Comments on: The innovation gap http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/2005/04/13/the-innovation-gap/ A librarian, writer and educator reflecting on the profession and the tools we use to serve our patrons Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:11:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.3 By: Information Wants To Be Free » Blog Archive » Coders wanted. http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/2005/04/13/the-innovation-gap/comment-page-1/#comment-32164 Information Wants To Be Free » Blog Archive » Coders wanted. Thu, 24 Nov 2005 01:10:14 +0000 /?p=203#comment-32164 [...] I’ve talked a lot in the past about the gulf that is growing between libraries that are change agents and libraries that are change averse. Lately, I’ve been seeing a new gulf growing in libraries, that has less to do with one’s attitude towards change and more to do with the skills of one’s staff. I see it happening in my library, and my Director is an enthusiastic proponent of change. The problem is that many libraries simply don’t have people capable of creating significant changes in our library middleware. Our systems librarian can get our OPAC to work (in the sense that people can search it and maybe even find our materials if they know how to search it) but that’s it. More often, he’s fixing printers or calling vendors because their products stopped working with our off-campus students. There is no one who knows how to code, and this includes most of the people in IT (not that we have that sort of relationship anyways). I’ve been lobbying to get a coder — or better yet, a librarian who can code — as we have one more funded position that we can create. I want someone who can hack into the catalog and find ways to make it easier for us to search it. I want someone who can not only talk about Library 2.0 and Web Services, but who can actually create things that move us towards 2.0 (whatever that means). I want Norwich to have an OPAC that is easy to use, online journals that are easier to find, and databases that are easier to search. [...] [...] I’ve talked a lot in the past about the gulf that is growing between libraries that are change agents and libraries that are change averse. Lately, I’ve been seeing a new gulf growing in libraries, that has less to do with one’s attitude towards change and more to do with the skills of one’s staff. I see it happening in my library, and my Director is an enthusiastic proponent of change. The problem is that many libraries simply don’t have people capable of creating significant changes in our library middleware. Our systems librarian can get our OPAC to work (in the sense that people can search it and maybe even find our materials if they know how to search it) but that’s it. More often, he’s fixing printers or calling vendors because their products stopped working with our off-campus students. There is no one who knows how to code, and this includes most of the people in IT (not that we have that sort of relationship anyways). I’ve been lobbying to get a coder — or better yet, a librarian who can code — as we have one more funded position that we can create. I want someone who can hack into the catalog and find ways to make it easier for us to search it. I want someone who can not only talk about Library 2.0 and Web Services, but who can actually create things that move us towards 2.0 (whatever that means). I want Norwich to have an OPAC that is easy to use, online journals that are easier to find, and databases that are easier to search. [...]

]]> By: Jill Hurst-Wahl http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/2005/04/13/the-innovation-gap/comment-page-1/#comment-1766 Jill Hurst-Wahl Thu, 28 Apr 2005 17:27:17 +0000 /?p=203#comment-1766 Meredith, Just wanted you to know that I've mentioned this posting in my blog. I'm also referring to it next week in my lecture to my graduate students. We can't stick our heads in the sand and wait for change to stop. We must understand and embrace change. Jill Meredith,

Just wanted you to know that I’ve mentioned this posting in my blog. I’m also referring to it next week in my lecture to my graduate students. We can’t stick our heads in the sand and wait for change to stop. We must understand and embrace change.

Jill

]]> By: Ryan Deschamps http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/2005/04/13/the-innovation-gap/comment-page-1/#comment-1717 Ryan Deschamps Thu, 14 Apr 2005 17:59:47 +0000 /?p=203#comment-1717 If there was one course missing from the curriculum of many library schools, I would say it would be one about Organizational Learning, Culture and Cross-cultural communication. I think librarianship (not libraries, ironically -- communities will always want at least a few books in a vault to show they have class) are in a real crisis with this issue. With wireless, blogs, Google and a whole bunch of other trends that are getting stronger and more popular by the millisecond, librarians really need to re-think where their futures are. Ryan. . . If there was one course missing from the curriculum of many library schools, I would say it would be one about Organizational Learning, Culture and Cross-cultural communication.

I think librarianship (not libraries, ironically — communities will always want at least a few books in a vault to show they have class) are in a real crisis with this issue. With wireless, blogs, Google and a whole bunch of other trends that are getting stronger and more popular by the millisecond, librarians really need to re-think where their futures are.

Ryan. . .

]]> By: Karen Botkin http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/2005/04/13/the-innovation-gap/comment-page-1/#comment-1716 Karen Botkin Thu, 14 Apr 2005 13:28:09 +0000 /?p=203#comment-1716 As a librarian (in a special library) also sitting on a library board of trustees (in a public library), I found myself nodding my head while reading your entry. Everytime I try to bring up the need to try new technologies in our public library or to try to market and serve a constituency not currently served, I receive the response "why fix what's not broken." I'm a technologically savy baby boomer who luckily gets my fix and chance to try new technologies at work; it's necessary there to stay profitable. If you discover a method to get the old fogies to listen, please spread the word. As a librarian (in a special library) also sitting on a library board of trustees (in a public library),
I found myself nodding my head while reading your entry. Everytime I try to bring up the need to try
new technologies in our public library or to try to market and serve a constituency not currently served,
I receive the response “why fix what’s not broken.” I’m a technologically savy baby boomer who luckily
gets my fix and chance to try new technologies at work; it’s necessary there to stay profitable. If
you discover a method to get the old fogies to listen, please spread the word.

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