Libraries and related organizations group together in a variety of ways to get their work done. They consort, for example, to lobby, to negotiate and license, and to build shared infrastructure. However, there are other aspects of collective activity that are becoming more important. In fact, I suggest that two are increasingly central to successful library activity: these are learning and innovation. Thinking this way about consortial activity suggests four areas where libraries come together to create scale advantages: capacity, learning, innovation, influence. Some consortial organizations span several of these, some are more specialised. This presentation will consider consortia under these headings. It will also briefly discuss how choices about scope, scale and sourcing are important decision points for consortia when considering their mission and investments.

1. Lorcan
Dempsey,
OCLC
@LorcanD
THE POWERS
OF
CONSORTIA:
scaling capacity,
learning,
innovation and
influence
JULAC 50th
Anniversary
Conference
(5 – 6 December 2017)
The University of
Hong Kong

2. Then and now …

3. Library Defined by library
operations/metrics
(collection, reference, …)
Defined by university
needs
(research support, student
success, community
engagement).
Organization Bureaucracy:
Well understood goals,
perfect the means.
Enterprise:
Changing goals, reallocate
the means.
Expertise Subject, process Partner in research and
learning, creation, …
Systems Back office Workflow, digital
scholarship, shared
systems
Space Configured around
collections
Configured around user
experiences
Collections Just in case;
Central;
Institutional;
Consumption.
Facilitated (just in time);
One service among others;
Collective;
Creation.

4. Harvard Business Review (1999)

5. CORE COMPONENTS
OF A FIRM
Customer
Relationship
Management
Product
Innovation
Infrastructure
Back office capacities that
support day-to-day operations:
• “Routinized” workflows
• Economies of scale important
Develop new products and
services and bring them to
market:
• Speed/flexibility important
Attracting and building relationships with
customers:
• Service-oriented, customization
• Economies of scope important

6. Engagement Innovation
Infrastructure
Infrastructure
• Physical inventory
• Storage
• Systems infrastructure
• Repository
Service development
• Resources and services to
support evolving research
and learning workflows.
• Integrated D2D of print and
electronic resources.
• Digital services for scholarly
and cultural communities
Engagement
• Targeted research support
• Student success and retention
• Community focus and
development
• Refocusing space
Library …

7. Locally
assembled
collections.
The place to go.

8. Engagement Innovation
Infrastructure
Strong institutional focus:
Local value and differentiation
Consortial focus:
Scale capacity for efficiency and impact in
service infrastructure
Joint focus:
Scale innovation and learning to support
changing libraries.
Institutionalization of innovation
Balancing library &
consortial roles

9. Scaling
capacity
Scaling
learning
Scaling
innovation
Scaling
influence

10. Scaling
capacity Scaling
learning
Scaling
innovation
Scaling
influence

12. Negotiation and licensing
Shared ILS
Shared digital infrastructure
Shared Print
Collections
Shared discovery to delivery of library collections
Shared ILS
Shared Research
Data Management
Shared Print
Collections
Remember …

13. Scaling capacity
Scaling capacity

14. Scaling
capacity
Scale here has advantages
of Impact and Efficiency
• Shared negotiation/licensing
• Shared library systems platform
• Shared digital infrastructure
• Shared collections
• Shared expertise
Powers of consortia

15. Scaling
capacity
Powers of consortia
Soft power of
consortia
Trust
Personal relations
History
Proximity
Facilitates learning and
innovation
Scale advantages
of Impact and Efficiency
• Shared negotiation/licensing
• Shared library systems platform
• Shared digital infrastructure
• Shared collections
• Shared expertise

16. Scaling capacity
… shared vision …
… history of collaboration and cooperation …
… transformation … rapid developments …
… declining or limited resources …
… existing collaborative initiatives …
Soft powers

17. Deepening shared infrastructure
• Library services platform
• Research data management
• Digital collections
Operationalising the collective
collection
• Coordinated approach to:
• Shared print
• Resource sharing
• Digitization
Leveraging the network
• Nurturing communities of practice:
scaling learning and innovation
• Exploring sharing expertise
Scaling
capacity:
some trends

18. Scaling
capacity
Scaling
learning
Scaling
innovation
Scaling
influence

19. Scaling
capacity
Scaling
learning
Scaling
innovation
Scaling
influence

20. Advocacy:
National policy
Professional interests
Advocacy:
Special interests
Scaling
influence

21. Greater need to influence the
environment in which libraries
work
• Understanding
• Funding
• Value
Advocate for library user interests
in complex information environment
• Copyright legislation
• Publishing models
• National information policies
• Surveillance, privacy, …
Leveraging the network
• Nurturing communities of practice:
scaling learning and innovation
• Exploring sharing expertise
• Incubation
Scaling
influence:
some trends

22. “When the rate of change inside an
organization becomes slower than the
rate of change outside, the end is near.”
Jack Welch
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/185636-if-the-rate-of-change-on-the-outside-exceeds-the

23. “When the rate of change inside an
organization becomes slower than the
rate of change outside, the end is near.”
Jack Welch
Scaling capacity
Scaling
learning
Scaling
innovation Scaling influence
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/185636-if-the-rate-of-change-on-the-outside-exceeds-the

24. Scaling
capacity
Scaling
learning
Scaling
innovation
Scaling
influence

26. In rapidly changing environments, it’s important to realize that tacit
knowledge trumps explicit knowledge. …
Tacit knowledge becomes accessible through shared practice. …
By working together, we also develop deeper, trust-based relationships that
create a safer environment for us to explore new insights with others in our
group that we have a hard time expressing to ourselves.
John Hagel

27. Learning:
• Central focus of some
consortia/groups.
• Important focus for many others.
• An explicit and central role in
facilitating networks, communities of
practice, leadership development and
peer learning …
Scaling
learning
We achieve our aims through advocacy, workforce
development, capacity-building and partnership.
.. use the meetings
as an opportunity
to share ideas on a
particular aspect
of networked
information and to
incubate new
initiatives.
ACRL develops programs,
products and services to help
academic and research
librarians learn, innovate and
lead within the academic
community

28. Learning:
Soft power of existing
networks
Scaling
learning
… networking
… discuss direction
… 'pool uncertainty’
… shared practices
… communities of practice
… peer learning

29. Scaling
capacity
Scaling
learning
Scaling
innovation
Scaling
influence

30. Scaling
capacity
Scaling
learning
Scaling
innovation Scaling
influence

31. • Novelties: The choice of Gold as a color for the iPhone; the naming of a
version of Android as “Kit Kat”; coining a new word.
• Creations: The fall collection of a fashion designer; a new movie; a blog post.
• Inventions: Anything described by a patent; The secret formula for Coca Cola.
• Innovations: The iPhone pricing model; Google’s revenue model; The Ford
production system; Wal-Mart’s store design; Amazon’s logistics.
http://www.asymco.com/2014/04/16/innoveracy-misunderstanding-innovation/

32. For universities this means spending
less time on unproven strategies.

33. Supporting the transition from
bureaucracy to enterprise
• Scaling learning and innovation
becomes central
• Prepare for big challenges
Innovation is system wide
• Innovation has to be fixed in practice
• Institutional innovation and innovation
in collaboration are key
Scaling
Learning &
Innovation:
some trends A purposeful but emergent
approach has to be designed
• Formal approach but also soft
powers …

34. Scoping
(Right)
Scaling Sourcing

35. Scoping
What does it make sense to do?
What does it make sense not to do?
Scaling
capacity
Scaling
learning
Scaling
innovation
Scaling
influence

36. What does it make sense to do?
What does it make sense not to do?
Scaling
capacity Scaling
learning
Scaling
innovation
Scaling
influence
Very different types of skill/resource
Scoping
Mobilize consortial networks

37. Scoping
(right)
Scaling Sourcing

38. (Right)
Scaling
At what level should an activity
take place?
Consortial activity is about ‘right
scaling’
Shared print Research data

39. Scoping Scaling Sourcing

40. Sourcing
How should a service be provided?
Balance between
control and efficiency?
Mission?
Public provision Collaborative
sourcing
Third party provision

41. Scaling
capacity
Scaling
learning
Scaling
innovation
Scaling
influence

42. Scaling
capacity
Scaling
learning
Scaling
innovation
Scaling
influence
Libraries need to
collaborate
to create impact
and efficiency.
Libraries need to
collaboratively
advocate for user
and library interests
in an increasingly
complicated
environment.
Libraries need to more actively
mobilise their networks
of shared practice to address
grand challenges as research
and learning behaviors change
in a network environment.
The consortial challenge

43. Lorcan
Dempsey,
OCLC
@LorcanD
THE POWERS
OF
CONSORTIA:
scaling capacity,
learning,
innovation and
influence
Thank
you!