Fostering Innovation and Creativity Frank Blair Thomas Kozak Tom Cole Paul DeVillo Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County

Fostering Innovation and Creativity Tech Scholars Frank Blair Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County

Fostering Innovation and Creativity The PLCMC Technology Scholars Program provides employees with a six-month scholarship opportunity to take innovative ideas that they have for new or expanded library services and make them a reality. The program supports two scholars at a time and is open to any full-time employee who has at least one year of service. Expanded in 2008 to include a Community Tech Scholar

The PLCMC Technology Scholars Program provides employees with a six-month scholarship opportunity to take innovative ideas that they have for new or expanded library services and make them a reality.

The program supports two scholars at a time and is open to any full-time employee who has at least one year of service.

Expanded in 2008 to include a Community Tech Scholar

Fostering Innovation and Creativity We are just completing our second set of projects and planning for our 2009 recruitment Barry Newman-2007 Technology Tools for Homeschool and After School Tom Cole-2007 Live Online Learning Mark Engelbrecht-2008 Gaming Creation, Programming and Promotion Thomas Kozak-2008 Learn and Share Wiki

We are just completing our second set of projects and planning for our 2009 recruitment

Barry Newman-2007 Technology Tools for Homeschool and After School

Tom Cole-2007 Live Online Learning

Mark Engelbrecht-2008

Gaming Creation, Programming and Promotion

Thomas Kozak-2008 Learn and Share Wiki

Fostering Innovation and Creativity Technology Scholars are the library’s own mini Fulbright scholars. The program is designed to encourage staff to stretch their wings and provide leadership opportunities for ideas that can benefit our customers and the library.

Technology Scholars are the library’s own mini Fulbright scholars.

The program is designed to encourage staff to stretch their wings and provide leadership opportunities for ideas that can benefit our customers and the library.

Fostering Innovation and Creativity Selecting Candidates Look for individuals who: Question the status quo Tolerate risk gladly Exhibit patience Trust the process Are open to unexpected outcomes Demonstrate an ability to ‘leverage resources’

Selecting Candidates

Look for individuals who:

Question the status quo

Tolerate risk gladly

Exhibit patience

Trust the process

Are open to unexpected outcomes

Demonstrate an ability to ‘leverage resources’

Innovation Cycle Idea generation Incubation Experimentation Implementation/Analysis

Idea generation

Incubation

Experimentation

Implementation/Analysis

Fostering Innovation and Creativity It is not enough to budget dollars for innovation. You must also budget time for innovation!

It is not enough to budget dollars for innovation.

You must also budget time for innovation!

Fostering Innovation and Creativity Technology Scholar Hands-On Experience Learn & Share Wiki Thomas Kozak Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County

Project Snapshot Sharing information with a wiki Share knowledge between departments Encourage collaboration Quick access to commonly-needed info

Sharing information with a wiki

Share knowledge between departments

Encourage collaboration

Quick access to commonly-needed info

Recruiting Applicants Ideas are out there Everyday problems are the seeds for proposals Broaden your applicant base Reach beyond your normal movers and shakers

Ideas are out there

Everyday problems are the seeds for proposals

Broaden your applicant base

Reach beyond your normal movers and shakers

Mentoring Provide guidance for working with your organizational structure Project-building experience Strategies for innovation Resource availability

Provide guidance for working with your organizational structure

Project-building experience

Strategies for innovation

Resource availability

Planning & Design Project as a test-bed for learning and exploration Building knowledge and testing options Free & Open-Source options Flexibility and low-cost experimentation

Project as a test-bed for learning and exploration

Building knowledge and testing options

Free & Open-Source options

Flexibility and low-cost experimentation

Construction Developing and prototyping the project Collaboration with existing services and departments Continued learning Decision-making Gathering input

Developing and prototyping the project

Collaboration with existing services and departments

Continued learning

Decision-making

Gathering input

Ongoing Development Implementation & Evaluation Tool-Building Continuing requests for extra features or applications Connecting with users Finding a place for new tools in everyday work-flow

Implementation & Evaluation

Tool-Building

Continuing requests for extra features or applications

Connecting with users

Finding a place for new tools in everyday work-flow

Fostering Innovation and Creativity Technology Scholar Hands-On Experience Live Online Learning Tom Cole Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County

Define your deliverable.

Don’t be a hermit!

Understand Costs $

Know your material Listen to your testers

Know your material

Listen to your testers

Repeat the test

Implementation

Fostering Innovation and Creativity Implementation of Tech Scholar Projects Paul DeVillo Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County

Digital Times

The Gaming Zone

Live Online Learning

PLCMC Learn & Share

Fostering Innovation and Creativity You may review these slides online at http://tinyurl.com/FosteringInnovation or http://www.slideshare.net/thomaskozak/il2008-fostering-innovation-presentation Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County