The Journal of Library Innovation 

About: The Journal of Library Innovation is an academic journal. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Information literacy & Library instruction. Over the lifetime, 93 publications have been published receiving 653 citations.

Learning Through Quests and Contests: Games in Information Literacy Instruction

Abstract: Games-based learning is an innovative pedagogical strategy employed at all levels of education, and much research in education, psychology, and other disciplines supports its effectiveness in engaging and motivating students, as well as increasing student learning. Many libraries have incorporated games into their collections and programming. College and university libraries have begun to use games for information literacy and library instruction. Academic librarians use commercially-produced games, create their own games, and employ game principles and mechanics to enhance their traditional instructional offerings. While there may be impediments to implementing games-based learning for information literacy, the promising benefits of this approach outweigh the obstacles. Using games in library instruction capitalizes on the many similarities between games and the way that students do research, and has the strong potential to increase student engagement in information literacy training. Â

The Price of Innovation

Abstract: I live on an island in the middle of the Niagara River. Most Sunday mornings when the weather cooperates, I along with several family members and friends, ride bicycles around the island. It’s a little over 20 miles around with the wind at your back on the east side and the wind in your face on the west side. It’s not hilly but there are some steep climbs, so a good bicycle makes the ride easier. One incentive for us to participate in this gruelling exercise is that after the ride my sister-in-law prepares a big breakfast and a venue to swap good natured insults and tall tales as well as discuss what’s new in the bicycle marketplace.

The Power of Play: Fostering Creativity and Innovation in Libraries

Abstract: Play is a powerful method of fostering creativity and innovation in organizations. As libraries confront a rapidly changing information landscape, the need for innovation in meeting user needs is paramount. Libraries can embrace organizational play as a means of stimulating employee creativity and developing innovative products and services. This article discusses the work-play dichotomy, the definition of play, and the Millennial generation’s attitude toward play. Several important characteristics of play are discussed, including time and space, transformation potential, safety, and intrinsic motivation. Various types of play activities are explored, and the psychological links that exist between play and creativity are examined. Several successful businesses have made bold moves to embrace organizational play. Examinations of Google, 37signals, IDEO, and Pixar Animation Studios provide lessons about the ways that play can be integrated into the library workplace. Finally, this article poses questions that should be answered by libraries wishing to foster a culture of innovation through play.

Academic Libraries and Innovation: A Literature Review

Abstract: Academic libraries are facing times of unprecedented challenge and unparalleled change. Innovation has moved from a consideration to a necessity. And yet, academic libraries continue to operate in a climate of declining budgets and increasing costs. In such a resource-scarce environment, academic library leaders are under pressure to make wise decisions in regards to how innovations are adopted and implemented in their libraries. To help inform these decisions and to highlight areas of future research, this study reviews the literature on academic libraries and innovation. The information presented will assist library leaders in making decisions that affect innovation and it will highlight areas for further research. While there has been an uptick in the number of high quality studies on this topic since 2010, significant research remains to be done if the literature is going to help chart the direction for innovation in academic libraries.

Channeling Passions: Developing a Successful Social Media Strategy

Abstract: Libraries often struggle with developing a consistent message that communicates their relevance and value to their patrons. When it comes to a social media strategy it’s understood that consistency is an essential aspect in library branding, but how to do it? What measures need to be in place to decide to use new social media tools like Instagram and Pinterest? In 2012, Albertsons Library worked with Web and social media teams in the library and across the Boise State University campus to develop a strategy that works for today’s busy library staff and librarians. By channeling the passion of library staff members from units throughout the library, creating a shared calendar of themes, and asking for volunteers, the authors, who are the social media strategy coordinators, created a unified voice across all social media, the Library’s Web presence, and on the screen savers in the computer labs.  Â