TechEssence.info

Meredith's excellent post about acquiring staff buy-in caused a commenter to raise a related question: how to get buy-in from the higher rungs of the ladder.

As with anything, there's no one foolproof way. Evaluate any strategy suggested in light of what you know about your library's administration. That said, here are a few things that have worked for me and folks I know.

Executive Summary

RFID stands for Radio Frequency Identification. It is a wireless technology used by libraries in place of bar codes. Approximately 300 libraries in the U.S. use RFID systems but many more are considering implementation in the next few years.
High prices for tags, lack of standards (which would make tags interoperable between systems), and privacy concerns are among the most commonly listed reasons that most libraries have not yet converted from bar codes to RFID.

So you may be all gung-ho about a new technology you've read about and really want to implement in your library. You're sure it will benefit your patrons a great deal. However, it is likely that it's your staff who will be doing the heavy lifting of implementing the technology, marketing it and making it successful. And if they aren't as committed to this technology as you are, they likely will not be as committed to its successful implementation. The key to the success of any new technology is an enthusiastic and committed staff. As an administrator, it falls on your shoulders to build up that enthusiasm. Here are some tips that will help to ensure staff buy-in:

It's hard to know whether to adopt a new web technology without kicking its tires. Which blog or wiki software works best for your library? What does a portal look like? Is a given app easy or hard to administer or redesign? How will you know, if you can't try it?

I suggest two ways of making your library a web-technology sandbox: building a test server, and signing up with a web-hosting service.

As a library manager or administrator, you may find it tempting to make an executive decision when faced with pending deadlines, and say, "Just do the hack for now so we can get this thing out the door. We'll go back and fix it later." After all, you don't have the luxury of looking at the current project in isolation. You have to take into account the public relations aspects of the project, other initiatives that are depending on this one, funding issues, and a whole host of other things that the ability to balance makes you a good administrator.

Technological change is rapid and constant. Yet our organizations now depend on technology to serve our clientele as they wish to and should be served. But choosing the technologies that will form the foundation of our future services from among the plethora available can be difficult and nerve-racking.

Part of what makes it so difficult is that no one can predict the future with any accuracy. However, we can identify criteria and strategies for making good decisions no matter what technological wonders come down the road.

It's very easy to get caught up in the hype of whatever new technology is receiving mainstream press and funding. Often adopting a technology at this point is a good idea, but other times it's not. So how do you know what the right thing to do is?

Executive Summary

The OpenURL framework helps libraries improve services to their patrons by enabling a system of intelligent linking among Web-based resources. An OpenURL carries metadata about the object to which it refers rather than a fixed location on a server. With the help of OpenURL, citations link to available copies of an online copy of the full text of an article or other services such as the location and availability of the library’s print copy. Other services enabled through OpenURL include document delivery, interlibrary loan requests, purchase through online book sellers, or any other means of providing access to an electronic or physical copy of the item.

What It Is

Including appropriate standards, protocols, and guidelines. See also the Library Software Manifesto and The Top Ten Things Library Administrators Should Know About Technology.

Roy Tennant started TechEssence to address the need for simple, easy to understand information about information technology. He is lucky to be joined by a stellar cast of individuals who contribute their unique perspectives on technology and its appropriate place in library service: