Digital technology and governance in transition: The case of the British Library

Comment on the organizational consequences of the new information and communications technologies (ICTs) is pervaded by a powerful imagery of disaggregation and a tendency for ?virtual? forms of production to be seen as synonymous with the ?end? of bureaucracy. This paper questions the underlying assumptions of the ?virtual organization?, highlighting the historically enduring, diversified character of the bureaucratic form. The paper then presents case study findings on the web-based access to information resources now being provided by the British Library (BL). The case study evidence produces two main findings. First, radically decentralised virtual forms of service delivery are heavily dependent on new forms of capacity-building and information aggregation. Second, digital technology is embedded in an inherently contested and contradictory context of institutional change. Current developments in the management and control of digital rights are consistent with the commodification of the public sphere. However, the evidence also suggests that scholarly access to information resources is being significantly influenced by the ?information society? objectives of the BL and other institutional players within the network of UK research libraries

Strengthening the University Executive: The Expanding Roles and Remit of Deputy and Pro Vice Chancellors

Deputy and pro vice chancellors (DVCs and PVCs) are core members of the executive team and play a pivotal role in university management. Nevertheless, they have rarely been the subject of empirical investigation. This study addresses this research gap, utilising a census to examine the size and remit of the DVC and PVC cohort in English pre-1992 universities and map its evolution since 2005. It shows how these universities have increased the number of DVCs and PVCs, created new more managerial variants of the role and extended their collective remit. These developments evidence the extent to which pre-1992 universities have strengthened their executive and adopted a more corporate post-1992 university management model. Yet, despite the advent of new executive-style roles, the endurance of the traditional ‘floating’ policy PVC testifies to the continued salience of academic leadership - as well as more managerial approaches - in contemporary university management