Session e202

Editor's Notes

• #3: Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. Focus on the user and all else will follow. It's best to do one thing really, really well. Fast is better than slow. Democracy on the web works. You don't need to be at your desk to need an answer. You can make money without doing evil. There's always more information out there. The need for information crosses all borders. You can be serious without a suit. Great just isn't good enough.
• #4: Reality Check— Libraries are Businesses, some may be non-profit but businesses non the less. We need to think of libraries even academic libraries in that context. Harvard Business Review post Enron “Guilty until proven innocent.” “Perception of risk that comes with radical transparency.” “What if we never regain public trust?”
• #5: Barriers. Roadblocks. Inability to change. The culture of perfect.
• #6: What is transparency? Wall Street World’s defines Transparency as “The full, accurate, and timely disclosure of information.” Three components: open communication, adapting to change, scanning the horizon.
• #7: As an aside, for my presentation, I am sharing an experience I had with faculty member who taught my organizational psych course many years ago to start our conversation.  This faculty member was studying the Aborigines in Australia, their perceptions and social culture.  His office was set up without a desk and only low shelving to sit in a square on pillows.  I have to say, at that time,  when I went to see him during his office hours I was taken aback.  I was expecting the traditional desk and chair.  It was so out of my comfort zone that I left without staying to talk with him.
• #8: The rise of the citizen journalist. A desire for fairness and openness. How can we translate this to our library? What does open communication look like?
• #9: Our cells grow, multiply, and die everyday. Our hair, fingernails, and body regenerates over a period of time. So we are changing everyday even though we may not be aware of it. Change is a part of Life. Life is not black and white, learn to embrace the gray!
• #10: What are our roadblocks? How can we overcome them and reach out? The transparent library both listens and talks. The library is connected, breeding expectation for open conversation.
• #11: Showing signs from libraries - bad signs from libraries! People are talking about us. What stuff are you giving them to talk about? Asking - What are your roadblocks? inability to use open source software we’ve always done it this way control-freak IT support No admin priviledges only making cosmetic changes budget no time The excessive love of process Luddite trustees
• #12: Road map to transparency open conversation (aside - nice slide!) visit the front lines cross train, provide learning for all staff consider the role of anonymity what would you add? Don’t ask staff for input if you are not going to use it Going to the field: bring them out (managers) visit the front lines examine different staffing models develop big picture understanding administrators should understand everyone’s roles get out of the office! decisions are not made in a vacuum crucial if administrators are not librarians
• #14: Michael Casey is the Information Technology Director for the Gwinnett County Public Library in metropolitan Atlanta. Named a Mover & Shaker by Library Journal in March 2007, Michael writes the blog LibraryCrunch and he is the author of “ Library 2.0: A Guide to Participatory Library Service ” (2007, Information Today Press) and contributer to “ Library 2.0 and Beyond ” (2007, Libraries Unlimited). He has written and spoken extensively on the subject of modern library services.