Academic Library Association of Ohio
27th Annual Conference October 26, 2001
John C. Myers Convocation Center
Ashland University

Emily Mobley

Dean of Libraries and Esther Ellis Norton Distinguished Professor in Library Science Purdue University

"The present is the future in its most creative state."
-- Sanders, T. Irene, Strategic Thinking and the New Science, 1998.

Chaos Theory and Academic Libraries

Academic libraries are very complex organizations or systems. Continual changes and demands upon libraries are creating even more complexity. These changes act in dynamic ways to shape libraries. Research in the science of complexity shows that the use of nonlinear dynamics or chaos theory is as relevant to understanding change in libraries as in physical or biological systems. The use of chaos theory helps one to understand that the future is happening today. Using the theme of the meeting, Chaos, we will explore how librarians may gain insights into changes or developments taking place, seemingly without one's knowledge, so that one may see important changes coming and have early response systems.