RE: The Ultimate Debate: Do Libraries Innovate?

Hi all-

At the discussion - to which I arrived a little late so I
missed the bit about Maricopa - it seemed that Stephen was
arguing more that librarians - and the profession as a whole
- are afraid of innovation, instead relying on outside
sources for innovation, whether it is a fellow librarian who
creates something which then slowly disseminates, or
something a vendor pushes on a customer which slowly
disseminates, etc.

I don't know if this example came up, but as far as non-MARC
goes, the increased use of self-checkout in emulation of
big-box stores, the outsourcing of cataloging in order to
streamline the vendor-to-shelf time, the increased use of
RFID and other devices to get away from the typical barcode,
the increased use of online digital content in such
different areas as audio/video and photographic archives all
speak of some innovation.  

It may not be a matter of a librarian himself/herself
creating the latest and greatest, and is usually brought on
by perceived market, generational and user-orientation
shifts, but something is definitely going on.

Is there a distinction between innovation and invention that
should be taken into account?  Adaptation, growth,
expansion, adoption are all some form of innovation.

Clinton

----

My opinions are mine own.  They grow best in damp basements
using black lights.

       
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One of the best courses I took in getting my MLS was a
course/seminar on
managing innovation.  Innovation had NOTHING to do directly
with invention
as most people think of it.  I wish I had saved my materials
from that
course since it was 24 years ago.  The biggest thing was
that innovation
involves being willing to make mistakes and to learn from
those mistakes.

-- 
Wilfred (Bill) Drew
Associate Librarian, Systems and Reference
Morrisville State College Library
E-mail: bill.drewgmail.com
AOL Instant Messenger:BillDrew4
My Wiki: http://billdrew.pbwiki.com

Wireless Librarian: http:
//people.morrisville.edu/~drewwe/wireless/
Library: http://library.morris
ville.edu/
SUNYConnect: http://www.sunyconne
ct.suny.edu/
My Blog:http://babybo
omerlibrarian.blogspot.com
Al Gore quoting an African proverb: "If you want to go
quickly, go alone.
But if you want to go far, go together."

On 6/27/07, Clinton Lowery <clintonhloweryyahoo.com> wrote:
>
> Hi all-
>
> At the discussion - to which I arrived a little late so
I missed the bit
> about Maricopa - it seemed that Stephen was arguing
more that librarians -
> and the profession as a whole - are afraid of
innovation, instead relying on
> outside sources for innovation, whether it is a fellow
librarian who creates
> something which then slowly disseminates, or something
a vendor pushes on a
> customer which slowly disseminates, etc.
>
> I don't know if this example came up, but as far as
non-MARC goes, the
> increased use of self-checkout in emulation of big-box
stores, the
> outsourcing of cataloging in order to streamline the
vendor-to-shelf time,
> the increased use of RFID and other devices to get away
from the typical
> barcode, the increased use of online digital content in
such different areas
> as audio/video and photographic archives all speak of
some innovation.
>
> It may not be a matter of a librarian himself/herself
creating the latest
> and greatest, and is usually brought on by perceived
market, generational
> and user-orientation shifts, but something is
definitely going on.
>
> Is there a distinction between innovation and invention
that should be
> taken into account?  Adaptation, growth, expansion,
adoption are all some
> form of innovation.
>
> Clinton
>
> ----
>
> My opinions are mine own.  They grow best in damp
basements using black
> lights.
>
>
> ---------------------------------
> Get the free Yahoo! toolbar and rest assured with the
added security of
> spyware protection.
> _______________________________________________
> Web4lib mailing list
> Web4libwebjunction.org
> http://lists.we
bjunction.org/web4lib/
>
_______________________________________________
Web4lib mailing list
Web4libwebjunction.org
http://lists.we
bjunction.org/web4lib/

One of the best courses I took in getting my MLS was a
course/seminar on
managing innovation.  Innovation had NOTHING to do directly
with invention
as most people think of it.  I wish I had saved my materials
from that
course since it was 24 years ago.  The biggest thing was
that innovation
involves being willing to make mistakes and to learn from
those mistakes.

-- 
Wilfred (Bill) Drew
Associate Librarian, Systems and Reference
Morrisville State College Library
E-mail: bill.drewgmail.com
AOL Instant Messenger:BillDrew4
My Wiki: http://billdrew.pbwiki.com

Wireless Librarian: http:
//people.morrisville.edu/~drewwe/wireless/
Library: http://library.morris
ville.edu/
SUNYConnect: http://www.sunyconne
ct.suny.edu/
My Blog:http://babybo
omerlibrarian.blogspot.com
Al Gore quoting an African proverb: "If you want to go
quickly, go alone.
But if you want to go far, go together."

On 6/27/07, Clinton Lowery <clintonhloweryyahoo.com> wrote:
>
> Hi all-
>
> At the discussion - to which I arrived a little late so
I missed the bit
> about Maricopa - it seemed that Stephen was arguing
more that librarians -
> and the profession as a whole - are afraid of
innovation, instead relying on
> outside sources for innovation, whether it is a fellow
librarian who creates
> something which then slowly disseminates, or something
a vendor pushes on a
> customer which slowly disseminates, etc.
>
> I don't know if this example came up, but as far as
non-MARC goes, the
> increased use of self-checkout in emulation of big-box
stores, the
> outsourcing of cataloging in order to streamline the
vendor-to-shelf time,
> the increased use of RFID and other devices to get away
from the typical
> barcode, the increased use of online digital content in
such different areas
> as audio/video and photographic archives all speak of
some innovation.
>
> It may not be a matter of a librarian himself/herself
creating the latest
> and greatest, and is usually brought on by perceived
market, generational
> and user-orientation shifts, but something is
definitely going on.
>
> Is there a distinction between innovation and invention
that should be
> taken into account?  Adaptation, growth, expansion,
adoption are all some
> form of innovation.
>
> Clinton
>
> ----
>
> My opinions are mine own.  They grow best in damp
basements using black
> lights.
>
>
> ---------------------------------
> Get the free Yahoo! toolbar and rest assured with the
added security of
> spyware protection.
> _______________________________________________
> Web4lib mailing list
> Web4libwebjunction.org
> http://lists.we
bjunction.org/web4lib/
>
_______________________________________________
Web4lib mailing list
Web4libwebjunction.org
http://lists.we
bjunction.org/web4lib/