Managing Academic Support Services in Universities

Book excerpt: The converged management of academic libraries and computer services emerged as a popular model in universities in the late 1980s. Today over half of the higher education sector in the UK has adopted a converged structure and yet there has been little analysis of this radical approach and what it means for the services involved. This timely book takes stock of some twenty years of experience of convergence. It explores management practice throughout the sector in order to assess how extensive the converged model has become, and what variations in the model exist: the reasons for converging - or de-converging, or deciding not to converge at all; the perceived advantages and disadvantages of the model adopted; and what lessons have been learned. Readership: This book is essential reading for all managers in academic libraries and computer service departments, and for all university staff with responsibility for policy in this area.