ACRL OnPoint discussion
From Innovation Wiki
Abstract
Why Didn't I Think of That? Finding Innovation in Your Library
What is innovation? How does it happen? Who innovates? And, why does it happen to some more than others? This OnPoint chat will use attendees' experiences to understand how innovation does (and does not) occur in the academic library environment. Drawing on individuals' successes and failures, we will identify obstacles to innovation, discuss various models and theories of innovation, and consider how the individual fits in the innovative organization. David Dahl, Emerging Technologies Librarian at Towson University, will convene this month's chat.
Summary
The chat started with the question "What is innovation?". Rather than try to summarize the responses, here's a word cloud of the answers given.
What is Innovation? We then moved on to discussing/sharing recent and in-progress innovations at individuals' libraries. These ranged from text reference to service desk models to LibGuides to student-librarian pairing for research assistance. It is noteworthy that the examples of innovation given were not all technology-driven. Many were service innovations that may or may not involve technology.
What are some recent innovations that your libraries are doing or have done? The question was raised whether or not things that have been around for awhile (like chat reference) can still be considered innovative. There probably isn't a correct answer to this, and it probably doesn't matter. I don't think innovation should end at implementing others' innovations, but at the same time, the implementation and use of that particular product/idea/service may itself be innovative in the way it fits in with a library's workflows, culture, etc.
How did all of these innovations happen? Where did they originate? This is where things begin to get fuzzy. Several mentioned initiatives coming from administration or a "segment of librarians"; others said they look to other libraries for ideas. Several mentioned ideas in relation to making innovation happen.
This was followed by a discussion of elements that create an environment that is supportive of ideas. Again, encouragement from management was mentioned, but no specifics were given on how they were encouraged. Is it a formal process or just a feeling? Only one person mentioned a "formal" process, involving monthly meetings requiring each staff member to bring a new idea. An interesting initiative; I wonder if this requirement could actually inhibit innovative ideas.
From this discussion of ideas and other literature, it seems that ideas are at the root of innovation. As such, the management of ideas and encouragement of ideas is important to the innovative organization. I suggested that libraries should focus on their "problems" (I use the term loosely) when seeking out innovative solutions (and hence ideas). It was noted that some innovations don't necessarily solve problems. This is probably true, but for libraries to be successful innovators, I think innovating based on problems is the most valuable route.
Focusing on "problems" does several things:
- it provides proof of the need for innovation to management
- it creates a focus for new ideas
- it inspires new ideas
- it allows for prioritization of innovative projects (do the most valuable things first)
There was a consensus that assessments (of various types) were key to discovering these problems. It was also (importantly) noted that our intuition should not be disregarded - often we already know what the problems are.
How do assessment results get shared with library employees? Several said that results of assessment initiatives were reported in an untimely fashion (months later). One mentioned that the raw data is provided right away and analysis/summaries are provided as they are compiled. I emphasized the need for assessment results to be shared quickly and widely. All employees in an organization should be able to view this data while it is still relevant; this greatly increases the probability of good ideas emerging.
What qualities do innovative people possess?
Again, a word cloud better represents this discussion:
From this discussion, I got the idea that innovators (successful ones) possess a balance between pressure and freedom. They feel pressure to keep trying to solve problems, but they have the freedom to create interesting, new, (and hopefully successful) solutions. I would guess that this is both a personality trait and something that is enhanced by the right organizational culture.
Obstacles to innovation Various obstacles to innovation were presented throughout the discussion. I don't have solid answers to any, but I would still emphasize working from problems as a good start. Here are some of the obstacles that came up:
- non-responsiveness of management and colleagues (disinterested)
- lack of buy-in from management and colleagues
- money (it was pointed out that more and more free solutions come to fruition daily)
- time to innovate (staff cuts & increased workloads limit time for creative thinking and problem solving)
There will always be obstacles to innovation. In fact, obstacles might be one of the keys to successful innovations. Innovation tends to happen more during times of crises than during periods of contentment. Looking at important innovators throughout history, their ideas were often rejected or dismissed at first.
Parting tips for increasing innovation I ended the chat with the following tips/suggestions:
- Think of small innovations
- Act urgently
- Trust your intuition
- Innovate from problems
- Share innovative ideas with others
- View obstacles as opportunities