Library Management

Purpose – The paper aims to provide an overview of how the University of Queensland (UQ) library has prepared itself for the changes and challenges of the future and positioned itself in readiness for some of the forecast mega trends of 2020.

Design/methodology/approach – The experience of the complete makeover of the UQ Library is used as a case study to demonstrate how a library has responded to the challenges from planning to the implementation stages.

Findings – In the first decade of the twenty-first century, Australian libraries are faced with a number of new challenges such as the Bologna Process in Australia; the implementation of the Research Quality Framework process; the ongoing internet revolution; the impact of the Open Access Initiative; further development of e-research and e-prints; the trends of internationalisation and globalisation on higher education; the implications of copyright; and the challenges and changes in the age of user-generated technologies. This paper reveals the strategies and activities undertaken by an Australian academic library in meeting those future challenges.

Originality/value – The paper identifies four major areas that present most challenges to academic libraries such as international trends, government and education policies, information and communication technology and new modes of teaching and learning. It discusses how the UQ Library has responded to those challenges. This paper will be of interest to other academic libraries.