Mapping the information landscape: as librarians learn about and manage change

Andrew Whitworth, University of Manchester

Maria-Carme Torras i Calvo, Høgskolen i Bergen

Bodil Moss, Høgskolen i Bergen

Nazareth Amlesom Kifle, Høgskolen i Bergen

Terje Blåsternes, Universitet i Stavanger

Structure of workshop

15 mins: Introduction - why mapping?

10 mins: Aims and objectives of the Bibliotek i

Endring project

30 mins: Practical, using Ketso

Mapping landscapes

A map is not ‘objective’ - what goes on it is a question of selection.

What is the purpose of the map?; who are the audience for a

map?

Mapping landscapes

Mapping as a learning tool

Concept mapping.... a “map of cognition” (Wandersee)

Other forms of visual imagery can help promote

reflection and reveal the taken-for-granted

To understand innovation…

…it is necessary to understand

practice…

…and how practices are collectively

developed within the library as an

information landscape (Lloyd 2010).

Context and landscape

The organisation must be seen as a lived experience,

continually constructed by practices developed within an

environment.

This environmental context will be unique from

organisation to organisation.

Each workplace is therefore a unique “information

landscape” (Lloyd 2010); a dynamic environment

comprised of practices that construct, move, validate and

transform information.

Questions to ask…

In a given context…

What resources are available?

Who can influence practice?

How is innovation retarded as well as

promoted?

Resources in the landscape

The BiE project: background

Change management in

libraries

Two case studies over 15

month period

Funded by

Nasjonalbiblioteket (the

National Library), Norway

Phase 1: social network

analysis

Main phase

Iterative concept mapping

Observing change in the information

landscape — the impact of practice

Process ongoing until Sept 2014 so no

‘results’ yet

Practical session: Ketso

www.ketso.com

Brief background

Can give structure to

the mapping process

Advantages…

Allows groups to collectively create a map,

rather than relying on a scribe

Durable, but also easily adjustable

Produces data for analysis, but also makes

(other) data instantly visible

BiE’s data set

Minutes of meetings

and other

documents?

Let’s use it…

Focus of the exercise: How can we use

‘positive disruption’ to improve libraries?

• Green leaves: What aspects of library practice need improvement?

• Brown: What assets do we have to draw on?

• Grey: What is blocking change?

• Yellow: What ‘positive disruption’ might address these blockages?

Once the maps are drawn

Have a look at another group’s map

Use the other symbols (ticks, exclamation

marks, hazards) to indicate new ideas, areas

of agreement or disagreement

‘Ketso’ means ‘action’…

…so at the end, take one of the cards and

write on it one action that you will try to take,

once back in the workplace

Conclusions

One tool for understanding change

management … there are others

Taking an alternative view of CPD and AR —

this is itself an innovation

Emphasis on informal workplace learning and

continuous adjustment rather than set-piece

training

Thank you Drew, Maria-Carme, Bodil, Nazareth & Terje