Action for Libraries
Forward Focus
We live in a moment of history where change is so speeded up
that we begin to see the present only when it is already disappearing.
R. D. Laing, The Politics of Experience
I've been with BCR for several months now and have had the opportunity to attend some stimulating meetings including the Thinking Ahead 2006 Symposium in Salt Lake City. The discussion at the event was lively and covered a number of topics ranging from the angst of supporting rapidly evolving technology to overhauling library education requirements. But the one common theme in all of the discussions was: The only thing that is constant is change.
Change has certainly been the norm at BCR during the last six months. Dave Brunell and Joyce Hillshafer both retired. Another long-term staff member, Rosario Garza, left to head up a library cooperative in California.
While we're sorry to see nearly 70 years of collective experience leave the organization, at the same time it offers BCR the opportunity to transform itself into a new kind of organization that can better help libraries meet the challenges presented by their changing user demographics.
As part of this transformation, BCR reorganized in October. There are now five primary divisions: Business Office, HR & Communications, Innovations & Special Projects, Training & OCLC Services and Marketing & Support. Many of the same voices and faces will greet you as you contact BCR for assistance, attend a training session or visit our booth at a state association conference. However, you also will encounter some new faces as old positions are filled and new ones created.
Any organization has a certain amount of momentum. Activities such as the release of a new and improved Web site, more regular electronic communications with library members and presentations at the fall state library association conferences were set in motion months ago and are just now coming to fruition. The train will keep on moving forward down the tracks, but during the coming year you will see more changes that gradually will allow us to shift the tracks in a different direction while continuing to move forward. We'll be updating services, expanding training options and seeking more sponsorships and partnerships. At the same time, we'll be slowing the train down as we upgrade our infrastructure and hire new staff to support new technology initiatives and streamline internal processes so we can make the shift to a new direction without completely derailing.
The BCR Board of Trustees will help us set that new direction. Prior to the next Board meeting in early December, Board members will hold a retreat to work on a new strategic business plan. A portion of the day will be spent in an overview of an environmental scan the BCR management team has completed on trends affecting member libraries and BCR. This will set the stage for envisioning BCR's future strategies for thriving in this rapidly changing environment.BCR has served libraries for more than 70 years. It has altered direction dramatically several times in the past in order to better meet the changing demands and needs of libraries and their constituencies. We're entering just another phase in the overall life cycle of the organization, and looking forward to an exciting era of serving all of our members, in many different states, in many different types of libraries and in many different ways.
Brenda Bailey-Hainer, Executive Director