1. Projecting Success: Project Management in Academic Libraries Stephanie Atkins University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign, USA

2. Introduction Projects and project management Two projects at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library Best practices

3. Six Phases of a Project Enthusiasm Disillusionment Panic Search for the guilty Punishment of the innocent Praise and honors for the non-participants - Der Spiegel 17 December 1973

4. Project Management “[P]roject management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to a broad range of activities in order to meet the requirements of a particular project.” - Project Management Institute

5. Project Life Cycle Selection Planning Implementation Control Termination

6. Barcoding Project (1996) Goal: Barcode 3 million volumes in 44 libraries Timeline: 100 days Implementation: Roving student barcoding teams Conclusion: Completed 42 libraries

7. Accessioning Project (2004-2005) Goal: Prepare and transfer 700,000 volumes to a new High Density Shelving Facility Timeline: 2 years Implementation: Library staff contribute time Donate student employee wage monies Conclusion: On-going, but 8,437 hours logged in

8. Accessioning Project

9. Best Practice #1: Find the most capable team members Commitment and dedication Expertise Local knowledge Project manager Details and specifications “Big picture” perspective Team dynamics and cooperation High frustration quotient

10. Best Practice #2: Invest in the planning process Define the scope Pilot project! Test procedures Benchmarking Budget justifications Risk management Staff morale

11. Best Practice #3: Achieve balance between planning & flexibility Plan too rigid Team initiative or creativity discouraged Costly reworks Plan too flexible Team lacks direction & cohesion Danger of time & cost overruns

12. Planning Strategies “Master project managers plan and attempt to anticipate, yet at the same time they develop a state of readiness to respond quickly to frequent unanticipated events.” - R. Geveden

13. Best Practice #4: Understand the organizational culture 1/3 of failed projects = organizational conflict/politics Project manager Expertise Ability to influence & negotiate Network of people in the organization Stakeholder input

14. Best Practice #5: Utilize project management software Microsoft Project Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) Gantt Charts Scheduling Tracking people and resources Milestones Baselines Microsoft Access

15. Barcoding Project Gantt Chart

16. Project Management “… results in more work being accomplished on limited resources because less time and money are spent on recovering from unplanned, unexpected events throughout the project.” - K.A. Moore

17. References Frame, J.D. 2003. Managing Projects in Organizations: How to Make the Best Use of Time, Techniques, and the People. 3d ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Geveden, R. 2000. Improvisation is Alive and Well. In Project Management Success Stories: Lessons of Project Leaders. Edited by A. Laufer and E.J. Hoffman. New York: John Wiley & Sons: 81. Moore, K. A. 1998. Project Management: Can Libraries Benefit? Bibliotheca Medica Canadiana 20: 72. Project Management Institute. About the Profession: What is project management? Available: http://www.pmi.org/info/PP_AboutProfessionOverview.asp?nav= 0501 [May 14, 2004].