Intrapreneurship Handbook for Librarians: How to Be a Change Agent in Your Library

Arne J. Almquist and Sharon G. Almquist

ISBN-13: 9781610695282

175 pages • 6⅛ x 9¼
Year Published: 2017

This is a must-read resource for anyone who believes they can enhance their library's ability to serve its clientele but has so far been discouraged or prevented from taking the initiative and expressing their creativity to improve upon the status quo.

Do you have a great idea for an innovation in your library? From idea to execution, this book provides the information necessary to help you to become an intrapreneurial star at your library.

Have you ever presented an idea to your boss and had it so firmly rejected that you never want to suggest anything again? Do you feel locked into a rigid hierarchy where bureaucracy has strangled all innovation? Are you motivated to shake things up in your organization to improve it, but are afraid of drowning in the waves you'll create? This book explains how any individual can be an effective change agent in his/her library, addressing topics such as getting started, handling difficult situations, creating partnerships both within and outside of your organization, cutting through bureaucratic red tape, and maintaining momentum with initiatives.

Written by librarians who are both experienced entrepreneurs/intrapreneurs, Intrapreneurship Handbook for Librarians: How to Be a Change Agent in Your Library explains what being a library intrapreneur is all about: being empowered to find innovate ways to increase impact, grow resources, and develop new methods of leveraging the skills and perspectives of librarianship to enable the survival of libraries—all while enjoying your job more. The chapters guide readers through the intrapreneurial process—from writing a plan and selling it to administrators and other stakeholders, to securing funding for the idea and actualizing the plan—and answers tough questions such as "How do I let my clients know what my library can offer?", "How do we compete with the Internet?", and "How do I gain support for our services in a time of budget cuts?" This book will be a priceless resource for all librarians regardless of experience level or type of library as the principles and guidelines described are universal.

Features

• Provides readers with a unique understanding of the application of the intrapreneurial concept within libraries and helps librarians acquire a new and essential survival skill
• Supplies practical, actionable information in a clear, literate, and commonsense style that lends itself equally well to linear reading or use as a reference
• Presents the viewpoints of two successful library entrepreneurs sharing their experiences of what has worked—and what hasn't
• Includes processes, short case studies, and "food for thought" sections that fully document and flesh out the ideas presented