Informed Systems

Foreword

As formats, creators, vendors, and publishers proliferate in the twenty-first century, traditional assumptions, workflows, and expectations are shattered in academic libraries. Consequently, Digital Age workplaces require professionals capable of radical and rapid reinvention. In contrast, traditional library work was by and large consistent and unchanging, governed by established organizing principles and practices administered by an entrenched hierarchy “often bearing more resemblance to a medieval caste system than to a modern, agile organization” (Gandel, 2005). This professional legacy exacerbates workplace challenges, prompting the question: How can we design robust organizations that anticipate unprecedented user expectations ...