Evidence-Based Innovation

Presented by Kim SilkData Librarian, Martin Prosperity Institute

Rotman School of Management at theUniversity of Toronto

Thinking About Innovation

• R. David Lankes – The Atlas of New Librarianship (2011)

• Pew Research Internet Life Project

Some Assumptions

• Innovation = doing something new.• There is always change, and therefore

always something new;• Our communities are constantly changing;• Libraries are the heart of our communities,

therefore we must innovate to anticipate and adapt to change;

• Libraries are both a community, and an organization; we serve internal and external stakeholders.

Questions to Consider

(hint: there are no “right” answers)

Lankes Asks: Why Innovate?

Source: Lankes, 2011

Innovation sounds great, but it’s hard…

• How can we avoid the creativity-killing anxiety that arises surrounding being told to innovate?• Is there ever a time when

something is going so well that we should stop innovating for a while?• How can we tell?

Source: Lankes, 2011

Community Research Can Help

Source: Innovative library services ‘in the wild’ by Kathryn Zickuhr, Pew Research

Self-Study Can Help

(Economic) Impact Study

Audit of Activities

Evidence of Change

Knowledge Strategic Planning

What do we need? More research

Over to you, Stephen!