Innovation in the Library: How to Engage Employees,Cultivate Creativity,and Create Buy-In for New Ideas

Innovation is a much-touted concept in the business world. Libraries, too, have felt the need for continuous innovation as we serve ever-changing needs. Leaders can use principles practiced in business to transform academic libraries into cultures of innovation. In a culture of innovation, employees are engaged in their work and excited about the possibilities of it. Leaders help cultivate creativity by promoting growth mind-sets, rewarding experimentation, and practicing discovery skills. Importantly, library leaders in cultures of innovation hone persuasive abilities to create buy-in for implementing innovations in order to serve users more effectively with dynamic solutions to persistent problems.