Does your library use open source software? Probably. Consider Apache, Firefox, Linux, WordPress...not to mention library-specific software.

Open.

It just has a good sound, particularly if you're in a community-oriented field like librarianship. You think availability, transparency, maybe freedom--openness, in short.

The first portion of this article is based on a series of posts by Eric Schnell at The Medium is the Message, used by permission. That's followed by two other commentaries on libraries and innovation.

This essay has been incorporated into "Technology and Community." This stub will remain as long as there are inbound links from elsewhere.

Maybe transformation is too strong a word, but your library may be dealing with reinvention, fundamental change, other major organizational changes. These notes from within the library field and elsewhere may be helpful--and don't ignore the longer articles in Related articles.

We tend to share successes, perhaps not as often or as well as we could. We tend not to share failures. I suspect many of us even avoid the word itself, preferring "qualified success" or "learning experience" or "premature innovation" or...

For now, let's define Failure as:

The list of theories and assertions about innovation can get long and cumbersome. This article breaks out lessons--notes based on examples of people and groups that appear to be innovative. It's a companion piece to Innovation notes (and material before March 2009 came from that article).

Thoughts from outside the library literature. Primarily by Leslie Dillon from Leader's Digest.

Two commentaries on future possibilities for online catalogs.

Future Catalogs: Food for Thought

By Eric Lease Morgan. Originally appeared in slightly different form as a March 13, 2008 post, "food for thought and discussion," on the NGC4LIB list (ngc4lib@listserv.nd.edu).

Notes on innovation from library blogs and other library literature--including notes on some difficulties with innovation itself, and some brief notes that encourage you to think about the meaning and uses of innovation in libraries.