SWOT analysis of Jamaican academic libraries in higher education
| Pages | 246-278 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/LM-07-2017-0068 |
| Published date | 11 June 2018 |
| Date | 11 June 2018 |
| Author | Sasekea Yoneka Harris |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Librarianship/library management,HR in libraries,Library strategy,Library promotion |
SWOT analysis of Jamaican
academic libraries in
higher education
Sasekea Yoneka Harris
University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica
Abstract
Purpose –Academic libraries do not operate in a vacuum; they must co-exist with change and competition
on all levels. In order to succeed, they must know their internal strengths in order to take advantage of
opportunities, whilst avoiding threats and addressing weaknesses. A SWOT analysis of Jamaican academic
libraries can yield strategic insights for academic library praxis in Jamaica, the Caribbean, and the globe.
The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach –Survey and discussion group were engaged for the five local academic
libraries in higher education in Jamaica.
Findings –Humanresources and support arethe most recurrent themes inthe reported strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities andthreats.
Research limitations/implications –This paper focused on local academic libraries in higher education
(university level) in Jamaica. A survey of academic libraries at all levels, and using more detailed strategic
analytical tools, would be a useful follow up.
Practical implications –This paper provides academic library managers and the national/regional library
associations with a situational analysis of Jamaican academic librarianship, which can be used to inform
future planning and management of library and information services. Additionally, the findings can inform
the Latin America and Caribbean section of international library documents on trends, issues and future
position of academic libraries globally.
Originality/value –This paper is of value as it is the first published scholarly documentation on the
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in academic librarianship in Jamaica. In this regard, it
makes a useful contribution to the dearth of literature on SWOT analyses of academic libraries per country.
It may also represent a starting point for looking at solutions and emerging challenges in a Caribbean
academic library environment and should help to focus on the need for continuing innovation.
Keywords Academic libraries, SWOT analysis, Strategic management, University libraries,
Caribbean libraries, Jamaican libraries
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Organisations do not exist in a vacuum but rather they exist, co-exist, compete and cooperate in a
multi-dimensional and interrelated environment characterised by ambiguity and complexity.
Understanding this environment is fundamental to formulating strategy, decision making and
strategic planning. As a result, there is a proliferation of strategic planning tools to enable
managers to formulate competitive strategies in line with the requirements of their business
environments. These include strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis,
which may well be used more than any other management technique in the process of decision
making (Panagiotou, 2003, p. 8).
Similarly, libraries do not exist in a vacuum. The State of America’s Libraries 2017 report
underscores this observation, noting: “in the 21st century, libraries of all types are
responding to the changing social, economic, and political impacts of living in a digital
society”(Rosa, 2017). Dempsey (2015a, p. 11) concurs, stating: “academic libraries are a part
of the changing education enterprise, and the character of that enterprise is what will most
influence an individual library’s future position.”Libraries are therefore not isolated: they
must exist, co-exist, compete and cooperate in an environment characterized by growing
alternative information providers, technology, dwindling budgets, changes in higher
Library Management
Vol. 39 No. 3/4, 2018
pp. 246-278
© Emerald PublishingLimited
0143-5124
DOI 10.1108/LM-07-2017-0068
Received 25 July 2017
Revised 18 October 2017
Accepted 16 November 2017
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0143-5124.htm
246
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39,3/4
education and student behavior and demands to articulate value. Understanding
this internal and external library environment is therefore fundamental to academic
libraries formulating strategy, decision making and strategic planning. “SWOT analysis is
concerned with the analysis of an organisation’s internal and external environment with the
aim of identifying internal strengths in order to take advantage of its external opportunities
and avoid external (and possible internal) threats, while addressing its weaknesses”
(Panagiotou, 2003, p. 8). SWOT analysis having this focus at its core is therefore particularly
suitable to the current situation of academic libraries. A SWOT analysis of Jamaican
academic libraries in higher education can yield such strategic insights for academic
librarianship on the local and international scenes, thus providing direction, determining
levels of growth and competitive advantage, influencing the future and ultimately
impacting praxis.
Accordingly, this paper seeks to document the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and
threats of the five local academic libraries in higher education at university level (also
referred to in this paper as Jamaican university libraries and as Jamaican academic
libraries), through a mix of survey and discussion group. To maintain credibility of the
results, the findings are first presented library by library, each with the sub-headings:
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (refer to Tables AII-AVI). In order to
provide a synthesis of the sampled Jamaican academic libraries, the findings are then
presented as a single group (named Jamaican academic libraries in higher education, which
is consistent with the paper’s focus) with the following subsections: strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities and threats (refer to Figure 1 and Table II, in the data presentation section).
Given the research focus, this paper begins with a very brief overview of academic
libraries at the university level in Jamaica. This is followed by a review of the literature
highlighting the gaps and illustrating the needs for this study. The paper then sets out the
methodological framework for this investigation and follows this up with a presentation of
the findings. The paper then discusses/analyses the findings and makes recommendations;
the conclusion follows.
Jamaican academic libraries in higher education (university level)
There are fivelocal universities in Jamaica.These are: the University ofthe West Indies (UWI)
Mona, the University of Technology (UTech), Northern Caribbean University (NCU),
(1) Human resources
(2) Image/status
(3) Collection
(4) Services
(5) Space
(6) Support
(7) Location
(8) Information technology structure
(1) Human resources
(2) Collection
(3) Services
(4) Support
(5) Location
(6) Marketing
(7) Copyright and licensing
(1) Human resources
(2) Support
(3) Disasters
(4) Information technology structure
(5) Competition
(6) Institutional dynamics
(7) User behavior
(8) Cost
(1) Human resources
(2) Image/status
(3) Collection
(4) Services
(5) Space
(6) Support
(7) Information technology structure
Figure 1.
SWOT analysis of
Jamaican academic
libraries (summary
presentation)
247
SWOT analysis
of Jamaican
academic
libraries
the InternationalUniversity of the Caribbean (IUC) and the University of the Commonwealth
Caribbean (UCC), formerly the University College of the Caribbean (UCC). Each local
university has a main library along with branch libraries or off-site libraries. With the
exception of NCU, each university has its main campus in Kingston, the capital of Jamaica,
and branch libraries or off-site libraries throughout the island. NCU has its main campus in
Mandeville and off-site libraries in other parts of the island. Each university library has a
librarian who is responsible for the entire library operations within the main library and the
branch libraries or off-site libraries. Throughout the universities, this librarian is called the
campus librarian,or the university librarianor the director of library services;this paper uses
all three termsinterchangeably. Withthe exception of UTech, wherethe university librarianis
part of the academic staff, the university librarian and all other librarians throughout
Jamaican universities are usually part of the professional category of university staff.
Table I shows the total student enrollment and the total library staff in each university.
The university libraries are members of the Library and Information Association of
Jamaica (LIAJA), which is the national body for persons and institutions interested in library
and information development in Jamaica. The University Council of Jamaica is the external
quality assurance body for these universities and other tertiary educational institutions
in Jamaica.
The literature
SWOT analysis
There is an abundance of literature on the usefulness and prevalence of SWOT analysis
within the business environment and also within other spheres globally. According to
Helms and Nixon (2010, p. 215), “SWOT analysis has been extended beyond companies to
countries and industries and is used in virtually every published business case positioned
for business student analysis.”Kay et al. (2006, p. 43) underscore the prevalence of the tool,
noting “the best and most familiar example of an organizing framework is SWOT analysis.”
Panagiotou (2003, p. 8) agrees stating that SWOT analysis “may well be used more than any
other management technique in the process of decision making. King (2004) concurs and
explains the main uses of SWOT analysis.
Like King (2004), Helms and Nixon (2010) categorize the levels and types of applications
of SWOT, thereby highlighting its prevalence and usefulness “by practitioners and
academicians alike.”They noted that SWOT is primarily used to aid an organization plan
future strategies (Helms and Nixon, 2010).
Although SWOT analysis is popular and useful, it is not without limitations. According
to Panagiotou (2003, p. 8), “despite SWOT’s catchy acronym, a long history of service and
continuing usage, SWOT remains rooted in vagueness, relies on an oversimplified process
and has numerous limitations.”
Anothercriticism is the opennature and unstructured methodof SWOT. As such “planners
are left without indication as to where to search for such variables, or what to do after finding
them in terms of how best to incorporate them in strategy formulation”(Panagiotou, 2003, p. 8).
University
Total student enrollment
(Source: ESSJ 2016, 22.23) Librarians Other library staff Total library staff
UWI 16,048 28 81 109
UTech 12,565 12 38 50
NCU 3,641 9 2 11
UCC 3,301 3 5 8
IUC 1,799 2 5 7
Table I.
Total student
enrollment and total
library staff per
Jamaican university
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