Managing Cultural Change in Public Libraries |
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| Authors: | John Pateman Joe Pateman |
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| Institution: | 1. Thunder Bay Public Library, Thunder Bay, Canada;2. University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom |
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| Abstract: | Embedded and sustained cultural change is a holy grail which has been pursued for many years. This article provides a framework for achieving cultural change in public libraries, which are one of the longest and most enduring public sector institutions. This framework has been developed by synthesizing the ideas of Karl Marx (“From each according to his ability and to each according to his needs”) and Abraham Maslow (The Hierarchy of Needs). This mixture of political science and psychology provides a new way of framing the challenge of cultural change in public libraries. It creates a solid conceptual and theoretical basis for the changes required to transform Traditional Libraries (which serve only 20% of the community) into libraries, which are Community Led (to reach 50%) and Needs Based (to reach 80% and beyond). This evaluation framework will enhance the understanding of public libraries; but to understand the world is not enough—we must also seek to change it. And so this article also gives practical examples of how the framework can be applied. |
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| Keywords: | Alienation change management class struggle community-led dialectics hierarchy of needs historical materialism organizational culture needs based public libraries public sector social change technological and economic determinism |
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