Blended learning. Scaling library services and instruction to support changing educational landscapes
| Published date | 11 June 2018 |
| Pages | 207-215 |
| Date | 11 June 2018 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/LM-08-2017-0080 |
| Author | Bruce Keisling |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Librarianship/library management,HR in libraries,Library strategy,Library promotion |
Blended learning
Scaling library services and instruction to
support changing educational landscapes
Bruce Keisling
Ekstrom Library, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Abstract
Purpose –Because many colleges and universities have growing numbers of students in online and blended
programs, libraries should adapt their services and adjust their organizational structures to support them.
Students have adopted blended learning programs whether or not the programs are officially designed as
blended programs. Libraries need to change their service orientation in response and learn to scale services
using available technologies. Scaling services and personnel resources also requires developing a scalable
organizational learning culture. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach –Using a change in support for online/distance students and organizational
restructuring in Ekstrom Library at the University of Louisville as a case study, this paper examines the review
process, organizational restructuring, and focus on scaling services that resulted in a new service model.
Findings –This studyfound that scaling services as appliedto IT and business organizationsis also valuable
as an approach inenhancing library services to onlinestudents. Changing user needs mustbe correlated with
available organizational resources and technological solutions to deliverappropriate services. Modifying and
building serviceswith a goal of scaling them to appropriatelevels will enhance library outcomes.
Research limitations/implications –Other case studies concerned with responding to changing student
expectations and scaling services and organizational resources would be useful to add to these findings.
Originality/value –The perspectives and approach described in this case study will be instructive for
adapting library services to changing user environments.
Keywords Academic libraries, Organizational change, Library services, Blended learning, Scalability,
Scaling services
Paper type Case study
Introduction
For many years Ekstrom Library at the University of Louisville (UofL) maintained a
traditional department structure (reference, circulation, interlibrary loan, etc.) to support
students enrolled in on-campus classes, and a single department, Distance Library Learning
Services (DLLS),to serve students enrolled in distance education andonline programs. While
the library’s structures made sense20 years ago, students no longer fit neatly into those two
categories. The UofL had no formally defined blended learning programs, but students were
creating their own. A 2014 review of key organizational and service structures indicated that
they did not reflect the distribution of students in online, distance and on-campus courses.
Increasingly, students living on campus were signing up for one or more online classes for
scheduling convenience. Enrollment in online courses had grown considerably, traditional
distance programs lost enrollment and the DLLS librarian to student ratios were highly
imbalanced. Overall institutional enrollment had also increased so that there was no realistic
hope that referenceand instruction librarians could reacha majority of the student population.
Could organizational services, structures and culture be realigned and scaled to serve the
changing enrollment? This paper describes an organizational restructuring to scale library
services and culture in response to changing student enrollment patterns.
Literature review
Discussions using the terms scalable and scalability are relatively new to libraries and
higher education. Articles that use the terms have appeared primarily in the last decade. It is
not within the scope of this article to provide a history of the terms scaling and scalability as
Library Management
Vol. 39 No. 3/4, 2018
pp. 207-215
© Emerald PublishingLimited
0143-5124
DOI 10.1108/LM-08-2017-0080
Received 23 August 2017
Revised 20 November 2017
Accepted 22 November 2017
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0143-5124.htm
207
Blended
learning
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