Presentation from QQML 2015 detailing changes made in the last 5 years in the Libraries of Maynooth University and University of Limerick
Hugh Murphy Caleb Derven
Technological innovation in two Irish libraries QQML 2015
1. “all changed and changed
utterly”
Technological innovation in two Irish libraries
Hugh Murphy, Senior Librarian, Maynooth University Library
Caleb Derven, Head, Technical & Digital Services, Glucksman Library, University of Limerick
2. Introduction
• Within 5 years, library services at Maynooth and Limerick
have been completely transformed
• Changes have varied across technologies and services
• Sustainability was key - changes occurred in context of
national recession
• Fine balance between using technology to do a better job
and the seductions of “techno determinism”
3. Background
• Irish context: staffing difficulties,
financial and other limitations.
• Challenges enabled innovation
• While similar changes occurred in
both Limerick and Maynooth, we
note only the most dramatic and
relevant of each.
4. Literature Review
• Incremental vs. radical change - is the former innovation?
(Ettlie, et al., 1984)
• Organisation support is an enabling factor for innovation
(Balk, et al., 2014)
• Library leadership is a factor in innovation (Jantz, 2014)
• Institutional size influences capacity to innovate
(Nowvskie (2013)
5. Literature Review, continued
• Technical vs. Administrative innovation
• Economic crises enabled innovation, but leadership
served a significant role
• “ If leaders have a positive attitude toward change, then
initiation of an innovation becomes possible.” (Jantz,
2014)
6. Literature Review - Size Matters
• Size can impact on the capacity of the institution to
innovate. (Ettlie, 1984)
• Importance of decentralised and non-hierarchical
approaches (Nowviskie, 2013)
• Innovation creates a public value (Balk, 2014)
7. Technologies
• Kaizen-type approach - iterative and focused on
improvements
• Necessity of apt context
• Technology as enabler, not prime mover
10. Use Case 2 - Adopting a Discovery Solution
• Nationally - consortial purchasing body which means
similar resources across institutions
• Search across resources = changed perception of library
services
• Technology means Library seen as ‘better’
• Market determines products and services; library doesn’t
drive the innovations
11. Adopting a Discovery Solution (MU)
• MU implementation of Summon and
new website at the same time
• Initial testing with students -hugely
positive
• General increase in e-resource usage
(‘easier’)
• Strong positive feedback from most
users
• Some find transition difficult
(education)
12. Adopting a Discovery Solution (UL)
• UL: European Documentation
Centre material loaded monthly
into Summon
• Clear, quantitative evidence that
discovery solution is preferred
searching route for most students
• Website redesign during 2015 will
allow us to revisit single search box
on Library homepage
13. 3D Printing (MU)
“Gartner predicts that the 3D printer
market will have revenue growth rates of
over 100%, beginning in 2018. Revenue
will grow fastest in enterprise 3D markets,
while unit shipments will expand rapidly in
the consumer 3D market, with more-low-
cost units driving broader adoption”
14. 3D Printing (MU)
•Give users what [we think] they want
•Broadens service provision
•Not all users want books (print or ‘e’)
•Increased traction with academic
departments
•Staff views on technology opened /
challenged
•Library seen as innovative
•Library as ‘centre for everything’ on campus
15. Collection Management Workflows (UL)
• Increasing reliance on
provision of shelf-ready
services set the stage
• Faster and more efficient
access of material for
students and academic staff
• Staff willingness to embrace
new roles and tasks
16. • All stages of the acquisitions process directly utilize EDI
• Single workflow: bibliographic record created at point of
ordering
• Over 90% of books are put into stock automatically at the
book sorter
Collection Management Workflows (UL)
17. Digital Library Services (UL)
● Change of work practices in
collection management at Limerick =
new focus on descriptive metadata,
digital imaging and digital standards
● Staff retrained in digitisation and
metadata practices
● The adoption of an open-source,
community-of-practice-based digital
repository allows the full range of
users to access unique collections
18. Use Case 5 - Digital Library Services
• Staff expertise refocused on new
areas: cataloguers on unique
collections, others on digitisation
• Innovative services and practices
directly enabled by shifts in
ordering process
• Building innovative, digital services
strengthens the strategic role of
the Library
19. Use Case 5 - Digital Library Services
• Omeka
• Hydra
• Incremental
• Scalable
20. Conclusions
• Strategic role of innovation on local and national levels
• Direct staff benefit - re-orienting key skills
• Future innovation – strategy
• Library becomes ‘centre for everything’ on campus
21. Bibliography
Balk, H., Library Innovation: Enablers and Obstacles. Library Innovation: Enablers and Obstacles. Available
at: https://libraryinnofactors.wordpress.com/ [Accessed May 10, 2015]
Balk, H., Kwant, E. & Neudecker, C., 2014. What makes innovation work? Innovation practice in the
National Library of the Netherlands. IFLA journal, 40(3), pp.157–168
Ettlie, J.E., Bridges, W.P. & O’Keefe, R.D., 1984. Organization Strategy and Structural Differences for
Radical versus Incremental Innovation. Management Science, 30(6), pp.682–695
Jantz, R.C., 2012. Innovation in academic libraries: An analysis of university librarians’ perspectives. Library
& information science research, 34(1), pp.3–12
Jantz, R.C., 2014. The Determinants of Organizational Innovation: An Interpretation and Implications for
Research Libraries. College & Research Libraries, pp.crl14–580
Nowviskie, B., 2013. Skunks in the Library: A Path to Production for Scholarly R&D. Journal of Library
Administration, 53(1), pp.53–66
Vinopal, J. & McCormick, M., 2013. Supporting Digital Scholarship in Research Libraries: Scalability and
Sustainability. Journal of Library Administration, 53(1), pp.27–42.
22. Thank you
Hugh Murphy,
Senior Librarian,
Maynooth University Library
Hugh.murphy@nuim.ie
@hughtweet
Caleb Derven,
Head,
Technical & Digital Services,
Glucksman Library, University of
Limerick
Caleb.Derven@ul.ie
@calebderven
Notas del editor
Use from submission
national situation - note staffing dificulties and numerbs limitations, hiring bans, age profile of workforce - turning a challenge into opportunity for innovation. Note also that changes are similar in both institution, but we have elected to select the most dramatic / relevant examples of each
caleb’s notes
This paper considers a mixture of technical and administrative. We discuss, in most cases, improvements to products, technologies and services rather than entirely new ones - though this might indicate a path for future innovations in irish libraries
note kaizen framework, note context has to be right for certain innovation. Technology as enabler
Hugh - photos. What we did, why, positive effect on service – policy as important (for example who can access technology and in what context – the innovation is not solely tied to the actual technology implemented)
As above, but note that we are not entirely in control of either technology or innovation in this example - market determines product and services
perhaps a good place to note the difference between implementations, why it was more radically/ successfully implemented at Maynooth,
EDC uploads allowed legacy print collection to move to off-site storage - collection available on-line.
Google analytics clearly demonstrates that Summon is used for searching in more cases than the catalogue.
While our implementation of Summon wasn’t as complete as Maynooth, a current website redesign project is allowing us to re-examine our deployment of Summon, based on heuristic usability statistics.
bastardise A&SL slide and note that such an innovation is not just about the service, but about the change in perception of the library - both with staff and users.
85% of monograph purchase are shelf-ready at UL, large spending budget.
A consultancy in 2011 clearly indicated efficiencies to be gained by further exploiting shelf-ready service - primarily faster time to shelf for purchased materials.
There was significant retraining of the acquisitions staff to be able to do copy cataloguing, local classification of material and quality checking - all work previously done by cataloging staff
All stages of the ordering process are managed via EDI. A faculty librarian places the order directly on the suppliers’ website. The order is sent to the LMS as a proposed order. Next, collection management staff confirm the order, download a MARC record, and enter item information. The supplier confirms the order. On delivery, the material is receipted at the sorter and immediately put into stock.
Perhaps the most radical change involves the creation of the catalogue record, via copy cataloguing, at the point of ordering by the staff member creating the order.
Omeka, Hydra at Maynooth
Note potential for further innovation in strategic manner nationally, (CONUL)
Note need for innovation to be embedded in a strategy
(rising tide) - benefits to staff in unusual ways. No one is out of a job!
Note potential for further innovation in strategic manner nationally, (CONUL)
Note need for innovation to be embedded in a strategy
(rising tide) - benefits to staff in unusual ways. No one is out of a job!
Note potential for further innovation in strategic manner nationally, (CONUL)
Note need for innovation to be embedded in a strategy
(rising tide) - benefits to staff in unusual ways. No one is out of a job!