lack of vision = lack of cultural change

I've been doing more thinking re: my role over the past few years at the university library. I moved from special libraries where each vision was held close to the heart and obstacles were there to be leapt across and conquered as a normal part of the process, not barriers to innovation. In those respective libraries we were all involved in creativity in response to the vision, a mini brain-trust or think tank around our vision of the endless possibilities and successes available to us as we set out to achieve the respective vision. There was also my personal vision for the type of librarian I could be and the possibilities that enriched my life, much of it expressed in Competencies for Information Professionals of the 21st Century.

In my move to university library I blindly assumed there would be a vision around which I would coalesce with my fellow librarians, bringing my experience to the table to augment the lives of my patrons/clients. After all, I was "in the service." I also assumed that I would have to modify my perception and vision of myself as a librarian. What actually happened was that I fell into a void. If there is a common vision for the library or what constitutes a university-based librarian (preferably one that is expressed as verbs/actions), someone is hiding the evidence from me.

Thus I find myself three years down the road clinging to my perception of what constitutes an effective librarian, further adding to the confusion of entries at my locale. I also find that my life is problem solving with very little creativity, the latter being what I crave. That doesn't mean creativity is impossible, just that it is currently very difficult. I am in a position that facilitates tech-based changes in the library, including process and functional/structural changes BUT NOT cultural changes. As a result I am constantly problem-solving in the face of fear, sniping and even personal attacks on my competency, reacting until I am lost in a morass. How do I promote cultural change? Through vision. How do we make cultural change happen? Through common vision.

Thus it is time to take control. What constitutes the work environment I would like to work within and how do I get there - my vision? What are the aspirations of those who critique without understanding? How does one find common ground?