Becoming a Lean Library

Jeremy Nelson is the Metadata and Systems Librarian at Colorado College and the project leader of the open-source Redis Library Services Platform. Prior to becoming a librarian, he worked for a variety of different sized software companies in the financial services and online education markets. His interest in applying successful software management techniques to libraries started in graduate school at the University of Illinois and continued through his professional positions at academic libraries.

• Introduction Organizing library systems: A brief history and overview of typical library systems and technical services Pull vs. Push - Lessons from Lean Manufacturing Build-measure-learn as an OODA Loop: Understanding the lean start-up's build-measure-learn loop and its application to libraries as a learning organization Innovation accounting and Francis Taylor: Gathering feedback on library projects through improved metrics Defining hypotheses and managing complexity: Identify hypotheses in library services and projects to help improve outcomes in complex environments Actionable metrics from patron activity: Using library patron activity to drive decisions Pivoting with technology change: Recognizing and implementing a pivot in library services based on technological changesDevOps as a lean strategy: Explains the DevOps (Development and Operations) approach in corporations as a lean strategy for library systems and technical services