Resource Review #1: Mei-Yu Wang's "Introducing CRM into an Academic Library"

Wang, M.-Y. (2007). Introducing CRM into an academic library. Library Management, 28(6-7), 281-291.

What: This article is a case study of the process of implementing CRM in an academic library in Taiwan.

Why: The purpose of this article is to discover possible barriers to CRM implementation in academic libraries, and to explore CRM's efficiency and effectiveness after implementation.

Summary: In the first part of the article, Wang gives an overview of the paradigm shift to user-centered services, translating the business-world language into library terms, and discusses the reasons for unsuccessful CRM implementations along with suggested steps for successful executions.


In the second part of the article, Wang discusses the case study in Taiwan: staff were uncooperative at first because they didn't think they needed to worry about competing to retain patrons, they were concerned that CRM would make more work for them and would encourage difficult customers to have even more unreasonable expectations, and they didn't see any value to CRM and thought it was just a buzzword. Through interacting with the staff over several months, the researchers were able to alleviate these fears by showing them how CRM was useful and explaining the need for it in the library. The staff members were also involved in all areas of determining necessary software functions and features, selecting a package, and implementing the software.


Conclusion: When implementing CRM software, the biggest problems are raising staff awareness of what CRM does and how it is useful, and in differentiating among ILS, online reference, and CRM. In a successful application, staff's fears and anxieties will be addressed, and their involvement in the process with be rewarded and encouraged to make them feel engaged and empowered, thus relieving their fears and anxieties.

***CRM implementation can be a lengthy process***

Article Evaluation: This article is good for anyone wishing to learn more about CRM. The overview of the shift from product-centered to user-centered services is explained clearly and concisely, and most importantly Wang is able to explain CRM using library terminology with hypothetical examples to help the reader visualize CRM's use in the particular context.

The second half of the article could have been improved if Wang had gone into more specifics about this particular implementation--this is a case study, after all--but overall the article was informative and useful to anyone seeking information about this topic.