1. Vexing
Problems,
Radical
Transformations
NELINET Annual Meeting
Executive Director’s Report
11 May 2007
Arnold Hirshon

2. To fly past our woes and
Today’s
ascend to new heights
Challenges
Serve as Effective
Demonstrate Vision
Stewards of Resources
Improve and Demonstrate
Update Library Facilities
Service Performance
to Meet Constantly
Changing User Needs
Cope with
Exploding Content
Respond to Shifts
in Personnel
Provide Strong Advocacy
and Communications Incorporate New Technologies and
Respond to Environmental Changes

3. To fly past our woes and
Today’s
ascend to new heights
Challenges:
• Demonstrate Vision
– Strong strategic plans + seize unanticipated opportunities
• Serve as Effective Stewards of Resources
– Costs continually increase without commensurate budget
increases
– Demonstrate value in accreditation reports
– Optimize workflows to ensure effective operations
• Cope with Exploding Content
– Inadequate time and ineffective tools to evaluate e-content
value
– Shifting balance of electronic and traditional print content
– Creating and maintaining local digitization programs
• Respond to Shifts in Personnel
– Staff turnover and retirements result in loss of expertise
– Staff require constant training to update their skills

4. To fly past our woes and
Today’s
ascend to new heights
Challenges:
• Incorporate New Technologies and Respond to
Environmental Changes
– Difficult to stay abreast of changes and how to respond
– New technology requires re-evaluation of workflows
• Improve and Demonstrate Service Performance
– Users, sponsors, and accreditors seek demonstrable and
measurable results
• Provide Strong Advocacy and Communications
– Web sites, Second Life islands, publications, meetings,
focus groups, surveys
• Update Library Facilities to Meet Constantly
Changing User Needs
– Group study areas, cafes, quiet space

5. Radical Transformative Trends in
the Changing Information Universe

6. The New Equation
+ Radical Transparency: users have a heightened awareness of
the internal operations of organizations from which they obtain
services
+ Technology infrastructure democratization: the network is the
platform – customers and users no longer need to purchase
hardware and software to accomplish their work
+ User Centered Innovation: Users can employ gaming and
simulation technologies to create customized solutions that meet
personal or mass market needs
= A seismic shift what we do and how we do it

7. Radical Transparency of
Organizations: Naked Executives
• A cultural shift, a redrawing of the lines between
“Google is not aa
“Google is not what's private and what's public
search engine.
search engine. • Absolute corporate secrecy is dying
Google is aa
Google is • Customers and staff are going to blab, so why not turn
reputation- everyone into a partner and invite them to do so?
reputation-
management • Post everything on the web that customers really want
management
to know
system. …
system. …
• Once people are interested in you, they're interested
Online, your rep
Online, your rep in helping you out and becoming your working
is quantifiable,
is quantifiable, partners
findable, and
findable, and • You can't go “halfway naked” – once you promise to
totally be open you must stay open or else the implied social
totally
compact of transparency will crumble
unavoidable.”
unavoidable.”
A generation has grown up blogging, posting aadaily phonecam picture on
A generation has grown up blogging, posting daily phonecam picture on
Flickr and listing its geographic position in real time on Dodgeball and Google
Flickr and listing its geographic position in real time on Dodgeball and Google
Maps. For them, authenticity comes from online exposure. It's hard to trust
Maps. For them, authenticity comes from online exposure. It's hard to trust
anyone who doesn't list their dreams and fears on Facebook.
anyone who doesn't list their dreams and fears on Facebook.
Clive Thompson. “The See-Through CEO.” Wired (April 2007) http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/15.04/wired40_ceo.html

8. Infrastructure Democratization and
User-Centered Innovation
• Web 2.0 and open source software are enabling the
creation of a new level playing field
• Businesses can no longer do all things in secret, lock
things down, or restrict customer choices
• Competition and rapid development requires collaboration
to get things done that no one can do alone
• Innovation communities are forming through web 2.0
• Users no longer must rely upon providers to develop
solutions
• Users want customized solutions and will innovate by
themselves to develop what they want
• Can leverage the power of innovation communities
because users “freely reveal” their ideas
• This democratized innovation process can apply to both
information and physical products and solutions
Sources include James Surowiecki (Wise Crowds), Eric Von Hippel (Democratizing Innovation), and Dan Tapscott (Wikinomics)

9. Radical Transformations and

10. Since Last Year
When we introduced the subscription plan, we
announced that we would undertake a multi-year
process to transform NELINET to respond to your
rapidly-changing needs

11. The Transformation of NELINET
From solely the traditional roles as
broker, e-resource licensor, educator
To an evolving role as an innovation
enabler

12. The Value of NELINET
• Local touch
– NELINET has a broad and deep understanding of our members
• Objective Information
– We provide an objective and broad perspective to help you see
and respond to trends
– We provide solutions, not sell you products
• Innovation
– We work with you to identify effective and innovative solutions
• Collaboration
– We coordinate your collaborative efforts, and thereby share the
load and the risk

13. The Value of Regional of
Network Partnerships
What challenges
await you today?
Make your regional network the first
place you will call
From technology and workflow
consulting, to research on new services
on timely topics, to discounts on
databases and other products, to creating
a community for help and support.
Whether planning ahead or facing a
crisis, your network is there.
Amigos
Your independent
BCR
FEDLINK
Regional network
ILLINET
INCOLSA
MINITEX
MLC
MLNC
Transforming
NEBASE
NELINET
Libraries through
Nylink
OHIONET
PALINET
Collaboration
www.librarynetworks.org SOLINET
WiLS

14. Radical
Transformations
We’re there for you
Services:
Building Upon the
Past to Create an
Exciting Future

15. FY2007: Board Goals
Provide libraries with information services within a
highly collaborative environment to enable
members to contain their costs and improve the
quality of their services
• Develop more collaborative programs (e.g., interest
groups, summit meetings)
• Listen more to our members (e.g., site visits, surveys)
• Ensure delivery of the highest quality programs and
services (e.g., evaluations and online logs)
• Develop new business models to
serve as facilitators or enablers of member activity
host technology services, not just broker the services of others

16. We’re Working to Meet Your Daily Needs
• Reducing OCLC expenses
– OCLC Direct prices for all members
– Up to 4.5% interest on deposit accounts
• Enhancing continuing education opportunities
– Strong general and custom-education programs
– Free unlimited attendance at live and online courses
– Low cost seminars, institutes and conferences
• Lower e-resource prices
– A robust list of resources available at direct prices
Our feedback sessions today will help us
learn how we may better serve you

17. Transforming How NELINET Helps You

18. Increasing Participation,
Increasing Value
increasing visibility
ensuring access
encouraging advocacy
identifying solutions
achieving results
sharing ideas
fostering communications
forming connections
uniting members
implementing technologies
creating opportunities
promoting best practices

19. Forming Connections and Sharing Ideas
MIntZ: Member Interest Zones
• Current MIntz and online forums
– Ground Delivery Services
– Assessment and Accreditation
– Digital Repositories
• Current Forums
– Library 2.0
– Technology Sandbox (one forum per application)
• Forthcoming
– Information Literacy
– Intellectual Property
– Last Copy Repository
– The Future of Cataloging
– Contact us if you are interested in joining or starting a MIntZ

20. Increasing Library Visibility and
Encouraging Advocacy
“The Long, Slow Climb”
• NELINET Academic Library
Advocacy Summit held in
The unique nature of academic library advocacy
December 2006
• Discussed the unique nature
of academic library advocacy
and the different
relationships of the library to
its constituencies
• Accreditation is a key
advocacy opportunity
– NELINET is providing an
expanded array of consulting
and educational opportunities
regarding accreditation

21. Implementing Technologies
NELINET Trend Awareness Services
TrendGauge As a TrendGauge
Blogger!
– Thought-provoking ideas for libraries
– Contribute your ideas through blog entries
– Expert panel members sought!
Technology Sandbox
– A safe place for library staff to experiment with
new technologies

22. Creating Opportunities
• Seeking development and implementation
partners for a free trial
• Testbed to develop standards, guidelines
and best practices
• You provide
– Digitized objects and appropriate metadata
– Willingness to contribute your energy and ideas
• We provide
– A DSpace instance to load your objects
– Metadata consulting, technical support, and
implementation services
– Export of your objects and metadata
– One year discounts after testbed period if
NELINET hosts services
• Begin July 1, finish December 31, 2007

23. Achieving Results
• An opportunity for you to get help at no cost, and to
share best practice information with your colleagues
after the consultation is over
• Proposals due by June 15
• NELINET Consulting is also available on a wide array
topics, e.g.,
– strategic and technology planning
– digitization
– workflow analysis
– facilities renovations

24. Identifying Solutions
Ask NELINET! Support Services
• A known, trusted and personalized information source
for library staff
• You get fast and complete answers to your questions
– Telephone and email support
– Consulting services
• Call for support well beyond OCLC topics
– General support
– Information technology solutions
– Library information services and options
– Managerial and administrative issues
• Consulting services available
– Workflow analysis
a reliable service that is there when you need it

25. Encouraging Best Practices
• The first NELINET Trend
Report
• Seminars and institutes
coming this fall about
optimization of technical
services operations
• More reports and seminars
will be developed based upon
consulting, MIntZ, and other
shared membership
experiences

26. Encouraging Best Practices
Member Education
• The subscription model is working for members
• More topics than ever before
• Courses taught at more regional locations
• Higher attendance
• Increased participation by a larger number of members
• More online courses, including through the regional
Network Education Exchange
“The IT conference as a whole was energizing and invigorating,
giving me an outstanding view of the current state of digital
services and the possibilities of the future.”

27. Ensuring Access
• New England Regional Depository
• Digital Repository Services

28. What’s Next?
Encouraging Advocacy
and Fostering Communications
NELINET Branding, Advocacy
and Marketing Service
Late fall 2007

29. What’s Next?
Creating Opportunities

30. Are You Troubled by Vexing Problems?
Do You Feel the Need for a Radical
Transformation?
Let Us Simplify Your Life