Kaisa Sinikara and Leena Järveläinen
In Finland there is still much to be done to promote integrated information literacy in higher education. Teamwork between teachers and libraries is well developed in some…
Abstract
In Finland there is still much to be done to promote integrated information literacy in higher education. Teamwork between teachers and libraries is well developed in some universities but many are only just beginning to realize what libraries can do for them. Academic libraries have provided user education since the 1950s, but they still have to prove themselves to teaching staff in universities. The Finnish virtual university portal is in the process of integrating library services into their portal, but many negotiations remain before mutual goals are achieved. This article gives an overview of these changes and other information literacy activities in Finnish academic libraries.
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Arja Juntunen, Ari Muhonen, Ulla Nygrén and Jarmo Saarti
At the beginning of 2010, new higher education legislation was enacted in Finland which caused several university mergers. In addition to that, a self-directed type of…
Abstract
At the beginning of 2010, new higher education legislation was enacted in Finland which caused several university mergers. In addition to that, a self-directed type of organizational restructuring had been going on in Finnish academic libraries. This chapter describes the merger and the restructuring processes of the libraries in three universities, namely Helsinki University, University of Eastern Finland, and the University of Turku. Using a case study approach, the chapter describes different approaches used in the merger process, particularly how to manage service integration, resource reallocation and planning, and implementing new types of services. Performance measures and indicators are among the tools used to assess the successes, particularly in direct services to library users. Although this is based on Finnish experiences, it is helpful for other libraries considering, or engaging in, similar mergers, because of the given examples and tools for the actions needed for new structures and services. Also described are the challenges that three libraries met in the strategic work of reshaping of their organizational structures. While this chapter addresses library mergers only in universities, the methods and tools used will provide models for other types of libraries and nonprofit organizations.