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NOTE: This assignment will be revised February 2021 👍😀
Description
For this assignment, you will craft a plan for incorporating an emerging technology or participatory service into a library setting of your choice. The goal is to engage with your community via technology, service or some other human-focused innovation. You are free to select the service or technology that interests you most. This can be an entirely virtual service or one that augments a physical service.
Ideas in the form of action briefs can create a starting point for a new service or plan. John Bellina and Tasso Stathopulos from the Denver marketing firm Ricochet Ideas helped create the Anythink brand for Rangeview Library System. They helped transform services such as the Anythink summer reading program through disruptive innovation by starting with a simple statement about turning summer reading “on its ear.” An action brief is a framing statement used in planning that includes who we want to convince about a service or product, how we will do it and what the service will be that makes the change. Create an action brief of your own as part of this process focused on the user population you want to reach. To create an action brief fill in the blanks: Convince {a certain group} that by {utilizing the new or improved service or technology, etc} they will {discover a new or cool thing about the library or service} which will {create the outcome you are aiming for} because {this is what the library is about}. If part of your plan involves staff-buy in, write a second Brief statement for staff.
Imagine, for example, that you have been placed in charge of a new, technology-focused initiative. You must create a planning document for the team or administrators that will join you on the project. Think of this document as a roadmap for future meetings/actions to get the technology or service implemented. Post it to your blog with a short statement explaining your thinking, process and the benefits you identified. Note – this is not a technical document but more of a roadmap of considerations for planning and implementation. Research your chosen technology or service and utilize the template to organize your planning.
Here are sample plans the demonstrate two approaches to the assignment — EmergingTechnologyPlanningFixit Clinic & PlanRovingLIbrarian – please be as creative as you’d like and utilize the resources here to create something the reflects your ideas for what the plan should be.
Requirements
Choose one of the technologies or services discussed in your course readings, lectures or your own explorations. Research the technology or service and brainstorm 5-10 benefits of the new initiative. Use these to frame the goals and objectives of the new service.
Organize your project by making notes in each of the following sections. For example, what type of staffing, policy, technology, promotion, and training is needed for to start and maintain a Facebook Page, Twitter Account, or Foursquare presence for your library? Note – this is not a technical document but more of a roadmap of considerations for planning and implementation. Finalize the sections by fleshing out your notes. Utilize bullet points or short paragraphs but be detailed in your thinking.
Posting & Submission:
Remove the questions and pointers in parentheses and post the finished plan to your blog. Optional: enhance the plan with media, etc. As a final step, submit your post URL to our Canvas site.
Grading Rubric:
Plan
Goals/Objectives for Technology or Service:
Description of Community you wish to engage:
Action Brief Statement: (Fill in the blanks)
Convince ______ that by _______ they will ________ which will ________ because _______.
Evidence and Resources to support Technology or Service: (URLS, articles to help guide you)
Mission, Guidelines, and Policy related to Technology or Service: (Who might be involved in setting policies? Where might you look for example policies? What do you want to include in guidelines for use?)
Funding Considerations for this Technology or Service: (Some projects may require staff time, in-kind contributions, pro-bono contracts. Others may require promised funding or cash. Grants? Donations? Fund-Raising?)
Action Steps & Timeline: (Can your target Technology or Service be prototyped? What’s a reasonable timeline for this project? What are the project flow dependencies? Who has to say “yes?” What are the planned alternatives if there is a “no.”)
Staffing Considerations for this Technology or Service: (Is this a new service that requires staff? Where will staff (or other) hours come from? Brainstorm some creative, outside-the-box ideas for generating hours.)
Training for this Technology or Service: (Who gets trained? Who designs the training? When can training be effectively scheduled?)
Promotion & Marketing for this Technology or Service: (How can the new technology or service be promoted? Brainstorm some ideas to promote within your organization. Brainstorm more ideas to promote outside your organization.)
Evaluation: (What benchmarks and performance metrics will you use to evaluate the technology or service. What stories are you envisioning telling about it? How might you expand the service in the future?)