Resistance to change in higher education is rarely loud.
It doesn’t always look like open conflict or outright refusal.
More often, it sounds like:
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“We’ve always done it this way.”
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“Let’s not move too fast.”
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“That’s interesting… but is it really necessary?”
Academic librarians know this moment well.
You bring forward a thoughtful adjustment—rethinking a legacy service, embedding a new form of ethical literacy, responding to the realities students are already navigating—and the institution responds with caution.
Not because the idea is bad.
But because the culture is designed to hold steady.
Brian Rosenberg names this dynamic directly in Whatever It Is, I’m Against It: Resistance to Change in Higher Education. He writes:
“This is why transformational change rarely happens from within complex organizations, why disruption tends more often to come from external than from internal actors, and why it is essential to make the case that such change is not merely interesting or recommended or rich with potential, but necessary.”
For librarians, this is not just an observation.
It is a leadership challenge.
Because if transformational change rarely comes from within, then academic librarians must learn how to bring the “outside” in.
Here are five practical ways to do that.
1. Use Professional Associations as External Momentum
One of the most effective ways to shift internal culture is to connect your work to the broader profession.
Association frameworks provide:
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shared language
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emerging standards
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legitimacy beyond your campus
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evidence that “this is where higher ed is going”
When librarians position change as part of the field’s direction—not just a local experiment—institutions listen differently.
External professional momentum often accomplishes what internal persuasion cannot.
2. Bring in Consultants When the Institution Needs Permission to Hear You
Consultants are not always hired because staff lack expertise.
Often, consultants are hired because organizations need external validation to act on what internal professionals already know.
A consultant can provide:
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neutral assessment
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structured recommendations
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political cover for difficult decisions
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a catalyst for stalled conversations
Sometimes the institution cannot hear its own people until an outsider repeats the message.
That is frustrating—but it is also a reality librarians can use strategically.
3. Call Colleagues Outside Your Organization Before You Burn Out Inside It
One of the simplest external change practices is also one of the most powerful:
Talk to someone who is not embedded in your institutional culture.
External colleagues can offer:
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clarity
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perspective
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examples of what has worked elsewhere
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reassurance that your challenges are systemic, not personal
Academic librarianship is a community.
Transformation often begins with one honest conversation beyond your campus walls.
4. Build Cross-Institution Partnerships That Make Change Feel Inevitable
Libraries rarely transform sustainably in isolation.
Consortia, collaborations, and learning communities create external pressure in the healthiest sense:
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shared experimentation
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collective accountability
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scalable models
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reduced risk for innovation
When multiple institutions are moving, change becomes harder to dismiss as optional.
Partnership makes transformation feel normal.
5. Treat Students and Technology as External Disruption Already Here
Disruption is not coming.
It has arrived.
Students are already:
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using AI tools
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researching through algorithmic systems
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learning in multimodal environments
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expecting accessibility and immediacy
Libraries do not create these realities.
We respond ethically to them.
The question is whether institutions will adapt intentionally—or defensively.
Librarians can help campus leaders recognize that change is not theoretical.
It is already happening outside the meeting room.
Conclusion: Librarians Lead by Bringing the Outside In
Rosenberg reminds us that transformational change rarely begins internally in complex organizations.
That does not mean change is impossible.
It means the catalyst often comes from outside:
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professional networks
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external expertise
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cross-campus partnerships
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student realities
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societal demands for equity and accountability
Academic librarians are uniquely positioned as bridges between the outside and the inside.
And the work is not to make change sound merely interesting.
It is to make the case that change is necessary.
Because culture transforms slowly—little by little—when external disruption becomes internal purpose.
👉 Inclusive Knowledge Solutions partners with academic libraries to build reflective, equity-driven, future-ready cultures. From leadership coaching to change strategy to ethical AI integration, we help librarians do their most courageous, collaborative work. Let's Connect!
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