Innovation and the Library: The Adoption of New Ideas in Public Libraries

The rapidly evolving modern information-based society demands that public librarians implement planned, proactive and innovative changes to meet patron needs. Rapid, widespread and substantive change and innovation in public librarianship depends on the ability of public librarians to share in the exchange of new ideas, regardless of the size of their communities. This book explores how managerial innovations are generated and disseminated among public librarians. To examine how new ideas are created and spread among public librarians, the volume focuses on the case of the dissemination of a particular innovation which allows public librarians to engage in user-oriented planning, community-specific role setting and self-evaluation of library performance. This case study is placed within a larger context of classical models of the diffusion process and the literature on organisational change and innovation. Drawing on her findings, the author offers suggestions to facilitate public library change.