What is unique about UW's approach is their consultation with N. Dean Meyer and adaptation of his structural cybernetics theory to their effort. The UW article blends a discussion of the underlying theory and model with a description of the process actually used to establish the new DoIT units, providing a blueprint for change for those with a penchant for the revolutionary. One of the greatest challenges in supporting academic departments' use of technology is to understand their needs and provide technology that is responsive to their strategic priorities. The program has been so successful that a new area in the IT division has been created, responsible for the management of customer relations. Pepperdine University's Information Resources Service Partner Program is a fairly simple solution to a complex problem.
Participation also provides an opportunity for job diversity and cross-training.
While the advantages are fairly transparent to staff who have been empowered, it's not at all clear, say authors Conrad and Murphy, what the benefits are to managers of such staff. All of these need to be addressed from a campuswide perspective. The policy framework document is included in its entirety in the article by Graves, Jenkins, and Parker, which summarizes the strategies and rationales used in its development. Impacts of the networked information environment on academic libraries also are mounting, leaving many information resources professionals in these organizations struggling to plan for a digital future while dealing with the realities of the present.