an informational guide so you can see when and how you might gain new skills and knowledge in order to advance within the system.
6. We will be providing weekly updates on the Alignment project to all staff via the intranet.  Supervisors will also be sharing information, and members of the project team will be visiting regularly with staff groups to provide progress reports and opportunities for Q&A. 
7. We have been listening to comments from staff about our processes of decision-making and communication, and many of the changes are in direct response to your concerns.  We will continue to provide you with all the information we have and give opportunities for input and feedback so the decision-making can be better. 
8. A small project team will be created to work through the scope, budget, and schedule issues associated with the Alignment.  The team will include representatives from the departments and areas most impacted by the changes, and -- in addition to Kay Bauman, Michele Gorman, and me – will include a manager or two and a couple of frontline folks.  Additionally, we may pull together several working groups that will be charged with addressing specific issues – like “testing” job descriptions to ensure that they accurate.

While we have done a lot of work to prepare for this announcement, (and we will share all of that with you next week and beyond!), I want to stress that all of this is a “work in progress.”   We know where we are headed, and we are confident in the ability of our leadership and staff to get us there.  We also acknowledge that part of any project – like creating a storytime, writing a research paper, building a library, or aligning resources to the needs of an organization – is about learning and making decisions as we go.  Please engage your supervisors and managers and ask questions so we can all learn – while they may not have all the answers immediately, they know who else to ask, and they will pass along your ideas for improvement.   I know that this may add a bit of uncertainty in the near term, but I have no doubt that it will also be a turning point for the organization as we go beyond writing a strategic plan to building a strategic organization.

Keep an eye out next week for the Alignment project page on the intranet.  Among other things, we will post the notes, slides, documents, and other information provided to managers and supervisors at Xchange, as well as weekly reports, and updates.  This is an exciting project that will truly shape the future of the Library and how we serve our members, and I look forward to working with all of you to accomplish it.  Thanks for being part of Library Unbound and for your continued commitment to the Metro Library System!