Innovative Libraries

Innovative Libraries

- Zoho suggested (web2.0 tool they used in collaborative research & recommended that people try)
- "Failing to innovate: not an option" CIL 2006 presentation:
Recap: libraries need to innovate to remain relevant; to accommodate future generations' needs & expectations
- Used qualitative research for best practices – to get richer data
- Manager personality: could see bi picture, organization level goals; proud of their staff, system, accomplishments; willing to ask for permission sa well as asking for forgiveness
- Model behavior expected from staff
- Supportive bosses (interviewees in the study said that they were "lucky")
- Wonderful staff (interviewees in the study said that they were "lucky")
- Creating their own luck by hiring amazing people; want to work with people who want to try new things; want to work around uncooperative people
- Some had healthy budgets, lack of funding could itself promote innovation
- Used tools to increase efficiencies/free up staff to be nnovative
Formal vs. informal
- reported both formal and informal brainstorming, submission, etc.
- formal processes included innovation goal on all staff evaluations; written into the strategic plan; expectation to serve customers; recognition for innovative ideas; where possible, opp’s for innovation delegated down to as low a level as possible (e.g., low level staff task forces)
- informal processes: key to innovation, allow staff to have time to play/experiment; permission must be given, increases confident
- informal processes: innovative approaches: look for ideas everywhere; imp. To look outside of libraries, e.g., business, non-LIS conferences
- innovation encouraged for everything
- always looking for what we do & how it could be done better
- informal: living the innovative life: we live it – so things don’t seem innovative to us
- entrepreneurial role: library would try, learn about process, pilot project, push off to another dept. once launched
- the library is seen as source of innovation in some orgs: does environmental scanning
- there are no failures
- we asked managers about things they’d tried that had filed; overwhelmingly managers said there were no failures:
o some innovations were too early
o some had unexpected consequences
o some did not have customer/patron/staff buy-in
o came up with a better innovation later
- successful library leaders reframe failures as learning opportunities
- don’t worry about mistakes, know that things will break
- staff & structure that leads to innovation
o need to do more with fewer fte
o limited hierarchical structure
o aging staff needs to work smarter
o want staff to be self-motivated
- mentoring
o our participants hire creative, enthusiastic staff, and have them manage projects. They offer coaching and mentoring in project management; provide consultants to teach staff to be innovative and to move those ideas forward.
o Provide staff time to be innovative – one library gives every staff member time each week to innovate & teach others innovations
- Everyone needs something to feel passionate about in their job
- Conclusions:
o All libraries had moved from being non-innovative to innovative (sometimes a decade or so)
o Motivation
§ Funding (increased or decreased)
§ Staff size (increased or decreased)
§ Something had to change in org structure (a person left; new people came) or patron base
o Atmosphere: EVERYONE had to be seeking new ideas
o Low risk experimentation and play
o Committee of the whole to bounce ideas off of
o Training: ways to think about innovation; planning/project management
o Advice; Leadership
§ Be committed
§ Embrace technology or promote those who can
§ Be open to successes and failures
§ Have a plan / long-range plan
§ Have courage
§ Make a financial commitment
§ Hire a consultant
o Advice: Training:
§ Everyone attended workshops & conferences (leadership & staff)
§ Trained each other
§ Teach techniques that help with innovation
§ Read & share what you read
§ Reward staff for participating in training
o Advice: Focus
§ Focus on your users & their needs
§ Make yourself available to your users
· Implement their good ideas

Who inspired these librarians to be innovative?
- other libraries & library associations & library systems
final advice: you need excitement, passion, and to have fun – Jill Hurst-Wahl, Hurst Associates hurst@hurstassociates.com
Christina K. Pikas: The Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics lab, Christina.pikas@jhuapl.edu

cil2007