Lightning in a Bottle: Managing Ideas to Spur Innovation

Academic Libraries and Innovation Innovation is an important component of the academic library. In an environment where new technologies and resources are clouding the information world, it is essential for libraries to continue to be at the forefront of innovations impacting the information world. Robin Bergart and M.J. D’Elia project that “if you take a look at your library’s mission or vision statement, there is good chance you will find a reference to innovation”.1 And, in fact, a simple Google search for “library mission statement innovation” does indeed demonstrate that many academic libraries include the word innovation in their mission statements. As higher education institutions increasingly adapt business models and strategies from the corporate world, academic libraries must do the same. This effort is already evidenced through recent publications addressing ROI and assessment of the value of libraries.2 Libraries will also benefit from following the guidance of corporate practices when it comes to innovation. This paper seeks to review and organize much of the seminal research from the business and management literature related to innovation, specifically the portion of the innovation process that addresses the generation and management of ideas, in an effort to apply it to the academic library environment. Following this review, best practices will be suggested to help libraries improve the beginning of the innovation process, commonly referred to as the “fuzzy front end”.