“all changed and changed utterly”
Technological innovation in two Irish libraries
Hugh Murphy, Senior Librarian, Maynooth University LibraryCaleb Derven, Head, Technical & Digital Services, Glucksman Library,
University of Limerick
Introduction• Within 5 years, library services at
Maynooth and Limerick have been completely transformed
• Changes have varied across technologies and services
• Sustainability was key - changes occurred in context of national recession
• Fine balance between using technology to do a better job and the seductions of “techno determinism”
Background
• Irish context: staffing difficulties, financial and other limitations.
• Challenges enabled innovation
• While similar changes occurred in both Limerick and Maynooth, we note only the most dramatic and relevant of each.
Literature Review• Incremental vs. radical change - is the
former innovation? (Ettlie, et al., 1984)
• Organisation support is an enabling factor for innovation (Balk, et al., 2014)
• Library leadership is a factor in innovation (Jantz, 2014)
• Institutional size influences capacity to innovate (Nowvskie (2013)
Literature Review, continued
• Technical vs. Administrative innovation
• Economic crises enabled innovation, but leadership served a significant role
• “ If leaders have a positive attitude toward change, then initiation of an innovation becomes possible.” (Jantz, 2014)
Literature Review - Size Matters
• Size can impact on the capacity of the institution to innovate. (Ettlie, 1984)
• Importance of decentralised and non-hierarchical approaches (Nowviskie, 2013)
• Innovation creates a public value (Balk, 2014)
Technologies
• Kaizen-type approach - iterative and focused on improvements
• Necessity of apt context
• Technology as enabler, not prime mover
Audio Visual transformation (MU)
• Starting from a low base
• Policy as important as service
Audio Visual Transformation (MU)
‘wow’ factor v service provision
Use Case 2 - Adopting a Discovery Solution
• Nationally - consortial purchasing body which means similar resources across institutions
• Search across resources = changed perception of library services
• Technology means Library seen as ‘better’
• Market determines products and services; library doesn’t drive the innovations
Adopting a Discovery Solution (MU)
• MU implementation of Summon and new website at the same time
• Initial testing with students -hugely positive
• General increase in e-resource usage (‘easier’)
• Strong positive feedback from most users
• Some find transition difficult (education)
Adopting a Discovery Solution (UL)
• UL: European Documentation Centre material loaded monthly into Summon
• Clear, quantitative evidence that discovery solution is preferred searching route for most students
• Website redesign during 2015 will allow us to revisit single search box on Library homepage
3D Printing (MU)
“Gartner predicts that the 3D printer market will have revenue growth rates of over 100%, beginning in 2018. Revenue
will grow fastest in enterprise 3D markets, while unit shipments will expand rapidly in the consumer 3D market, with more-low-
cost units driving broader adoption”
3D Printing (MU)•Give users what [we think] they want
•Broadens service provision
•Not all users want books (print or ‘e’)
•Increased traction with academic departments
•Staff views on technology opened / challenged
•Library seen as innovative
•Library as ‘centre for everything’ on campus
Collection Management Workflows (UL)
• Increasing reliance on provision of shelf-ready services set the stage
• Faster and more efficient access of material for students and academic staff
• Staff willingness to embrace new roles and tasks
• All stages of the acquisitions process directly utilize EDI
• Single workflow: bibliographic record created at point of ordering
• Over 90% of books are put into stock automatically at the book sorter
Collection Management Workflows (UL)
Digital Library Services (UL)● Change of work practices in
collection management at Limerick = new focus on descriptive metadata, digital imaging and digital standards
● Staff retrained in digitisation and metadata practices
● The adoption of an open-source, community-of-practice-based digital repository allows the full range of users to access unique collections
Use Case 5 - Digital Library Services
• Staff expertise refocused on new areas: cataloguers on unique collections, others on digitisation
• Innovative services and practices directly enabled by shifts in ordering process
• Building innovative, digital services strengthens the strategic role of the Library
Use Case 5 - Digital Library Services
• Omeka• Hydra• Incrementa
l• Scalable
Conclusions
• Strategic role of innovation on local and national levels
• Direct staff benefit - re-orienting key skills
• Future innovation – strategy
• Library becomes ‘centre for everything’ on campus
BibliographyBalk, H., Library Innovation: Enablers and Obstacles. Library Innovation: Enablers and Obstacles. Available at: https://libraryinnofactors.wordpress.com/ [Accessed May 10, 2015]
Balk, H., Kwant, E. & Neudecker, C., 2014. What makes innovation work? Innovation practice in the National Library of the Netherlands. IFLA journal, 40(3), pp.157–168
Ettlie, J.E., Bridges, W.P. & O’Keefe, R.D., 1984. Organization Strategy and Structural Differences for Radical versus Incremental Innovation. Management Science, 30(6), pp.682–695
Jantz, R.C., 2012. Innovation in academic libraries: An analysis of university librarians’ perspectives. Library & information science research, 34(1), pp.3–12
Jantz, R.C., 2014. The Determinants of Organizational Innovation: An Interpretation and Implications for Research Libraries. College & Research Libraries, pp.crl14–580
Nowviskie, B., 2013. Skunks in the Library: A Path to Production for Scholarly R&D. Journal of Library Administration, 53(1), pp.53–66
Vinopal, J. & McCormick, M., 2013. Supporting Digital Scholarship in Research Libraries: Scalability and Sustainability. Journal of Library Administration, 53(1), pp.27–42.
Thank youHugh Murphy,
Senior Librarian,
Maynooth University Library
[email protected] @hughtweet
Caleb Derven, Head,
Technical & Digital Services, Glucksman Library, University of
Limerick
[email protected]@calebderven
