In a world, changing with increasing speed, it is simply human nature to try to make things stay the way they have always been. We don’t like change. And we are prepared to do a lot of work to prevent the change. Even if it is inevitable.

Because of this, forward thinking managers, not only in libraries, are spending a lot of time changing things. That is usually a good thing.

But sometimes it is not. The idea that we should change, adopt, develop and reform things, because if we don’t the world around us will change, can often lead to spending a lot of time running forward in circles. And not necessarily forward. We are not always certain that a change is actually for the better, but at least it is a change, and we have to change don’t we?

So – one of the cynical lessons from someone who has spent the last 20+ years observing projects, is that far too often, changes are made based on the assumption that change in itself is good. Or:

1. To improve things, things must change
2. We are changing things
3. Therefore, we are improving things.

Before you spend my tax money on changing things, please pause and consider if the change is actually for the better. Or just a change.