The Complexity of Success: Rethinking Library System Migration Through Staff Experience

Abstract

A library system migration is usually judged at go-live. This exploratory survey received 35 responses from librarians at three Lithuanian academic libraries about their experience of moving from Aleph to Alma. By institutional criteria the migration succeeded, yet staff experience was mixed: while some respondents regained confidence within six months, for many adjustment took longer. The paper argues that institutional metrics and staff experience are two distinct currencies of success: one cannot be read from the other. If staff experience is not counted separately, the record of a migration remains incomplete, and libraries plan future change from a partial picture.

Key words: Librarians; Organizational Innovation; Adaptation, Psychological; Surveys and Questionnaires