MAKING THE LIBRARY-MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS ACQUISITION - ACHIEVING RESOLUTION OF A TOUGH DECISION

At some point in their careers, library administrators will likely be involved in the acquisition of a new library automation system. Whethe r it is a first-time acquisition or a migration from old to new, the d ecision is perhaps the most challenging the administrator will ever ha ve to make. Despite an abundance of information in the library literat ure on the mechanical and managerial aspects of acquiring a new automa ted system, there is scant information on, or investigation into, the decision-making process that leads to the selection of an automation v endor. Based on the premise that the automation decision is both compl ex and risky, it is a decision fraught with ambiguity, uncertainty, an d conflict. This study offers exploratory research on the automation d ecision process and those factors that lead to decision difficulty. Us ing the Garbage Can Model of Organizational Choice as a theoretical fr amework, this study uses decision resolution as a criterion of decisio n success. Based on research to identify factors that have enabled dec ision makers to achieve resolution, the authors of this study seek to make recommendations that will enable administrators to better manage a tough decision.