Skip Navigation
Back to Navigation

Organizational Reboot: Reset, Rebuild and Renew

← Back
Pro tip: Use "title:keyword" or "library:keyword" to limit to that specific field

Organizational Reboot: Reset, Rebuild and Renew

Palo Alto City Library

Library Operations & Management | 2023

Innovation Synopsis

The Library devised and implemented a full organizational restructure as we rebuilt from severe covid-related budget cuts and staff attrition. Through creative organizational analysis, we rebuilt internal structures through new divisions, reset staff roles, and renewed processes that would enable us to better respond to post-COVID community need.

Challenge/Opportunity

Budget cuts and staff attrition in 2020-21 challenged us to redirect resources towards addressing historical organizational structural challenges. We used new flexibility in organizational composition and strong community support for budget restoration to create a more responsive and nimble structure. Operational siloes were replaced with more unified and collaborative division models. Conditions caused by the pandemic prompted a major shake-out of roles and expectations, where staff were challenged in unexpected ways.


Key Elements of Innovation

Assisted by an external consultant, we executed this project through robust staff engagement during a challenging budget rebuilding process. We focused on a 5-point plan: realigning organizational structure and work units, establishing department-wide decision making and communication work plan, reinvesting in staff development and empowerment, renewing library advisory groups, and creating distinct Operations & Customer Experience, Programs & Outreach, Collections, Technology, & Data Analysis, and Administration units.


Achieved Outcomes

The focus on a wider organizational structure allows a better pathway for bottom-up and lateral execution of creativity and innovation. We are also able to create and elevate an integrated Programs & Outreach unit, review advisory groups, update processes with the creation of a new Customer Experience & Staff Development unit, and refresh systems and meetings for clearer decision making and staff engagement. We can also reinvest in leadership and staff development training and improving internal communication.