Visioning ideas, group 1
Jan. 16, 2009
A group of MIT Libraries staff met on Jan. 16 to contribute more thoughts to the process.
Who came:
Nicole Hennig, facilitator
Sands Fish
Rachel Grubb
Lisa Sweeney
Kris Brewer
Stephen Skuce
Allison Benedetti
Ann Marie Willer
Here's what we did during the meeting:
1. readings, read these silently while people were arriving, discussed briefly:
- People don't go to libraries for information.... they go there because.... (from Designing Better Libraries blog)
- Innovation: How the Creative Stay Creative
2. watched this 5-minute video to clarify what a vision statement is and how it's different from a mission statement:
http://mystrategicplan.com/resources/whiteboard-video-how-to-write-a-vision-statement/
3. Nicole read an excerpt from Subject to Change: Creating Great Products and Services for an Uncertain Worldhttp://books.google.com/books?id=VgwSW2y29FEC
(the section about Google Calendar and how it was created to meet real user needs)
4. core values:
Example of core values from Zappos.com
Ideas for core values that would make sense for MIT Libraries:
5. Exercise:
Reversals: The Worst Library Ever
We brainstormed qualities of the worst possible library. Then we reversed these qualities to help us think about what an excellent library could be.
Worst:
- no one knows we exist
- can't find a person
- no resources
- disorganized
- closed all the time
- no money
- leaking
- poor quality / outdated materials
- uncomfortable space (not conducive to study)
- hoop jumping to get what you want/ need
- no technology resources (computers, photocopiers)
- not inspiring
- no standard policies
- red tape
- long waiting times
- restrictions/ censorship
- no privacy
- crabby, rude staff
- poor layout
- no clear way to figure out what is available
- no circulation of materials
Reversal ideas:
- everyone at MIT knows about the libraries and what we do
- we have the personal touch by assigning a "personal librarian" to each student when they come to MIT, that person stays with them throughout their career and serves an almost "therapist/advisor" - like role, putting them in touch with people/resources/experts and being available to them.
- 25/7 global virtual access (by collaborating with partners in other countries/time zones where MIT programs and people are)
- materials available on demand via ebook/multimedia reader such as future Amazon Kindle/ipod like device issued to each member of the MIT community, library acts like the "amazon kindle store" and supplies books/journals/multimedia to users for instant download/on demand to these devices
-
6. Exercise:
What if libraries were like.....
Each person chose one of the following:
- Netflix
- Ebay or Elance
- Zipcar
- Amazon
- Facebook
We then imagined library services that borrow from the qualities we like from those services.
Exercises were inspired by the book: Thinkertoys