innovation: the librarian's dilemma?
DESCRIPTION
By listening to our customers and placing value and allocating resources on what they say they need today, will libraries meet a fate similar to hard drive, typewriter, and photography manufacturers? Presented at the Association for College and Research Libraries Annual Conference panbel session "Technology innovation in academic libraries: rocking the boat or unfurling the sails?" March 31, 2007TRANSCRIPT
Eric SchnellAssociate Professor
Prior Health Sciences LibraryThe Ohio State University
Innovation:
The Librarian's Dilemma?
Overview
What is Innovation?
Sustaining and Disruptive Technologies
OSU: Pro
The Innovator’s Dilemma
The Librarian’s Dilemma
What is Innovation?
Invention vs. innovation
“Invention implemented”
Many innovations were invented 25 yrs ago
A process; a culture
Types of innovations:
- Product/Service
- Processes
What are Sustaining and Disruptive Technologies ?
Sustaining Technologies
Sustaining technologies improve the performance of established products or services that customers have historically valued
Disruptive Technologies
Disruptive technologies consist of components built around proven technologies and used in new ways
Sustaining or Disruptive?
Sustaining or Disruptive?
E-ReservesSustaining
Disruptive: Course Management Systems
Chat Reference Sustaining
Disruptive: Google
Electronic Document Delivery Sustaining
Disruptive: Open Access
Thinking About Innovation
Clayton Christensen’sInnovator’s Dilemma
Q: How can great companies fail?- place value on sustaining services- allocate resources to support sustaining services
Q: Why do good managers fail? - listen to customer needs- support organizational structures and cultures not
conducive to innovation
Q: What makes an organization innovative? - reallocate resources - create independent project groups
The Librarian’s Dilemma ?
Survey current customer needs
Place value on sustaining services
Have organizations designed to focus on and protect existing practices
Allocate resources to support sustaining services
Lack organizational structures conducive to innovation
The Librarian’s Dilemma ?
By listening to our customers and placing value and allocating resources on what they say they need today, will libraries meet a fate similar to hard drive, typewriter, and photography manufacturers?
