learning structured double loop self-critical egocentrism

Collection as Organism:

*Dynamic*Flexible*Responsive*Team developed*IPS*Self-organizing*Novelty*Market demands*Customer requirements*Mechanistic (outsource)

Environment:Internal

*Surroundings*Staff relations*Communication

External*Trends*Threats*Opportunities*Networks*National Information Infrastructure*Global Information Infrastructure

Technology:

*Is about people.

*Is a tool for information transfer.

*Requires a planning team.

*Needs to be continuously evaluated.

*Should be state of the art.

S & L SCIENCE FICTION LIBRARY

Our aim is to promote a discriminating appreciation of science fiction by providing facilities, materials, technology and support for local and global patrons who have interest in this area. The high regard we hold for the people we serve, their purposes in our library, and the work we do is insured by our conscious participation in the creation and maintenance of a healthy vital environment for our patrons and ourselves.

INTERDEPENDENCE:

*Truth

*Dynamic Condition

*Energy

*Basis of a healthy environment

Value > Goal > Strategy > Value > Goal > Strategy > Value

HOW DO WE NURTURE DYNAMIC INTERDEPENDENCE?

Committing to Change

Committing to Ongoing Learning

Just as values, goal, and strategies are interchangeable, so are learning and change

Change > Learning > Change > Learning > Change > Learning

In a closed system the environment is contained within the system.

Conditions of our organization that define an instability that is vulnerable to change:

*Diversity of tasks and services*Random interactions with users and staff

Change may occur by:*Serendipitous interconnection*Spontaneous innovation*Change in context

In an open system the environment is external to the system

Achieve and maintain a balance between the environment and the system

*Negative feedback

*Single loop

*Double loop

LEARNING

Structured

Double Loop

Self-critical egocentrism

Organizational values for the SF community are determined by content of SF itself and have a dual nature stemming from the differences between inside and outside views.

They include:*equality*environment & ecology*social issues*relationship with machines*definitions of high concepts *communications with other cultures *future

Managerial culture for the SF community is based on the distribution of political power sources.

Organizational heroes for the SF community are based on the recognition one gains from attachment to SF projects or from successful fandom.

Myths and stories in the SF community stem from:

*The SF works themselves

*Behind the scenes stories

*Fans sharing stories abouttheir experiences.

Taboos, rites, rituals in the SF community revolve around the role playing that goes on at conventions, as well as some structure on the Internet.

Cultural symbols in the SF community:

*space ships*SF icons*costumes*hand gestures*jargon

Organizational values for the S&L Library:

*Traditional library values

*The same values as the SF community

*Our unique position straddling the SFand library communities

Managerial culture for the S&L library:

*Emphasis on shared decision-making

*All employee input accepted

*diversity

*open communication among staff

Organizational heroes the S&L Library hopes to attract:

*The “TechnoGod”

*The “Info-Monarch”

*The “Schmoozer”

*The "Visionary”

*The “Kid at Heart”

S&L Library myths & stories :

External--good PR for libraries inmass media

Internal--stories in the tone of “I wasable to help this person and itfelt so good!” or “I learnedsomething so neat today!”

S&L Library taboos, rites, rituals:

--hope to downplay these in the organization in favor of a freer structure where ideas can flow more easily.

--What structure exists is heterarchical.

--Rituals are discouraged to avoid getting stuck in tradition and hope to encourage innovation.

Cultural symbols for the S&L Library:

*our butterfly logo which represents the butterfly effect

*The shared reality slogan: "Come to read... Stay to learn!"

Physical Structure:

Underscores a corporate philosophy

Contributes value-added image and environment

Planning Plan:• Assemble the ground

level planning team– Volunteers from staff

• Proven leadership skills

• Construction experience

• Experience in strategic planning

• Create team objectives– Plan data gathering for

current and 5 year projected growth

• Walk-in traffic estimate

• Staff & collection growth

• Technology

• Facilities

• Anticipate Instability– Create contingency

schedules

• Research potential design and construction firms– Cost comparison

– Past projects

DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION TEAM

Autonomous and self-organizing

*Share a goal*Expertise*Each other’s peers*Minimum specs

Minimal Specifications

• Value our patrons and staff by supporting the work they do in our library.– Ergonomic furnishings; task, ambient, and

natural light; acoustical privacy; efficient adjacencies between work areas, equipment, support technology, and supply storage.

• Provide a healthy and safe environment.– Ventilation, air handling, mechanical systems,

operable windows, fire protection, exterior lighting on paths and parking lots.

Minimal Specifications

• Assist dynamic interrelationship by providing a variety of environments for a variety of tasks and types of communication.

– Telephone systems, fire alarms, acoustical considerations, areas of complete privacy, small and larger meeting rooms, outside conversation areas, staff lounge.

Minimal Specifications

• Include plans for change and growth by specifying flexible building systems such as modular walls, power channel grids in floors and ceilings. Program in unfinished space to accommodate future growth requirements.

Minimal Specifications• Make it beautiful. Human scaled rather than

monument scaled. It can reflect our futuristic orientation or provide a contrast to it.

• Maximize our ability to enable every aspect of the information transfer process as it pertains to our organization. This will be the result of a successful planning process. Every decision and implementation is directed toward this purpose.

Complexity theorists Sherman and Schultz argue that a company should aim to maximize its information and minimize its infrastructure. Information, as they define it, is not just data but “the gathering of patterns, and way of informing and learning.” Infrastructure is “everything from physical support systems and physical structure to philosophical constraints and preconceptions.” That is, information is everything that helps create new ideas; infrastructure is everything that can get in the way.

Harvard Business Review, March-April 1999.