Putting the “I” back in IT August 17, 2007

If there’s one thing that I’ve learned (sometimes the hard way) as the Manager of our Library’s IT Department, it is this:  if all “good new technology ideas and initiatives” originate solely from me and/or my department, then they are doomed for failure (or at best, receive a lukewarm reception).  That is to say, until there is universal interest, appeal, and participation from every last person in our organization - from library managers to temporary library pages – then each technology project is seen as a novelty, not a necessary and critical part of library life.

We as librarians have gotten very good at defining our turf, and making decisions on what we think our jobs entail.  Many great blog entries have been written on the topic of “that’s not my job” scenarios that we’ve all encountered in our professional lives.  I’d like to take that from a different angle here, and point out the problems that occur when folks in my position (the “IT” managers) exascerbate this turf war by wanting to be the “gatekeeper” of all things technology.

Oh sure, we can claim that it’s in the interest of security on our network, or bandwidth issues, or a lack of resources and time, or any number of excuses.  But when it comes down to it, it’s about control.  And to go even further, it’s about a lack of trust that the people in our organizations and (gasp!) our customers are by and large able to make sound and responsible decisions when it comes to utilizing new technologies.

So what happens?  We attempt to be innovative in a vacuum.  Good ideas are bogged down by “following correct procedure”, and the joy and excitement of learning is sucked out of everyone.  And nothing moves forward.  Why?  We’ve taken the “I” out of “IT”.  We’ve created an environment where technology decisions are made by the select few, and as a result each person who cares about our libraries (employees, friends, customers) no longer feels a personal connection with the future possibilities that new technologies can bring our libraries.

This is the way IT departments have historically operated – as the “experts” of technology.  And since such power can be weilded either gently or harshly, IT folks often become the stuff of legend – with many tales of either IT hell (“They don’t have a clue about how libraries work!”) or tales of hushed awe (“The PC just fixed itself when they walked in the room – it was like magic!”) – both of which are detrimental to the goal of personal connection to technology. 

To combat this problem, many libraries have placed greater emphasis upon actively training their staff in how to be more technically self-reliant.  Classes on file sharing, email attachments, and replacing printer toner cartridges are now expected curricula for staff, and some organizations have gone so far as to include these sessions in their “Core Competencies”, right alongside more “traditional” library professional development that focuses on customer service and collections.  This is an important first step, but to stop there misses the bigger picture.

Because then came Web 2.0, Library 2.0, and Learning 2.0 – which, in short, turned things on their ear.  Much to the dismay of folks who liked an established hierarchy of life (and I’m not just talking about the library profession here) where everyone has a role and a label (and has had to complete some sort of litmus test in order to receive their role and label) – the world of 2.0 requires nothing more than a curiousity to learn and to share.

How different.  How refreshing.  How frightening.  How exciting…

How am I going to do my job?

Stay tuned and I’ll share some thoughts and ideas about how this IT Manager is taking a fresh look at the role of her department, and how my main goal is to put the “I” back into IT for everyone.