I want to add one thing to what Eric has written: Communicate.
Communicate what you are working on, details of what you are doing,
results, successes, failures. This is the reason I set up the (still not
terribly useful) futurelib wiki (http://futurelib.pbwiki.com) -- because
we really need to know what others are working on and to have a place to
gather. This wiki may not be it, and that's fine, but we do need a place
-- because we will accomplish so much more if we share and collaborate.
kc
Eric Lease Morgan wrote:
> On Jan 6, 2008, at 6:02 PM, B.G. Sloan wrote:
>
>
>> OK...so how do we move from talking to creating? How do we as a
>> group overcome the inertia and stop talking things to death? We've
>> been doing that for 18 months now (i.e., NGC4LIB is 18 months old).
>>
>> How do we get some innovation started? (Not a rhetorical question)
>
>
>
> Above are two separate questions.
>
> First, IMHO, to move from talking to creating we need to understand
> that we have only discussed 1/3 of the problem -- description/
> organization. A library "catalog" contains "stuff". What is that
> stuff? This is a topic centering on collections which has been sorely
> lacking here. Is it only stuff we own? It is stuff we own and license?
> What are the qualities and characteristics of the stuff in the
> "catalog" Second, to think that a library "catalog" should only
> support search is anemic. What are you going to do with the stuff once
> you find it? I suppose you want to read it, duh, but what else? Get
> it. Annotate it. Review it. Compare & contrast it. Extract all of its
> images. Cite it. Purchase it. Add it to a personal list. These are
> issues of public... services, and these issues have not been discussed
> here either. This list's discussion is not balanced, yet.
>
> Second, innovation does not happen across a large group of people such
> as this mailing list or a profession. Innovation is an intimate and
> creative process sprouting from the work of self-motivated individuals
> and small groups. To foster innovation on the issue of "next
> generation" library catalogs, all that is needed time and commitment
> to change. Everybody on this list is empowered in this regard.
> Identify the problem. Brainstorm solutions. In a small, inexpensive
> way gather together the resources (time, talent, stuff, etc.)
> necessary to create prototypes. Understand that many prototypes will
> be necessary before the best solution presents itself. It will not be
> perfect the first time, and it is not a waste of time to try and try
> again. When you do have a solution in place, then rest for a bit and
> return to Step #1 -- identify the problem. Innovation is a never-
> ending process.
>
> P.S. Regarding innovation. It does not hurt when leadership/
> administration expressly blesses the innovation process. It is not
> necessary but it does make things easier.
>
> --
> Eric Lease Morgan
> Head, Digital Access and Information Architecture Department
> University Libraries of Notre Dame
>
>
--
-----------------------------------
Karen Coyle / Digital Library Consultant
kcoyle@kcoyle.net http://www.kcoyle.net
ph.: 510-540-7596 skype: kcoylenet
fx.: 510-848-3913
mo.: 510-435-8234
------------------------------------
Received on Mon Jan 07 2008 - 10:38:16 EST