Collaboratively managing change with the Digital Library of the Caribbean (dLOC)

Abstract

In 2021, the Digital Library of the Caribbean (dLOC) released a new user interface, with new underlying technology architecture. This was urgently needed because the existing system (which now powers only production) could not support the scale of usage for users and production. Alongside developing the new user system, the team at the University of Florida (operational host) supported changes driven by technical and organizational needs, including: developing a new governance site that lists all Partner and Associate Partner Institutions, supporting new roles (e.g., new Copyright & OER Liaison), and updating ways of working with a completely new technical team and coverage for changing roles at Florida International University (outreach host). This poster responds to Subtheme 2, “Towards managing change in libraries: Collaborative partnerships between informational professionals, institutions, and associations” and uses John Kotter’s model from Leading Change as a frame. Kotter’s eight-stage change model provides a method for change management as well as for explaining change management processes. The stages fall under three phases with different activities in each: warm up (establishing a sense of urgency, creating the guiding coalition, developing a vision and strategy, and communicating the change vision); introducing the new practice (empowering broad-based action and generating short-term wins); and, the final grounding phase (consolidating gains and producing more change and anchoring new approaches in the culture). Like so many stories of change management, our story is more complicated than this format promises.