CIL2010: Organization 2.0

Meredith Farkas, Head, Instructional Initiatives, Norwich University

Most libraries are not currently structured to successfully embrace Web 2.0, which requires rapid user-centered change, experimentation, and radical trust.

Techno-lust is an issue, our colleagues get sick of us :)
A lot of us are going where our users are, without actually being USEFUL - stop trying to be cool, we are not cool, accept your nerdiness.

Why do so many 2.0 initiatives fail? It's not like free beer, but more like free kittens. Requires WORK. And yes, you have to do this on top of all the rest of your duties. This situation is normal these days. Once the excitement dies down, it can seem like drudgery. Sooo many library blogs and twitter feeds die a slow death, and reflects badly on the library.

Can't be one person's pet project, must strategize to motivate other staff and make time for it. Abandon the culture of perfect. Look outside the library world for applications, opportunities, and inspiration.

• Professional development is NOT just for the MLSs. All staff need time and support to learn.
• Use your new people - fresh eyes - ask them what seems wrong.
• Integrate 2.0 into your technology plan to further the mission and goals of the library.
• RSS feeds of new books by subject are particularly useful.
• Link your digital collections in Wikipedia
  
• Flickr, etc with comments OPEN
• Improve internal knowledge sharing (haha like this blog). Much better than post-it notes.
  

Develop a risk-tolerant culture. Failure is OK. Everything these days is in perpetual beta, and constantly under improvement. Be AGILE - don't get attached to outdated services. You have to get rid of old tech to make room for new. Google gives their staff 20% of their time to play - spend the equivalent of one day a week working on things outside of their job description, and this is where MOST of their new ideas come from.

Create new partnerships, the perfect way to stay alive.

See McMaster Univ. wiki for first year students http://libwiki.mcmaster.ca/fye/
Very relevant to first-year med students too!