Technology Management Instructor: Carson Block Twitter: @CarsonBlock http://www.carsonblock.com
Hello Illinois! • Who I am • What I believe • What I do
Sometimes I sits and thinks, and sometimes I just sits. …today you won’t be doing much sitting.
Overview It’s time to start thinking about the broader context of library technology. • Among other things, we will: • Establish the importance of vision for technology • Define library technology within the context of the greater technology market • Show pathways to bridge library goals with technological possibilities • Strategies to make wise implementation choices • Methods to evaluate success • Use the chat window to ask questions or make comments as we go – Louise will moderate a Q&A at the end of the presentation.
Poll: who is here? • Public Librarians • School Librarians • Special Librarians • Academic Librarians
Poll: who is here? • Tiny Libraries • Small Libraries • Medium Libraries • Large Libraries
Technology Vision is important to help guide us through a basic challenge …
Modern libraries are driven by many of the things that technology provides… • Electronic content • New communications technologies • New physical technologies • Statistics • Content creation tools • Rapid and ongoing change
… but our institutional missions tend to have a different focus… • Mission components may include MISSION • Education • Enlightenment T • Community service E • and the technology piece acts C in a supporting role H
Ideally, the role of technology is to first support those institutional missions, as well as to suggest new approaches and opportunities. But some technologies are so seductive that we can easily get confused…
The Big Picture (V (Vision): Start With the End In In Mind • First, understand what you hope to accomplish • Then, determine how technology can help you meet those goals
The fi first step in assessment (your only homework :0 :0) Who we are serving with Who helps deliver technology technology What equipment we use to What services we are offering deliver technology services via technology What infrastructure we use to What resources we have deliver technology services What resources we desire
English Language Government? Seniors? Learners? Families? Who do you serve? (worksheet) Businesspeople? Kids? Students?
What do you do? (worsheet)
What do you have? What do you want? (worksheet) And, what else? What did we miss?
Technological Approaches • Proactive folks are the ones who look ahead. Planners at heart, they are typified by the old carpenter's expression: "measure twice, cut once." • Reactive folks are usually quick thinkers and are equally quick to action. They love the heat of battle, and often say "let's try it and see what happens."
The Cart and the Horse (a (and Who's Driving?) ?) • Drivers are equivalent to your high-level objectives. • Drivers are not obstacles or challenges in delivering your objectives.
Computing Platforms – Faith and Agnosticism …and that guy
How Does Library ry Technology Fit In Into The Greater Technological Ecosystem?
What About The Role of f Training?
How Much Does This All Cost? • I'm often asked "How can I save money with technology?" • My answer, admittedly a little cheeky, is "You don't save money with technology. You spend it .”
Technology Policy
Tying Technology into Existing Library ry Efforts and Plan
Tying Technology into Existing Library ry Efforts and Plan Here are a few areas to explore: • What official or unofficial strategic plans, efforts exist? • What vision does library leadership have for Technology? • Is the role of technology understood by you – board, staff, community, others?
Technology Budget — a Closer Look
Managing your Technology Budget Items to consider: • Ongoing monies • New projects • New technologies • Free technologies
Ongoing Monies
New Projects
New Technologies
Free Technologies
Determining Total Cost of f Ownership One of the first questions that comes up when considering a technology expense is “how much is this going to cost?” Simple TCO Worksheet - Library IT (It's ok to use rough estimates - if you don’t know, leave amount blank) Expense Amount Staff Time - Research $0.00 Vendor Quote $0.00 Hardware $0.00 Software $0.00 Installation (not covered by vendor quote) $0.00 Training (not covered by vendor quote) $0.00 Ongoing support (ie.maintenance contracts) $0.00 Licensing $0.00 Insurance $0.00 Construction costs $0.00 Labor costs (incl. project management) $0.00 Total $0.00
Determining the Total Cost of f Ownership There is no one way to determine TCO, but here are a few elements to consider: • Research (including creation of “Requests • Ongoing support (including warrantees, for Proposals” or “Requests for annual maintenance contracts, etc.) Information” • Licensing • Vendor Quotes (may include some of the • Insurance items below) • Construction costs • Hardware • Any new labor costs (including project • Software management, IT staff time, testing, etc.) • New processes (including security, • Any downtime due to transition backup and restore, etc.) • Replacement costs (over time – expected • Installation (including any retro- lifetime of initial investment) conversion or migration expenses) • Any other long-term expenses • Training
What gets measured gets done! (o (or at t le least gets th the most attention)
Lots Of f Other Things Get Done Too – Should You Continue Doing Them? Un-memed original by Allie Brosh: http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/06/this-is-why- ill-never-be-adult.html
What are the most im important thin ings to measure?
Readings on the topic: Statistics Public Library Data Service Statistical Report • http://www.plametrics.org/ ALA Office for Research and Statistics • http://www.ala.org/research/home Library Research Service • http://www.lrs.org Pew Internet and American Life Project • http://www.pewinternet.org/ Library Edge • http://www.libraryedge.org
Measures Related to Your Technology There are other basics that are helpful to know - here are a few that you may already measure. If not, you should consider adding them to your annual tally. • Number of items circulated • Number of annual page views of every year your web site, or specific web pages • Number of active patrons • Number of searches performed registered annually within your ILS • Number of hours patron • Use (in number of searches or computers are in use (or number of user sessions) number of documents accessed) of subscription databases • Number of users of your • Anything useful you can imagine wireless systems
What Options Do You Have To Measure Technological Effectiveness?
Advanced Statistics
Addictive Statistics
Things Change: Methods of f Course Correction For Your Efforts
Things Change: Methods Of f Course Correction For Your Budget It can be helpful to think of your technology budget in three broad chunks: • Maintenance - keeping your current stuff going • Growth - new stuff you know you'll need • Innovation - new stuff you don't yet know Innovation Maintenance you need Growth
Maintenance
Growth
In Innovation
Computer and Data Security
Questions? Thank You! @CarsonBlock www.carsonblock.com
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