by Cindy Hill , Multiple Chapters and Divisions

Some of my best memories of elementary school are of playground time, before, during and after class. My friends and I would race to the jungle gym, running to our favorite spot, the parallel bar, where we would spend wonderful hours (at least it felt like hours) hanging from bent knees and then start spinning around and around. When we found the just perfect moment, we would let go, flying up into the air and then landing as far away as momentum and our bodies would take us. While I’m pretty sure we knew we could get hurt (we landed on tan bark, not rubber mats) we also were fearless, physically agile and willing to take risks.

One aspect of being Future Ready is to take that youthful fearlessness and incorporate it into our work environment, especially when we are considering starting something new or changing an existing service. Too often it’s difficult to start something new for many reasons. Often there’s the fear of failure, lack of resources, concern about being able to provide the service to everyone, or not enough funding. Considering a new service or providing a new resource, but not sure how it will be received? One way to test its viability is to launch it as a pilot using the 3Ss + 1S more model, rather than a full-scale entity. You won’t find this model in any management or text book as a former executive VP at Sun Microsystems created it. The 3Ss + 1S more model stands for:

• Start small
• Be highly successful
• Make it scalable
• And keep statistics (aka metrics)

Start small: Create the big vision and then break it into smaller components. One way to start small is to limit the new service or resource to a specific group. Can it be introduced to a particular segment of your audience rather than the entire organization? By choosing a group that wants or needs the new service or resource, you are already working with a receptive audience, one that will give useful and constructive advice and observations and will be willing to work out any kinks with you. Which group would benefit most from being a “first adopter”? Would they then be your advocates and supporters?

Be highly successful: Plan for success by defining what success looks like. Is success having a specific group use it and want it to continue? Does success mean that the technology is working seamlessly? Or is success having the new resource embedded into the daily workflow of your users? By defining success before the initiative is launched, you will know when you have reached it.

Make it scalable: A highly successful initiative is one that can grow to meet the demands of potential users. Is there enough staff, funding, technological support and/or support from your internal or external partners as the demand expands? Is there a plan to acquire the needed resources in order to scale?

Keep statistics: Statistics should be both quantifiable and qualitative. How many people are using the new service or resource? How are they using it? What value is it adding to their productivity? What stories are they telling you about its value? Metrics provide the foundation for building a rationale to continue or scale the initiative.

With limited budgets, staff and resources, it’s often daunting to take a risk in changing a process, launching a new service, or introducing a new resource. Think back to your childhood days of playing, experimenting with new techniques, and being fearless and then bring those agile aspects into your daily life. As Tim O’Reilly, CEO of O’Reilly Media and innovator recommends, “Try fast, fail fast, keep trying and never give up.”

Cindy Hill is the manager of the Research Library at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. She’s a past president of SLA and is currently chairing the 2012 Conference Planning Council. She is a newly selected Commissioner for the Los Altos Public Library and is a part-time faculty member at San Jose State University.  Cindy can be reached at cindyvhill@yahoo.com, tweets @cindyhill and can be found on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/cindyvhill. She’s currently working on her latest 3S + 1S initiative.

by Gretchen Leslie, Oregon Chapter, Science-Technology Division

I am writing this post because I believe we, as an association, have not really done a good job of researching our industry—the information industry—and using that research to better position our members  and our association in the future.  We talk about being “Future Ready,” but I have not seen us applying our core research competencies to scoping where the growth is and what the trending is in the information industry, what skills we need to find work in the coming information industry scenario, who our potential partners can be, and where the hidden snakes lay on our path to the future.  The research, data, and analysis are out there, generated by companies such as Outsell Inc., Simba, IDC, and Gartner.  Are we using it?  If not, why not?

So I guess this post is a call to action for the association leadership to begin a program to buy and use the published research about the information industry. Perhaps we could even partner with other associations, and cooperatively build a sustainable way to get the needed data and analysis on a continual basis.  That way, we could always benchmark on where we are as informational professionals, vs. where the information industry is headed.

What do the rest of you think of this “info pros – research thyself!” approach to mapping out what Future Ready means?  I’d like to hear from my colleagues in SLA about the idea of using market research on ourselves; making market research of the information industry part of our websites and continuing education, applying the ideas of where the information industry is moving to how and what we teach in information science graduate programs, and ultimately, building a better understanding of the global information industry and where we fit in the future as information professionals.

Gretchen Leslie has a 35+ year career in special libraries, and has always wondered why we cannot do a better job of analyzing our own industry.

By Gloria Miller, Military Libraries Division

I work in a cubicle. However, most of the people around me are not Librarians. This gives me opportunities to overhear conversations, ask questions, and join in whenever I think I can help. At first, the quizzical looks seem to say, “How can a Librarian help with this?” It doesn’t take long for them to realize the value of an Information Professional.

For me as well as my boss (also a cubicle Librarian), it has meant learning more than we ever expected to learn about Business Case Analysis, Excel, government contracting, SharePoint, and more. Each conversation becomes an opportunity to learn something else, and put it to use for the good of the organization as a whole. And every successful project becomes an advertisement for other teams to seek out the Library staff for input.

So, get out of your chair, leave your comfort zone, and stick your nose into hallway conversations. You’ll be surprised at where you may end up.

Gloria Miller is a Librarian at the Headquarters, U.S. Army Materiel Command, Redstone Arsenal (Huntsville), Alabama. She is currently the Chair-Elect of the Military Libraries Division.

by Cindy Romaine, SLA President

For my first official business trip as the new president of SLA, even before the mid-January board meetings and SLA Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C., I flew to Las Vegas and walked the floor of the Consumer Electronics Show. For two days I explored the Show with Bay Area senior member Cindy Hill. We were immersed in new handheld technology, new reading tablets, and new cell phones. A tremendous amount of energy is going into the simple task of getting more, and better, information into the hands of consumers at warp speed.

Trends
There were nearly 2700 exhibitors and I was blown away by the sheer volume of new tech toys and applications on display from the hundreds of companies vying to be The Next Big Thing. But frankly, the energy and enthusiasm of the show were even more fascinating to me; there was no shortage of optimism about the future on that floor. Here are few distilled thoughts, stats, and trends from CES:

Stats:

• 80 new tablet devices were announced, including the new Motorola Xoom
• 20,00 new consumer electronic products were released
• 140,000 people attended the show

3D: 3D graphics are being showcased in gaming, sports, and art. The entertainment industry is leading in this space again, but expect to see high-end graphics soon in medical, educational, and other technical applications.

Convergence: Data, because it exists in the cloud, is more and more platform agnostic. Form factors—that is, your data device, whether it is a cell phone, tablet, laptop, desktop, car console, or smart TV—are converging in their functionality.

Social: Consumers are saying ‘I want to share my life as it happens’ and products, telecommunication capacity and  apps are making that possible. Social networking was integrated into games, such as X-Box Kinect, smart TVs and apps. Copia.com is an interesting app for book clubs.

Capacity: Capacity is increasing as cell networks transition from 3G to 4G, and there is an increase in computer processing speed as well. Expanding capacity enables complex problem solving, immersive entertainment, and new experiences.

Design: Data devices, or form factors, were very elegant and restrained. It seemed that there was an effort not to overwhelm the consumer with technical options, but to simplify and curate.

Implications

The CES is the leading tradeshow for an $186B industry that is driving economic growth and is an enabler for the new knowledge economy. Consumer electronics are an underpinning of the information industry, regardless of which corner of it you occupy. An interesting factoid is that now 80% of electronics are purchased by consumers, not businesses. It was not long ago that businesses were driving the purchases of electronic goods.

With all these new products and optimistic marketing, our clients—that is people using and consuming information resources—will be even more demanding of content delivered on the form factor that is just right for them. They’ll want information that is curated, edited, and analyzed to fit their needs. And information  that is customized to their locale and time zone.

The consumer electronics industry is moving very, very fast—and will eat our lunch if we are not moving at least at its pace of change. To keep up, we need to adopt a strategy of being flexible, adaptable, and resilient. In short, we need to be Future Ready!

Enchantment

As enchanting as it was to handle all those gadgets, one of the highlight of my visit to CES was listening to, and later engaging in discussion with, Guy Kawasaki. Author of The Macintosh Way and Selling the Dream, Kawasaki is the former Apple “wunderkind” who encourages his readers to rise above the usual marketing clutter to find emotional levels of attachment to products. He encourages marketers to morph into “evangelists” who create movements, not just spreadsheets. He epitomizes one of the ideas behind my push to make members more Future Ready – he wants us all to Think Big.  

In his book, How to Drive Your Competition Crazy, Kawasaki tossed SLA members a great compliment when he told his readers to “suck up to a research librarian.” I liked the way he put us on a pedestal, because it reminded me that ours is an honorable profession, and we add value. Someone obviously impressed Guy Kawasaki at one time.

After his talk, he and I chatted for a few minutes about his new book Enchantment: The Art of Changing Minds, Hearts and Actions. I asked him to consider posting for the Future Ready 365 blog. He seemed delighted to be asked and his thoughts will be posted here, tomorrow, February 22!

Are you feeling future ready yet!?

by Cindy Shamel, Shamel Information Services, San Diego Chapter

Imagine that you’re hungry. Seeking something to eat, you visit a local restaurant and order lasagna. The chef swings into action and soon a platter lies before you. It contains a carton of ricotta cheese, a package of dried lasagna pasta, some eggs, a bundle of fresh herbs, a basket of tomatoes, and a block of parmesan cheese. Clearly the chef has missed an opportunity here, and you don’t have food that you can eat. As a hungry diner you will not value a pile of raw ingredients nearly as much as a nicely presented meal, prepared with the skills, judgment, and training of an experienced chef.

Now, apply this scenario to the information center or library. A need exists for actionable information and the request comes in. The info pro swings into action, and soon gathers a selection of bibliographic information, articles in full-text, and several links to relevant web sites. It’s all delivered up as attachments to an e-mail with a note saying, “Here’s the information you requested.” Clearly the info pro has missed an opportunity. To add value, the info pro will want to apply skills and experience to filter, analyze, and summarize the findings, formatting them in a way that meets the immediate need of the requester.

Just as the chef adds value to raw ingredients by transforming them into a satisfying meal, the info pro can add value to information by creating content ready to consume. The formatting will vary according to the need. It might include tables, graphs, charts, and spreadsheets. Key findings can be featured in executive summaries, in bullet points, or with highlighting, bolding, or font colors. Organizational tools such as tables of contents, headings, and subheadings enable scanning and navigation. Article summaries in place of full text save time for the reader. A value added deliverable will feature the content that answers the question or meets the need. Info pros have the skills and experience to develop spot on deliverables that organizations need to succeed.

Where do we find the time? Many of us are solos. We’re shorthanded. We’re overwhelmed. We’re working with limited resources. Consider this. I contend that just as individuals can enter a grocery store and purchase the raw materials for lasagna, they can go online and gather information. The differentiator lies in adding value. Just as the chef creates the dishes that satisfy hunger, the info pro creates the deliverables on which to base enterprise actions.

Cindy Shamel has provided value added research to clients since 1998. She is a member, former director, and past president of the San Diego Chapter of SLA.

by Jill Strand, Legal Division, Minnesota Chapter

I’m borrowing the title of recent American Bar Association Journal article in which the authors Patrick Lamb and Paul Lippe ask if anyone starting a new law firm today would have a library or even a librarian. Although unsure about the value of a physical library, they favored having a librarian, noting that “finding essential information is more important than ever. When you live in a value free world, someone who finds the right information efficiently is really valuable.” While I would debate their assumption that all the resources lawyers need are available online, they are right to recognize that “the role of the librarian is becoming more critical as the volume of information in the world grows.”

Yet the authors go on to wonder if there is a disconnect between how they would define librarians’ value and how librarians themselves define it. Mr. Lamb and Mr. Lippe see librarians as professionals who can manage internal knowledge and external information, understand the costs involved and the connections to marketing and business development. They go on to quote an unidentified survey of a small group of librarians who describe their value using phrases such as “loyal, accurate, friendly and smart.” The authors see this disconnect as a challenge to everyone (not just librarians) “to figure out how to add real value to their enterprise.”

Sound like a familiar challenge? Nearly two years since the ground-breaking research of the Special Libraries Association Alignment Project was released, this challenge persists. More importantly, how do we make sure that we, as librarians, are aware of the value our customers perceive in us, and how do we change our perception of our own value? I chose to see the challenge as an opportunity for librarians to demonstrate that we understand these concerns and are already several steps ahead in addressing them. SLA’s Alignment Task Force is currently turning the Alignment Project research into tools and tips to help members align themselves and their libraries with the goals and values of their organizations.

In a way, being Future Ready is really just a form of Alignment put into action. Even better, it offers an open slate – you get to decide the how, when and why of your own Future Ready agenda. As a law firm library director I’m taking the advice of another Future Ready librarian, Nina Platt, and spending 15-20 minutes to meet with individual attorneys and learn a little more about the focus of their practice, their business development goals and how they stay informed. Each interview gives me a glimpse into the future. Rather than wait and respond to a last minute request, it allows me think ahead about tools and information that can support their goals.

Even before the economy took a nosedive, librarians and knowledge professionals were investigating innovative and cost-effective ways to add value to their organizations. Mr. Lamb and Mr. Lippe note that “we create five exabytes of information every two days and that pace is accelerating.” In order for lawyers, doctors, scientists, professors and other professionals to be able to fully use their unique training and talents for success, they require the unique training and talents of librarians and knowledge professionals to evaluate and manage the information searching, sifting, analyzing, synthesizing and delivery that affords them that focus.

Jill Strand is an active member of SLA at the local and national levels. She has held several leadership positions in the Minnesota Chapter, and is currently a member of the Annual Conference Advisory Council, and Nominating committee and past member of the Public Relations Advisory Council.

by Dee Magnoni, Boston Chapter

Being Future Ready can mean many things. Perhaps I have a great strategic plan in place. Or I’ve created strong partnerships, have developed & encouraged my staff, and have invested in the right technology. Personally, I believe that one of the most important aspects of being future ready is having the right frame of mind. I have long been an advocate of reading, listening, and viewing from a wide array of resources across many disciplines. You never know where your next spark will flash from. So first, have a broad mind that is open to new ideas.

To have an open mind, you must have a rested mind. Years ago I read about temporal exhaustion in a piece of futurist literature. When we are temporally exhausted we have scheduled our lives so tight with meetings, errands and obligations that we have no time to stop, breathe and relax. What to do? Think meditation, mindfulness, yoga, deep breathing, or that ever-valuable counting to ten before replying. These tools help us to slow down, to remember what is important, and to allow real thinking and creativity to enter our brains.

Finally, I attended a live TEDx event this past October at Woods Hole (http://tedxwoodshole.org). One of the speakers was Dan Ariely, author of Predictably Irrational. He talked about how our behavior in the future is always perfect. Yes, we’ll write that report. Yes, we’ll organize that meeting. Yes, we’ll get our budget in on time – and balanced! Our current behavior is the problem. We trade in long term benefits for short term gains. We spend more than our allotted time on social media rather than writing that report. We procrastinate. If we were completely rational, we would analyze the long term benefits and always make the correct short term decisions. We aren’t completely rational, thus the predictably irrational. What is the solution? Dan suggested rewards for short term good behavior, and talked about his own illness and the difficulty of treatment. His reward for suffering through treatment with severe side-effects three times a week for a year and a half was to watch movies that he would enjoy during those times. Dan’s talk was a true eureka moment for me. To be truly future ready, I must make my present behavior as close to my future behavior as possible.

In 2011 I will be Future Ready by continuing to read widely and watch TED talks, I will find time to slow down and recharge my mind, and I will find short term rewards to help motivate me to make my current behavior in synch with my future goals.

Dee Magnoni is the Library Director at Olin College of Engineering. She is active in numerous divisions and caucuses of SLA and is presently Chair of the Leadership & Management Division.