Inmagic Presto

Special librarians know that to ensure sustainability they must build a strategy, embrace change, and even create it. They know that the path to success includes doing more with the tools they have, and the skills they’ve built. But do special librarians truly recognize success when they achieve it? Equally important, do they focus on communicating the value of their success to leadership and peers?

Stephen Abram and our panelists discussed important questions, such as:

• What are the characteristics of a successful special library?
• How do you know when you are successful?
• How do you make sure others know you are successful?
• How do you communicate the value of success?
• What are the benefits of success?

Our experts covered topics such as alignment with the strategic objectives of your organization, metrics and measurement (quantitative and qualitative), managerial reporting, storytelling, branding and marketing.

You cannot shrink your way to success. Special Librarians can only do more, with more.

During our SLA Hot Topics session, “Doing More with More: You Can’t Shrink Your Way to Success,” we focused on the success stories of information professionals who are building their libraries’ influence with an orientation towards abundance, not scarcity.

Attendees heard actionable advice from peers who don’t shrink their way to success but instead fill needs via more powerful technology tools, more access and discovery options, and by doing what it takes to exert more influence on organizational knowledge exchange.

This whitepaper presents information shared during the event, combined with additional valuable insights gained from panelist interviews conducted in preparation for the discussion.

What does it mean to be resilient, and to run a resilient library?

Special librarians achieve sustainability by understanding that end user requirements and forces at work (e.g. new technologies, globalization and a mobile workforce) all demand change. Learn from Lucidea ILS and KM clients who leverage and often create change in order to ensure the sustainability of their libraries and optimize their own roles.

Topics covered include:

• What it means to be resilient, and run a resilient library
• Setting the scene – organizational overviews
• Leveraging and creating change: practical examples
• Securing organizational support – what works
• Examples of impact
• Characteristics of library change agents

The current information industry landscape is filled with challenges that require tangible solutions and present real opportunities for success when effectively confronted. Believing that librarians and knowledge managers can face these challenges to “Adapt, Act and Thrive,” Lucidea convened a panel of visionary information professionals for a round table discussion at the 2014 Special Libraries Association conference. Sharing their best practices and success stories, panelists provide information professionals with many tangible examples of how they can adapt to challenges, act, and thrive within their organizations and profession.

Panelists shared their best practices for:

• Embedding themselves within their organizations
• Demonstrating value
• Engaging end users
• Managing vendor relationships
• Ensuring and leveraging “info-ubiquity”