The purpose of this paper is to provide an introduction to four articles from Reference Services Review focusing on the theme of library/IT mergers. It aims to place the articles that follow in their larger historical context and draw conclusions about the success or lack of success of such mergers in general.
The paper frames the four articles that follow, explaining their approach to library/IT mergers and their place in the ongoing discussion of the service effectiveness of such converged organizations.
The paper suggests that library/IT service mergers may be analogous to management's or labor's decision to unionize.
The success of academic libraries and IT services has more to do with the quality of leadership and professional commitment to service than it does with the question of whether these two academic units should merge.
The paper provides an introduction to the special issue on library and IT mergers.
