PROVOCATIONs: Library Leadership in the International Arena

Thursday May 22, 2014NATO LibrariesStephen Abram, MLS

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• What leadership is needed?

• Top down or bottom up?• Culture of experimentation and pilots?• Relationships?• Network effect?• Competencies and Skills?• Attitudes or Aptitudes?

• What is the nature of ‘conversation’?

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NATO is very complex and complicated

• Secret and Public• Management and Implementer• Local and distant service populations – end users• Trans-national and global• Difficult barriers to success• You’re a rare instance of a multi-type system (that lacks a system

basis)▫ Special Libraries (Government, Military, Policy, etc.)▫ Academic Libraries: College, University, Professional and

continuing Education ▫ School Libraries▫ Public Libraries▫ Infrastructure Librarians (IT, IS, Content, Intranet, etc.)

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Partnerships and Collaboration

• The only choice• Internal partnerships matter – don’t give power or seek power – act

as a peer• Purchasing and developing products and services alone is the MOST

expensive ways to achieve. It’s also the slowest.• ASK and No is not an answer, or at least a full answer.

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The 8 Elements of a Well-launched Project

• An Idea• Clarify the Situation• Convert the Idea to a Statement of Work• Clarify what the task is Not• State the Expected Results, key milestones and major

deliverables• Select the People needed to complete the task• Allocate Resources to do the job well• Specify how Success will be measured, rewarded and

sustained over time

Differences in the Private and Public Sector Approaches to Development

Private Sectorq Competitive advantage is

the idealq Innovation is key to long-

term existenceq Focus on clients and

marketshareq Business strategiesq Responsibility to

shareholders or owner/investors

q Increasing revenueq Risk orientedq Economic success is a

prime personal motivatorq Competitors, partners and

alliesq e-Business is the challengeq Focus on “results”

Public Sectorq Collaborative advantage is the

idealq Good service is the key to

long-term existenceq Focus on citizens and social

contractq Political agendas and

government imperativesq Responsibility to parliament

and to citizensq Wise use of tax dollarsq Risk averseq Making a positive impact on

society is a strong motivatorq Other departments, levels of

government, unionsq e-Government is the challengeq Focus on “process”

Stop the Insanity

Tech is a toolTech is an opportunityInnovation involves riskThe biggest risk is not taking any.

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http://www-digitalphotographytutorial.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/black-and-white.jpg

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Stop Having and Engaging in BS Discussions

• Libraries are more relevant than ever• We have no good reason to be on the defence• Reading is UP• E-Books aren’t replacing p-Books - the dynamic is a new hybrid

marketplace• E-Books have benefits that p-Books don’t• Librarians are being hired and doing well• Change is our tradition• This new normal requires specialized professionals like us.

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Comprehensive Digital Strategies: More than just Content!

Digital is more complicated than Print.

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Biggest Issue: Getting Lost in the Reeds

Understand the difference between Search and Find

• Roy Tennant and I have been saying for years: “Users want to find not search”. • Librarians enjoy the challenge of search and try to create mini-librarians.• Information literacy is different than contextual information fluency.•The user experience is mostly “elsewhere”.• Learning, research and decision-making processes trump search.

Understand the difference between the roles of discovery services and native search

• Search & Find• Integration of internal/external information• Search is the identification of potential objects to read or view in either a known item retrieval scenario or – more importantly – an immersion environment where choices are made.• Until recently, we handled immersion environments in the context of defined subsets of content (a single database or small group).• Discovery services are one step before search – the identification and discovery of the resources (databases) that are worth searching.

And the Algorithm Understanding Failure

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The power of algorithm is in the target user needs, the institutional needs, and the behavioral history

. . . Not the underlying content

Are there any real national initiatives to understand and differentiate library end user behaviors from Google commercial constructs? (yes but …)

Get the naming and labeling right

• Vendors must develop unique names and brands for their services to meet positioning, marketing and sales needs to you.• There is no need for you to fall in line and pass through these names – or worse try to train end users to know hundreds of them!• Can anyone defend using these titles to be the single most important label for end users? MLA, Scopus, Compendex, ABI/Inform . . .?• Honestly! The needs of trademark law don’t match the needs of users to identify resources.

 Are you using numbers strategically?

• Statistics versus measurements• Satisfaction and Impact • Visual versus data• Stories build on data springboards• Are your numbers showing customer satisfaction or just activity?• Do you trust your numbers (It’s easy to mess with an interface

and increase hits or whatever statistics you’re using.)• How can the vendor help your numbers issues and insights?

Until lions learn to write their own story, the story will always be from the perspective

of the hunter not the hunted.

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Library Advocacy: The Lion's Story

• Are you framing your library's story well? • Are you sharing measurements about your impact, or still beating the

drum of raw statistics that show funders where to cut? • Are you using great gift of social media to engage and get your

message out. • Has your library's marketing and communication plan stepped up to

the 21st Century? • Are we ready for advanced data mining of our websites, circulation

and membership records? • Are you ready for the reach beyond outreach? • What are the skills and competencies that library teams need?

First . . .

Let’s stop using the word advocacy

Let’s discuss influence and being influential . . .

Second . . . Let’s start using verbs to describe ourselves in the context(s) of our members, audiences and communities.

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SmellyYellowLiquid

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OrSex

Appeal?

Third . . . Learn and use the language of benefits – not features, functions and processes.

Fourth . . . Let’s build on our legacy of trust and respect and our foundation of collections and places to shine

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Foundations

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House

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Home

Fifth . . .Let’s emphasize the humans that make the magic happen . . . Library staff

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Librarian and Staff Magic Should Not be Invisible

Grocery Stores

Cookbooks, Chefs . . .

Cookbooks, Chefs . . .

Meals

Sixth . . . Let’s focus on VALUE, IMPACT, and POSITIONING (VIP)

What’s the music and magic you hear? Play? Do?

RockStar Librarians

Are you locked into library financial mindsets?

What about value and impact?

Or shall we stick with this?

It’s the stories that happen inside your library that matter . . . Not just the ones you have on the shelves.

Tell those storiesEncourage the heart . . .Better yet . . . Collect the stories in your users’ voices

http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/4/2010/02/walee.jpg

Sustaining RelevanceBeing RelevantCommunicating VIPReal relationshipsBeing a ‘real’ professional

Personal and Institutional Impact: Strategies and Tactics

Let’s talk . . .

Why is the staff invisible on your virtual presence?

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Important Strategic Issues

1. Investing for success2. Strategic budgeting3. Developing a culture of controlled risk4. Learning to de-invest, sacrifice, stop, and grow.5. “A library is a growing organism.”

Library Land

What changes, disruptions and shifts are already in the environment?

Short ListMillennials & changing user behavioursCloudAlgorithmic search and mappingStreaming media content and new formsAdvanced text –not just easy e-bookseLearning & MOOCsGamificationMobility and fluid contentDiscovery and metadata vaults (DPLA, OCLC, Eurpeana)

New forms of spaces

What kinds of community spaces are needed in the future?Can you support learning spaces, community meeting spaces, performance spaces, maker spaces, real advisory spaces, true relationship and consultation management . . .?

Metadata vaults

What if all metadata and content discovery is freely available using open APIs through the OCLC WorldShare vault and the Digital Public Library of America / Europeana vault of open and free metadata?What does your experience portal look like? Top questions?

What Should Library Priorities Be?

And what would you sacrifice?

1. Liaison and Relationship Management: EngagementUp Your Game• Know your local community demographics• Focus on needs assessment and social assessments• Prioritize: Love all, Serve all, Save the World means nothing

gets done• Priorities are SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable,

Relevant, & Time bound• Look for partnerships that add value

Focus and Understand on the Whole Experience

2. Programs --- More, more, more

Up Your Game• Align with Collections – every collection must be justified by

programs• Force strategic investment budgeting• Look for partnerships that add value• Don’t go it alone. Focus on large scale sustainable programs• Connect to the longer process not just events• Virtual and in-person - in the Library and reaching out with partners• SCALE: eLearning and Surveys – e.g. citation methods

What are the real issues?

• Craft versus Industrial Strength• Personal service only when there’s impact• Pilot, Project, Initiative versus Portfolio Strategy• Hand-knitted prototypes versus Production• e.g. Information Literacy and Fluency initiatives• Discovery versus Search versus Deep Search• eLearning units and program dissemination • Citation and information ethics• Content and repository archipelagos

• Strategic Analytics• Value & Impact Measures• Behaviours, Satisfaction• Economic and strategic alignment

3. Experience PortalsThe Virtual ‘User’ is differentUp Your Game• Align with Collections – But add virtual experiences• Look for partnerships that add value• Ensure the program delivery person is embedded including

librarians• What are your top 20 question domains? Start there.• Don’t go it alone. Build scalability and sustainability.• Look for replicability – every neighbourhood

4. Learning StrategiesUp Your Game• Start offering diplomas and certificates• Look for partnerships that add value like HR and IT• Offer real educational opportunities not just adjacencies• What does your community need for economic advantage?• What courses to you offer or recommend? (TED, Khan

Academy, MOOCs, Coursera, Udacity, edX, Learn4Life (ed2go), Online High Schools, Homeschooling, etc.)

5. Get real about Partnerships

Up Your Game• Learn two-way relationship and consultation competencies• Understand Communities and have deep partnerships• Understand Pedagogy in the context of government and

educational goals• Know where your programs are heading• Consider deep partnerships especially IT and HR• Consider coaches, peer, and tutoring partnerships

6. Take Branding to the Next LevelUp Your Game• The strong ‘library’ brand – but add dimension• Personal branding – Who are your stars? Promote them. You?• Program branding• Take risks for attention (AIDA)• Embed your brand beyond the library walls and virtually

The Virtual Handout

• The Value of Public Librarieshttp://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/06/the-value-of-public-libraries/

• The Value of School Librarieshttp://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/06/the-value-of-school-libraries/

• The Value of Academic and College Librarieshttp://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/07/value-of-academic-and-college-libraries/

• The Value of Special Librarieshttp://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/07/value-of-special-libraries/

• Library Advocacy: Save the Library Campaignshttp://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/01/save-the-library-campaigns/

8. Start to ‘get’ the cloudUp Your Game• Move the ILS to the Cloud• LinkedData models – OCLC WorldShare, Europeana, DPLA, etc.• Look at TCO and look at all costs incurred and not just hard

costs• Review opportunity costs in soft costs

9. Develop and Use PersonasUp Your Game• Stop using meat cleavers and use paring knives• Examples:

• A meat cleaver is undergrad versus grad vs. faculty• A meat cleaver is kids, teens and adults• A meat cleaver is medical versus legal

10. Upgrade Your Teaching Skills

Up Your Game• Learn how to reach and teach online• Teach how to learn online• Teach how to research online• Everyone in academic libraries should be focused on

teaching/researching first, then library• Learn more systems than one!• Be obsessive about consultation, recommendations and advice• Social alignment rules and use the tools

11. Know your data but data is not enough

Up Your Game• Use your data to derive insights• Mine your data for measurements• Justify• Prove value and impact• Avoid print and in-person measures alone

12. Uncomfortable Bonus: SacrificeUp Your Game• Dog, Star, Cow, Problem Child?• Reduce investment in successes• Increase investment in early strategic innovation• Be patient and learn, it can take years• Look at TCO• Look at all costs incurred and not just hard costs• Review opportunity costs in soft costs

Research Support

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CRMAppointmentsLiaisonStrategy

Your WebsiteandIntranet

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Recreational Reading

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Story Hours

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Record your Story HoursYouTube Your Story HoursTie in to collection• Parenting• Children’s Health• Continuing EducationMoms and Caregivers Social Glue Teddy Bears, PJ’s, Pets, ToysHow do you find kids’ books?

Learning

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MOOCs

Maker

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3D is 4DSTEM vs. STEAMCreativeEntrepreneursChanging Life ArcsAnd so much more…

Authorship & Writing

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Douglas County and Colorado ModelsLulu, Amazon Singles, Self-publishingFifty Shades of GreyThis is an economic activity

Events and Programs

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Hand-knitting Sweaters or an Industrial Revolution for librariesConsider scalability and replicabilityCooperation on a massive scaleMobility of programmingThinking big – over 1000 attendees or 30?Mobile MakerspacesMobile staff talent

Hobbies

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Photography & Video

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Green WallsVideo editingRepositoriesContestsGenealogyTourism

Learning or Education or Homework

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Top Questions PatternCommon Core Curriculum

Promotion and Social Media

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Websites and e-mailFacebookPinterestTwitterTumblrVimeo / YouTube / VineInstagramEtc.

Engagement

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Stephen Abram, MLS, FSLAConsultant, Dysart & Jones/Lighthouse Consulting

Cel: 416-669-4855stephen.abram@gmail.comStephen’s Lighthouse Blog

http://stephenslighthouse.comFacebook, Pinterest, Tumblr: Stephen Abram

LinkedIn: Stephen AbramTwitter: @sabram

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