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- Description
- Table of Contents
- About the author
- Reviews
Today's library leaders face a world in which the only constant is change. Seeking out innovative ways to meet the evolving needs of their communities has become a critical part of their responsibilities.
In this book, Doucett mines new territory in this ongoing effort by exploring how successful organizations "outside the stacks" conduct their business. She interviews leaders of advertising, online commerce, fundraising, retailing, crowdsourcing and other organizations (including Kickstarter, L.L. Bean, Down East Magazine and Tom's of Maine, among others), learning what they do exceptionally well. From this research she presents more than 100 examples of game-changing ideas ready for application in libraries. And most importantly, she articulates a simple process that readers can use to pursue the same path of exploration at their own institutions, including the actual questions used during her interviews.
An exciting survey of creativity in action, Doucett's book will encourage public library directors, managers, trustees, and staff to cross-pollinate their own expertise with innovative ideas from outside the stacks.
Preface
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1: The Process
Chapter 2: Entrepreneurship
Josh Davis, Gelato Fiasco
Chapter 3: Creativity
Walter Briggs, Briggs Advertising
Chapter 4: The Extraordinary in the Ordinary
Fritz Grobe, EepyBird
Chapter 5: Advocates for the Creators
Margot Atwell, Kickstarter
Chapter 6: Customer Service
Chris Wilson, L.L.Bean
Chapter 7: Trend Tracking
Vicki Loomis, Trendwatching.com
Chapter 8: Learning Your Community
Brian Kevin and Ginny Wright, Down East Magazine
Chapter 9: Creating a Great Workplace
Meredith Jones, Maine Community Foundation
Chapter 10: Content Curation
Liz Doucett, Curtis Memorial Library
Chapter 11: Unconventional Thinking
Kate Cheney Chappell, Tom's of Maine
Index
"A handy, largely intuitive reference that, in focusing in on patrons as consumers, serves as both a stimulus for new paths and a methodology for canvassing one's own local community and patrons."
— Booklist
"A great read to help spur discussion and bring excitement to developing a different mindset about libraries. There are some great ideas that can be replicated for those willing to take a new approach to library thinking."
— VOYA
"The eleven chapters do more than just interview the people involved with their companies; the chapter headings invite us to explore what it actually means to delve into organizational thinking … This book is so easy and so simple only because it takes a complicated topic—how do I make my library better—and breaks the topic into easy-to-follow directions. The best part of the book is that the reader can refer to any chapter at any time and get some time-tested solutions to put into practice immediately."
— Catholic Library World