Library Managers’ Use of Digital Technologies in Everyday Work Practices: : An Application of Human Activity Systems Modelling

Summary, in English

As has been argued by systems thinking scholars, science and scientific thinking can be seen as socially constructed systems of institutionalized sets of activities through which systems thinking emerged. In this paper, the development of systems approaches is discussed to argue for the research approach adopted. Further, main concepts of systems thinking such as complexity, worldview, and human activity systems are discussed and applied to empirical data on academic library managers’ use of digital technologies in their everyday work practices. Recognizing that the use of digital technologies has changed the way we live, work and communicate, we explore in depth library managers’ everyday work practices with a focus on the way they use information for managing their organization. Practices refer to what library managers do when they do their job using digital technologies. Their work practices are presented as a complex reality where different managers have different, although interconnected, perspectives and see different priorities. The use of digital technologies is part of library managers’ everyday work practices. However not all managers have the same perspectives on the use of digital technologies. The various interacting perceptions of reality can be explored as different managers have different worldviews that affect their respective approach of managing and of using the technology for that purpose. The Library organization is conceptualized as an information-intensive ecosystem consisting of complex interplays among academic library managers, everyday work practices, digital technologies and content. Within the library system, several human activity systems constructed by managers exist. By the use of Soft Systems Methodology modelling we illustrate some of these existing human activity systems and relate these to purpose and function within the overall organization. Our focus is on information created and mediated within these human activity systems and discuss the means of technology to facilitate managers’ everyday work practices.

• Author: Niki Chatzipanagiotou
• Publishing year: 2018
• Language: English
• Document type: Conference paper: abstract
• Topic: Information Studies
• Keywords: Informatics; Information Systems
• Conference name: In: OR60: The Operational Research Society Annual Conference. Lancaster University, 11-13 September 2018, Lancaster, UK: Lancaster University and DSTL
• Conference date: 2018-09-11 - 2018-09-13
• Status: Published