Are You Really Better Safe Than Sorry?

Are You Really Better Safe Than Sorry?Three Failed Programs, How We Learned and Why You Should Fail TooMatt ChurchDirectorBerkley Public LibraryBerkley, MI

Kathryn BergeronAssociate DirectorBaldwin Public LibraryBirmingham, MIChoose a programSet goalsSet fail pointEvaluateRe-joice/Re-tool/Re-signWhat did you learnWhat are we doing here?Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-ChangesMerriam WebsterBe EXTRAORDINARYYou Never Know Unless You TryLibrary Goal: Fail OftenMaking the best of itAdmitting DefeatFailure in actionWhy do we failWhat is failureWhat does failure have to do with being EXTRAORDINARYWhy should you strive towards failureHow can you organization encourage failureHow to make the best of failureWhen should you admit failureHow weve failed and what we learned

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

ChangesBy: David BowieK. Why do we failF _ _ L _ R _K. What word do you see?F A I L U R EK. Was it failure? Youre wrong!F E E L E R SK. The correct word: feelersBut you were conditioned to see failureK. Which line is longer?K. If youve seen this before, you assume theyre the same lengthBut theyre notWeve messed with your expectations

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mugley/6237249986/Grate ExpectationsK. But were messing with your expectations youve seen a word you think you know, but its notYouve seen a problem 100 times before, but the answer is wrong.

The world is messing with you!

M. The world is changing faster than we can comprehend it. Look at all the sweet ways weve listened to music over the years. It wasnt too long ago that the world was introduced to the iPod. Look where weve come since then.

http://www.fastcoexist.com/1681088/the-16-most-compelling-infographics-of-2012#7M. Any foodies out there? Look at how serving sizes have changed.

http://visualoop.com/10492/vintage-infodesign-29M. This is what the London Underground looked like in 1908.

M. Heres a look at it today. The world is changing.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8478/8242434388_7622017e7c_c.jpgM. How many people heard there would be a wave of librarian job openings in the next couple of years after all of the librarians retired? Hows that prediction panning out for recent library science grads? Hasnt happened. Times changed, the economy tanked and its time for a new strategy.

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2698/4304968451_6d8728883f_o.jpgM. Try as we might, we can only make guesses or predictions about the future. What will libraries look like in 30 years? What will patrons want from us in 8 years? How will our communities change in the next decade? The future is unkown. How many libraries had the advent of the internet and personal computers in their strategic plans before they arrived? We can make educated predictions but really were only making guesses.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7381/9210684962_c622cc8c65_o.jpgM. Who saw this change coming a decade ago? Outside of science fiction and uber techies, no one probably expected to see people wearing a computer. The world is changing quickly. Wheres your place in this rapidly changing landscape?

And you know what, the rules are changing too. A few years ago the prospect of wearing a pair of glasses like this would be laughable. Im willing to bet most still think thats the case, but who knowsmaybe this will be embraced by all of this and just part of how we live.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mugley/6237249986/Grate ExpectationsM. Its hard to make sure that our expectations meet reality in such a rapidly changing world.How can we succeed? Commit to failure.K: How can we succeed?M: Commit to failure.Merriam WebsterK. What is failure?- lack of success- a falling short- one that hasfailedM. Merriam gives us three options. Lack of success & a falling short arent shockers. Its that third one that really hits the hardest. One that has failed. How often do you internalize failure and how much harder does that make it on you? I think this last one scares us the most.goals: what you wantexpectations:what you haveK.

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3170/2396768838_d4c8f254a3_b.jpgM. Failure comes in two sizes. The first one is the lame kind. You know you should be doing something, but you dont. Youre told weeding is an important part of collection development, but you dont do itYou conduct a survey at a program, but dont take the results into account when planning the next programYou only put events on your facebook page -- nothing elseYou have the resources to make something happen but you opt for inaction.

The second one is totally legit and what were going to focus on today. This is the good kind. Theres something that youve never done or your organization has never done and youre willing to try it. You develop your graphic novel collection, which has never had its own selector.You plan a new fundraiser that closes the library and brings donors into the buildingYou try a new social media platform that no other libraries are on yet.

Jump into failureK. Lets jump into some failureStart with an ideaM: First youre going to start with an idea to expand your librarys potentialK. to expand your librarys potential.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nasamarshall/3765799902/M. Heres the first example. To expand your librarys potential you want to create a new collection.http://www.flickr.com/photos/jody_art/2099710671/

M. In response to the downturn of the economy, Baldwin opted to create a Tough Times collection. We brought together career and personal finance materials from different Dewey ranges into a single collection.Set goalsK.

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3178/4564135455_4c14304e48_b.jpgK. Set a goal

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30959743@N00/5312747076/M. One goal: easier browsing for the patrons.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25504455@N02/4704575195/M. Another goal: to ease the necessity to ask a librarian for help on a sensitive topic.How will you know IF youve failed if you dont know what youre expecting?KBut, how do know WHEN youve failed?K

http://www.flickr.com/photos/flyingturtle/837938254/K. Mediocrity is always easier than knowing when to quitBut when you give in to mediocrity, youre expending time and resources that prevent you from being the best

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenosaur/4887741728/K. So you have to know when to quit

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cellphonesusie/2095494955/K. Fail Point: Quit before you start. When you go into this, make sure that you know what your fail point is -- that way youre not tempted when things get rough to give up. You can adjust your quit point once you get started on the project based on new information.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wingedwolf/5471047557/K. Just ask yourself three questions before you give up

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jarbo/9379813470/K. Am I panicking?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/b4b2/3954106061/K. Who am I trying to influence?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mworrell/266913194/K. What sort of measurable progress am I making?Choose our fail pointM. For the Tough Times collection, we needed a fail point.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fuzzcat/76738710/M. Our quit point for this endeavor: A significant reduction in turnoverAnd go!K. EvaluateK.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pjern/2150874047/K. Evaluation comes in many sizes. First up, statistics. Most of think of numbers when we hear evaluation but it can be so much more.

M. Programmer Experience

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8391/8620867436_421f798446_b.jpgM. Surveys are another option. Get feedback from people who participated or experienced something. Ask them to rank things. Ask them to tell you a story. Ask them how it can be better next time. And if you declare your surveys unscientific, ask a mix of questions to get different types of information from the same group.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28misguidedsouls/6517859113/K. Observation can be a powerful way to evaluate how patrons are using your library, how they navigate the collection and how they interact with your resources.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pedromourapinheiro/2505997361/M: The shoe on the left came into the library and asked for some resources on proper job attire. A few months later, I followed up with the shoe on the right to see if the information helpedId call it a success. Try the same after you teach a computer classget in touch with people to see if the information helped and if theyve put it to use.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27640054@N08/5229323438/K. Talk to people who attend your classes or programs. You can informally chat to get information or have formal interviews planned. Either way, they may have helpful insights for you.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/doug88888/4772206814M. The person who presented a program at the library is worth talking with for some information. Whatd they like about the room? What would make it better? If you participated in the program or helped coordinate it, you can contribute to the evaluation as well.

M. Quantitative Evaluation: Heres a turnover graph of the Tough Times collection from 2007 until the last copies were pulled in 2013

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26436097@N06/3577438623/K. Often times the reward is high when you first start doing something

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nox_noctis_silentium/3830417445/K. But eventually that reward gets reduced and people give up

http://www.flickr.com/photos/f_jean/4749123322/K. If you push through (when appropriate) you can reap a bigger reward

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/the_dip/page/2/K. The Dip

K. Example: Graphic Novels turnover at Baldwin since 2007

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kshathriya/331847679/K. But thats not the only way things can go.

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/the_dip/page/2/K. Cul-de-sac and the CliffWhere does our program fall?M. How does this play out with the Tough Times collection?

M. First you see the dip

M. But then you see, its really a cul de sacWhat about qualitative evaluation?K. Life isnt all numbers. Its hard because patrons have to look in two places to find books- Anonymous Librarian 1Patrons dont know where to look.- Anonymous Librarian 2Patrons just end up asking one of us, and then we look confused when we have to take them to multiple places in the collection.- Anonymous Librarian 3I think it was a really good idea for a hard time, but it didnt really work out.- Anonymous Librarian 4M. Qualitative Evaluation is like story telling. Youre getting information from words. Heres what librarians may have said about the Tough Times collection at Baldwin. Re-joice/Re-tool/Re-signK.

http://farm1.staticflickr.com/38/85911467_fb4835ec53_o.jpgK. Were you successful? Did you win the gold cup? Either way, what did you learn from the experience?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fuzzcat/76738710/M. In the end, we opted to Resign the Tough Times collection.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nathaninsandiego/6863425933/M. Our goals were not met: It didnt make it easier for patrons, and they ended up going to a librarian anyways.People will always ask librarians questions because librarians rule.M. So the Tough Times collection didnt pan out as had hoped. Could we have made it work? Maybe, but it wasnt worth it to keep it going. Plus, we found out people just like asking librarians questionswhich is a good thing.Choose a programSet goalsSet fail pointEvaluateRe-joice/Re-tool/Re-signWhat did you learn?

K. Choose a programSet goalsSet fail pointEvaluateRe-joice/Re-tool/Re-signWhat did you learn?

Choose a programM. Lets look at another example. Choose a programSet goalsSet fail pointEvaluateRe-joice/Re-tool/Re-signWhat did you learn?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nasamarshall/3765799902/M. First, the goal. Expand our librarys potential and reach out to young professionals.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/amanda28192/6216031916/M. So we started Friends Dont Let Friends Read Alone: an evening book club at a locally owned coffee house.Set goalsM. Goals for this endeavor included

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30959743@N00/5312747076/M. Bring in young people. Find some way to connect with them and get them engaged in the library.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25504455@N02/4704575195/M. We also wanted to support a local business.Set a fail pointM. Then we needed our fail point.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fuzzcat/76738710/M. Our fail point for this book club: A significant reduction in attendance.EvaluateM. Up next, evaluation!

M. A quantitative look: Heres a attendance graph of Friends Dont Let Friends Read Alone.

M. Youll see a slight overall increase. Its trending upward.Facts:

The place where we were having our book club closed. Suddenly.

While the book club appealed to young professionals for the first year, but then stopped attracting them. M. Heres some qualitative evaluation for you. The local business wasnt open any longer and the young folks werent hip to us.Re-joice/Re-tool/Re-signTime to decide if were going to Re-joice, Re-tool or Re-sign

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fuzzcat/76738710/M. We could have quit, but we didnt have to!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nathaninsandiego/6863425933/M. Our goals were not met: We didnt attract young professionals and we didnt support the local business enough to get other businesses to want to participate.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hinkelstone/2938685282/M. But we still had success! What did you learn?Want to know what we learned?We needed an evening book club.We could still get a regular contingent of book clubers, just not in our target demographic. We learned that an evening book club could succeed. People wanted to meet at night and talk about books. A dedicated group were interested enough to make it a regular thing. They ended up being a mixed demographic but thats fine with us. We created something new that met the needs of our patrons.Choose a programK. Choose a programSet goalsSet fail pointEvaluateRe-joice/Re-tool/Re-signWhat did you learn?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nasamarshall/3765799902/K. Expand your librarys potential and reach out on a new social media platformhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/bunchesandbits/6137341753/

K. Pinterest: Its a new way to reach out on social mediaSet goalsK. Choose a programSet goalsSet fail pointEvaluateRe-joice/Re-tool/Re-signWhat did you learn?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30959743@N00/5312747076/K. To reach out to new people using a new medium

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25504455@N02/4704575195/K. To make creating online bibliographies easierSet a fail pointK. Choose a programSet goalsSet fail pointEvaluateRe-joice/Re-tool/Re-signWhat did you learn?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fuzzcat/76738710/K. Quit Point: Unknown sometimes you just have to feel it in your gut, when the work is too much for the rewardEvaluateK. Choose a programSet goalsSet fail pointEvaluateRe-joice/Re-tool/Re-signWhat did you learn?

K. There are no qualitative evidence. You can generally watch re-pins and such, but there are no statistics and no tracking of social media other than followersPerceptions:

People arent using them, the bibs that we post on the website or those on Pinterest

The Pinterest bibs were proving useful in certain cases.K. Last time we had facts, this time we have feelingsRe-joice/Re-tool/Re-signK. Choose a programSet goalsSet fail pointEvaluateRe-joice/Re-tool/Re-signWhat did you learn?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fuzzcat/76738710/K. There are some things we need to quit. We shouldnt be doing as much, but some things are working

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nathaninsandiego/6863425933/K. Were not really reaching out to new people, but we are simplifying how we make bibliographies. Ongoing bibs are much easier

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hinkelstone/2938685282/K. Some success! Just editing as to how we use this medium!What did you learn?K. Choose a programSet goalsSet fail pointEvaluateRe-joice/Re-tool/Re-signWhat did you learn?

We need ongoing bibs like new items or Christmas movies.But we should use this for us, not for reaching out to other peopleIts something that requires constant monitoringlike small children.K. What we learnedLibrary Goal: Fail OftenM. Declare this at your next board meeting or to your management team or whisper it to your co-workers.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/elycefeliz/6953765035/K. Once youve committed to being extraordinary, you need to have no fear of failureAnd having no fear of failure

http://www.flickr.com/photos/joethorn/290760357/M. Uou can extend your librarys reach into new populations and new areas of service

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nasamarshall/3765799902/K. You can expand you librarys potential

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mr_t_in_dc/6284773780/M. You can finally upend long-held assumptions in your library

http://www.flickr.com/photos/covetchicago/5822884089/K. Or you can re-affirm exactly what you knew already.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ucumari/2048143444/M. Sidenote: If you know that youre working under wrong assumptions or your assumptions have already been proven to be wrong and you havent done anything about this then you are NOT being extraordinary. ACT UPON THAT INFORMATION.http://www.flickr.com/photos/funky64/4293098263/

K. Programming is one of the easiest places to breed failure.

1. If you dont think that your community would participate in something, and you try it and succeed, youve realized a flaw in your thinking (your expectations)2. You can get away with doing something once or twice to see what kind of response you receive and then tailor your next steps (continue to offer it, tweak it or discontinue it)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kharied/4128848123/M. Heres one for collections:If youve never developed a collection under the impression that your community isnt interested, and you try and find success, youve realized a flaw in your expectations.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jarleon/8571557564/K. TechnologyIf you think you wont find your community in certain places online, and you try and succeed, youve realized a flaw in your expectations

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kelehen/8517221494/M. Rooting out flaws in your expectations will help your library succeed in ways that it couldnt have otherwise.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/surrealize/3479423122/K. It will move you forward

http://www.flickr.com/photos/surrealize/3479423122/M. It will help you to reach out to new demographics in your community.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/51993497@N06/5632340650/K. It will help you to serve your patrons better.

Seth Godin knows how to fail

- fail fast

- fail cheap

- fail oftenhttp://farm9.staticflickr.com/8090/8411491552_714be82904_b.jpgM. Ive got to thank Kevin King for introducing me to Seth Godins work. Really great stuff that you should check out if you dig these concepts. Seths got a motto for failure: fail fast, fail cheap and fail often. Failing fast is goodit gives you time to move onto something else. Fail cheap means you dont need to invest much money or resources to try a new idea. And fail often means youre going to keep coming back for more. Innovate, innovate, innovate.Be EXTRAORDINARYK. Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.

- Henry FordM. We all need to accept that failures going to happenespecially if were seeking out new opportunities. Failure is part of what makes success so great. To get there you, you need to fail.Slides from today? A blog of successes and failures?

Visit www.kabergeron.comChangesDavid BowieHunky Dory, track 11971Rock21054.707