Recognizing organizational culture as a strategic asset, this article uses the concept of the Competing Values Framework (CVF) to identify cultural characteristics that are exhibited by different types of libraries. Citing research identifying differing levels of organizational culture including Artifacts and Creations, Values, and Basic Assumptions, this article illustrates the ways in which the environment, library employees, and leadership interact to create an identifiable culture. The authors also cite previous research to illustrate the prevalence of sub-cultures operating independently or in concert within library organizations. Whether the organization adheres toward a dominant culture with little tolerance for deviance from the norm or, is more amenable to risk taking, is easier to identify from this viewpoint. The authors apply criteria outlined by the CVF to evaluate four hypothetical library types and come to the conclusion that public, academic and small institutional libraries would benefit from developing more clan oriented cultures that emphasize mentoring, participation and participation while digital libraries need to develop a more market oriented culture. It is important to note that each of these types of libraries can develop variants of the various culture types; one type is not necessarily the only one present in the organizational culture. The CVF can reveal factors that have an impact on organizational effectiveness and success.
This article provides an analysis of what an organization must do if it is to achieve Total Organizational Change (TOC). Stressing that changing an organization’s culture relies on changing its climate, the authors describe how every aspect of the organization and its practices must be evaluated for TOC to take affect. Identifying four “key climate dimensions” as the Nature of interpersonal relationships, Nature of hierarchy, Nature of the work, and Focus of support and rewards the authors state that the characteristics of these areas determine an organization's culture. Of crucial importance is that every level of the organization must be involved in the change and every aspect of the organization’s behavior will be affected if successful change is to take place.