Creating Innovative Libraries

with Susan Hildreth, Institute of Museum and Library Services

• Institute of Mus and Lib Services (IMLS)
• interested in VALUE of libraries
  
• IMLS was created about 15 years ago: analyzes trends, share best practices, provides policy advice, partner w other fed agencies (interesting...take a look at their work wrt VALUE project of OLA)...they do research
  
• primarily a grant-making agency: provide grants for libraries and museums
• IMLS is very well funded by the Obama administration
• link to her slides
• (talked to a librarian who works with the Army Corps of Engineers, here in DC...when I told her where TBay is she mentioned The Edmond Fitzgerald! Big Gordon Lightfoot fan!)
• 21st century users want to be involved + create their own content (move from living room to kitchen...again... :) )
• we need to be EMBEDDED in our communities...we have to go to them...(including virtually)...technology is a means to an end
• the mission of IMLS is to inspire libs and museums to advance innovation, learning and cultural and civic engagement. The provide leadership through research, policy development and grant-making.
• what do we have in Canada that is similar?...probably a mish-mash of gov agencies and organizations: find out
• helping to move libs from NICE TO HAVE to NEED TO HAVE
• libs need to be relevant and meaningful to their users
• check out free online assessment tools (and more at the IMLS Web site)
• four cs: creativity, collaboration, critical thinking...and ?! (communication?) (move from the 3Rs)...find out the 4th c!
  
• growing diy and maker culture
• people want to learn by doing: great op for libs...KITCHEN! ...maker spaces and places
• shifting physical needs from print to digital: space...to re-purpose / re-program...hmmmm...how can we make our newfound pace in to THE KITCHEN
• check out Chicago Public Library's YOUmedia Center...nice model for a Maker Lab...has been very successful: building skills and engaging kids
• promoting libs as strong community ANCHORS...nice! new buzz word!
• community anchor also wrt virtual:...ANCHOR is not nesc place-based...also online
• focus on how libs are impacting the workforce: "Opportunity for All" study about lib use (public access computers) to find jobs ..."career and employment needs"...four million peeps found work using a lib computer: major huge impact
• has a partnership with Dept of Labour
• "Connecting to Collections" report...focus on preserving and maintaining access to unique items
• "Digging Into Data" challenge...wrg BIG DATA...working on international protocols for managing research (look in to how Canada is involved)
• DPLA: Digital Public Library of America (look it up)
• research reports: take a look and see if any models for OLA value of libs work
• goal of "Public Management Excellence"...creating a culture of planning, evaluation and evidence-based practice...planning and evaluation vip to show what you're doing is making a difference
• "prudent risk-taking"...libs need to just do it!...perpetual beta mind-set...but when dealing with public funds you have to be prudent...fine balance! Need to learn from failure if you're going to grow.
• look at slide w flow chart of imls's Performance Improvement Model: develop, assess, inform, look at impact, reshape based on feedback
• DPLA: digital public library of America...at proof of concept stage...a future for libs in a could computing world...broad public access to info on a "free to all" basis: a huge vision...imls is a partner. Addressing need for libs to incorporate many types of materials beyond text. Has been development more extensively in Europe. Project managed by the Berkman Centre for Internet and Society at Harvard. Take a closer look at it. Sounds like a huge, amazing project. Early stages at the mo'
  
• What is the dpla? Collaborative effort...active online community of over 1,000 members. Anyone can sign up.
  
• working on open source code, linking meta-data systems
• frame of the DPLA is much larger than eBooks...more about wider e-content...boarder, longer-standing vision