Bridging the Gap Between SystemsIT and Librarians

1
Bridging the Gap BetweenSystems/IT and
Librarians

• Carson Block
• Technology Coordinator
• Fort Collins Public Library
• cblock_at_fcgov.com

2
Who is this presentation for?

• Seasoned managers
• Those who have just been kicked upstairs
• Those who want to be managers
• Especially for those who want to lead their
  organizations through technology
• Presented from the perspective of public
  libraries, but applicable to others as well

3
Your humble presenter(Why should I listen to
this guy anyway!?)

• A whopping decade of library experience!
• Five years at Loveland Public Library managing
  the media department
• Three years working for a multi-type library
  agency (High Plains RLSS) as staff Technology
  Consultant for public, school and academic
  libraries. Co-led the ASCC project.
• Filtering consultant for Colorado State Library
• Currently Technology Coordinator for the Fort
  Collins Public Library

4
Uhwhy Bridge the Gap anyway?

• Systems/IT Departments are uniquely positioned to
  propel our organizations to greatness, or if
  were already great, great-er-ness.
• We manage what is arguably the greatest common
  denominators between staff our ILS other
  computing resources and the network.

5
Uhwhy Bridge the Gap anyway?

• When were doing a great job on the technical
  end, these common denominators are mostly
  invisible. (yippie!)
• Butif theyre mostly invisible, staff and other
  managers may not realize that technology is a
  common denominator worthy of their attention.
  (boo!)

6
Uhwhy Bridge the Gap anyway?

• Since we serve as a common denominator, were
  uniquely positioned to help our organizations in
  powerful ways
• Increased efficiencies
• Organizational cost savings
• Easier workloads for staff
• Creating innovative technical solutions that work
  not just for one group, but for the entire
  organization and the publics we serve
• Setting a good example of efficiency, teamwork
  and collaboration
• Its just the right thing to do!
• Cost savings are not necessarily in the IT lines
  in the budget. IT is an area of investment that
  pays dividends throughout the organization. This
  is a topic for a different presentation

7
Its about People

• When youre a manager, most of the issues you
  personally encounter are social or political in
  nature, with just enough technical relevance to
  (sometimes just barely) justify your presence in
  the matter.
• Sorry, its too late to hide in the server room.
  Besides, the answers you seek are not there!

8
Its About People

• Listening is the best way to learn about people.
• If you dont love people (including the full
  range of human eccentricities) this may not be
  the job for you.
• Your job in bridging the gap begins with your own
  staff and balancing their strengths and
  weaknesses.
• Librarians, your boss, other managers and
  colleagues are people too!

9
Who do you work for?

• The answer to this question is essential to
  identifying the tail, the dog, and the
  relationship between the two.
• At FCPL, our direct customers are staff. We
  strive to fill the needs of the public through
  the needs and experiences voiced by staff.
• Yes gaps still exist. Its our job to bridge
  them!
• Ultimately, we should all strive to serve the
  greater good of our organizations.
• Your core philosophy in this area is a powerful
  rudder in the uncharted waters that we sail in
  daily.

10
Who Do You Work With?

• Use your formidable network diagramming skills
  and apply it to all of the people and
  organizations in your work life
• Look at it, think about, change it, and think
  about it some more.
• Easiest to do when you have a new job, but those
  of us in place for a while might find it to be a
  valuable exercise

11
The Communications Gap

• The largest gap we all face is in the area of
  communications.
• NEWS FLASH! Techs and Librarians often have
  different values, approaches, and sensibilities.
• NEWS FLASH! Techs themselves often have different
  values, approaches, and sensibilities.
• NEWS FLASH! People in general often have
  differentokayyou get the idea
• Our goal should be to turn those into
  complimentary traits instead of areas of
  conflict.

12
The Communications Gap email

• Email is great, and its here to stay.
• Email is one-way communication.
• Simply making a statement does not mean that is
  always understood. Seeemoticons
• Not being understood often leads to all sorts of
  bad craziness and other unintentional
  consequences.
• If everyone involved understands the rules of
  email, it can be quite effective. But its still
  one-way communication.
• Effective communication requires interaction.
• Theres nothing like being face-to-face or
  side-by-side.

13
The Communications Gap - meetings

• If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a
  good meeting is worth a thousand e-mails!
• Mind you, I hate meetings (but please allow me
  to qualify that statement)
• A good meeting allows your customers and staff to
  understand and help mold technology decisions. At
  its best dynamic and inclusive.

14
The Communications Gap - Meetings

• There are lots of opinions and resources
  describing the elements of good meetings. Heres
  mine
• Be respectful all participants time.
• Be respectful of all participants!
• Have a clear purpose, objective or agenda for the
  meeting, and communicate that to the
  participants.
• Dont be above offering incentives to attend and
  participate
• Be flexible, but remember its up to you to
  enforce any meeting rules

15
The Communications Gap - Language

• Is your language inclusive or exclusive?
• Theres nothing we do that cant be explained in
  simple lay terms.
• When words fail you, draw pictures.
• When pictures fail, try interpretive dance (or
  whatever alternative most effectively conveys
  your message)
• Jargon
• Very helpful in our IT world often confusing and
  alienating to librarians
• Share your jargon positively to let librarians
  and others into the cool high-tech geek club
  (see granular and disambiguate)

16
The Communications Gap Attitudes About
Technology

• Be positive -- model positivity for others
• Technology is a tool that our customers are
  actively involved in selecting and molding its
  not something that is done to them.
• Technology is a friend it helps makes tasks
  easier
• Our relationship with technology requires care,
  understanding, patience.
• As with many relationships, theres also the
  possibility of the continuum of
  fantasy/love/disillusion/denial/anger/bargaining
  /depression.and finally acknowledgement.

17
The Communications Gap - Transparency

• Im looking through you.
• When were doing our jobs right, what we do is
  also mostly invisible (a form of transparency,
  but not the one we want here)
• We need to make it visible in an unobtrusive
  manner for our customers
• Our tool is a custom port of bugzilla augmented
  by lots of personal face-to-face interaction

18
(No Transcript)
19
(No Transcript)
20
The Communications Gap create venues and methods

• Regular Meetings
• Ad hoc meetings
• Tech tools
• Be personally accessible (a balancing act)
• Use different methods for different people and
  groups
• The question to ask yourself Is this working?
  Abandon communication methods that arent
  effective, and keep trying until you hit paydirt.

21
The Communications Gap - misc

• Dont intimidate with your vast knowledge
• Acknowledge others frustrations validate their
  feelings
• Do not threaten others ideas make it safe for
  them to share thoughts with you
• Its not about us/them, bargaining, or
  competition
• In times of conflict, explain the whys and
  limitations of technology in plain language.
  This can be a magic bullet.
• Be humble and have the heart of a servant

22
Random Thought Aint it cool!?

• The gee-whiz factor of tech is (and should be)
  very cool but its most powerful as an
  attention-getter.
• Every beautiful, shiny technology object should
  lead to powerful results that can stand up to
  individual scrutiny.

23
Bridging the Gap - Leadership

• If you see something broken in the organization,
  who fixes it?
• Uhthat would be you, Sparky!
• This falls under other duties as assigned.

24
Your job as an IT Manager or Leader

• You are always setting an example good or bad.
  Think about that for a second
• Create a track record of successes.
• Give the organization accurate assessments of
  technology projects and proposals. Avoid flashy
  promises that are doomed to fail.
• Strive to always be objective. Avoid joining
  factions or other forms or organizational
  disputes. This is harder than it might sound.
• Ultimately

25
Git R Done!

• Larry the Cable Guy accidental redneck
  jokester or calculating comedic genius? If you
  find Larrys catch-phrase distasteful, kindly
  substitute accomplish the task and delete this
  slide.

26
For Those New to Systems Management

• You were probably a technology rock star and
  got noticed, based on your personal and unique
  abilities with tech.

27
For those new to systems management

• Your job is no longer just about you. Its
  about what you are able to accomplish through
  others-Your direct reports-Colleagues-External
  Partners
• -Your boss (!)
• - And others

Dave Madden as band manager Ruben Kincade
28
For Those New to Systems Management

• Your staff are the rock stars now. If you do a
  good job, their abilities in each area will far
  exceed your own. You got a problem wit dat?
• If so, maybe it is time to go hide in the
  server room

29
For those new to systems management

• You will make mistakes. Mistakes and successes
  are equally important to your development.
• Mea Culpa being able to say Im Wrong and
  especially Im Sorry may be the two most
  powerful phrases you can ever use. Simple to say
  but very difficult to master. You might not find
  much support for this approach from other
  managers.

30
For Those New to Systems Management

• Coaching and Mentoring staff development
• Flack jacket
• Inspiration!

31
POP QUIZ!

• Manager or Leader?
• You decide!

32
Manager or Leader?

• Microsofts
• Bill Gates
• and
• Apples
• Steve Jobs

33
Manager or Leader?

• Former Texas Governor Ann Richards

34
Manager or Leader?

• Gandhi

35
Manager or Leader?

• Former US Secretary of State Madeleine
  Albright

36
Manager or Leader?

• Joan of Arc

37
Manager or Leader?

• Bono Vox
• (Paul Hewson)
• Of the rock
• Band U2

38
Manager or Leader?

• Jane Goodall

39
Manager or Leader?

• James Brown

40
Manager or Leader?

• Eva Peron (Evita)

41
Manager or Leader?

• Col. Tom Parker
• (Andreas Cornelius
• van Kuijk)

42
Manager or Leader?

• Oprah Winfrey

43
Manager or Leader?

• Gary Cole as Lumberg from the movie Office
  Space

44
Manager or Leader?

• Sigourney Weaver as Lt. Ellen Ripley from the
  movie Aliens

45
Manager or Leader?

• US President George W. Bush

46
Final Thoughts About Leadership

• Understand yourself
• Understand the folks who work for you, and who
  you work for
• Have a deep understanding of your own vision and
  commit to it publicly.
• Make decisions from a center of personal
  integrity
• Never be afraid of being fired. Doing so may
  lead to bad decisions that affect many, many
  people for a long, long time.
• Just like being paranoid doesnt mean
  theyre really not out to get you, not being
  afraid of being fired doesnt guarantee that you
  wont be. Operating from a center of conviction,
  and accepting the possible rewards and
  consequences, is one of the burdens of true
  leadership.

47
Discussion

• How do you Bridge the Gap in your library?
• What difficulties are you having Bridging the
  Gap?
• Share your stories!