Openness and design Practices in Academic Libraries

Abstract

This paper explores openness and its role and relevance in creating an opportunity for sustained innovation through design thinking in organizations such as libraries. There is a growing recognition of design thinking as an effective approach to innovation. Many libraries, also academic ones, seem to have embraced the approach. However, to enable sustained, and not only short-term efforts to innovate, we believe that design thinking needs to be integrated with existing library practices. Furthermore, we consider that openness towards designerly ways of working is crucial in achieving that goal. In this paper, we discuss diverse ways in which openness plays a role in design thinking led innovation, including openness to learning new skills, question and explore, acquire new values, and continually integrate what is learned with existing practices. Two cases from our research on effects of design thinking on academic library practices are used to illustrate the importance of openness in this process.