Not the "r" word! Or a "breath of fresh air" - the impact of organisational restructure at Macquarie University Library

Macquarie University Library has undergone an extensive restructuring process in response to organisational design issues raised in a Library Review undertaken in 2004. A key component was to implement a new organisational structure for the Library that would allow it to be agile, resilient, informed, connected, successful and responsible. The aim has been to better meet user needs and to make improved use of existing staffing resources including simplifying services for clients and encouraging them to become self-sufficient in finding, using and evaluating information. The process has been demanding for all concerned, with staff finding the lengthy process, caused by efforts to ensure that all changes were well thought out and constructive, somewhat difficult. Outcomes to date, however, have demonstrated that there really can be positive restructures, which renew an organisation and add “a breath of fresh air”. This paper provides a brief overview of the restructure purpose and process and discusses the rationale for the merger of Document Supply, Circulation and Reserve, three areas experiencing increased user expectations, rising statistics and major changes in technology, into a single department, Resource Access. The merger has been highly successful in achieving service improvement and job satisfaction including opportunities for staff to develop new skills that will assist in future-proofing their jobs. This paper will highlight how the merger has assisted in enabling improved services, discuss the feedback from staff on new and changed roles and report on the positive feedback received from clients in response to new and improved services.