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Technology leadership goes beyond managing the day-to-day logistics of a strategic technology planning process. It is a social-change process. An effective technology leader should be a public advocate of the mission-driven use of technology, maximizing relationships with various groups, both within and outside of the library, and empowering others to get invested and involved in planning for and deploying technology.

A technology plan is not something that enthusiastic library administrators or staffers create in isolation. There has to be a process of thinking about technology issues as they relate to your library's mission.

Here are some tips:

Understanding:  Try to understand how key employees, volunteers, and community library activists feel about technology. Don't rely on your assumptions. Are they excited by technology or are they overwhelmed?

Identify supporters:  Identify a staff member or two who is supportive of technology and try to involve that person in the process. Invite him or her to join your tech team, accompany you to vendor meetings, or offer input on different aspects of the plan.

Bring in experts:  One of the best ways to help your library administrators, staff, and supporters become more aware and understanding of the transforming power of technology is to bring in an expert from the outside to speak about the use of technology in libraries.

Involve them:  Keep the technology planning process on the library's radar screen, making sure your supporters stay involved and understand the evolving plan. At every meeting, there should be a brief report on the planning process, including information on how the tech plan supports the library's mission.

Discuss financing:  Talk to library supporters and the Friends of Library organizations about the financial impacts of the technology plan. Detail what money will be spent on technology and the resulting cost savings you expect to achieve. Even if money is not saved upfront, explain and show how technology will result in increased productivity. Provide concrete examples of improved efficiencies, such as databases and e-mail.

Staff:  It is important to get staff support for new technology plans. If your library will be making a large investment in computer hardware, software, and staff training, you want to avoid underutilizing the new system. This could happen when the staff either had unrealistic expectations for the technology, or they were never open to the technology to begin with. You will need to identify strategies for dealing with both anti-tech and pro-tech members of your staff, as well as volunteers and consultants, to assure the success of your plan.

Conquer Technophobia

Model:  As tech advocates, you can model enthusiasm and support for technology by striving to improve your own digital literacy skills and incorporating the use of appropriate technology in your work.

Talk tech:  Create relaxed forums for people to express their fears and concerns about technology. Devote time during staff meetings to discuss technology issues. It is better for staff, volunteers, and supporters to air their views as part of the planning process, rather than to silently snub the equipment later on.

Training:  Set up systems for the library staff to learn about technology in small steps, possibly working in pairs. Try to encourage peer learning among the staff so that a colleague can answer questions if the tech staff is unavailable.

Involve them:  Don't dump technology initiatives on your staff. Make sure they are part of the discussion at the beginning.

Explain it:  If staff members don't understand a particular aspect of the technology plan, explain it. Be clear about why the library is taking this course of action. Discuss how it will make their jobs easier and improve the library's effectiveness with the public.

Deal with negativity:  There are inevitably some staff members who are simply averse to change, and you will not be able to change their attitude. Instead, find ways to make sure they are not infecting other people with their negativity. Carefully identify other anti-technology staff members and get to them first, get them involved, and give them ownership. You might find that some staff will leave, or you ask some staff people to leave, because of their resistance to change. Don't be afraid of losing these people.

Technology Zeal

Encouragement:  Reward and encourage staff members who take a strong interest in the strategic technology planning process and are excited by the mission-driven use of technology. Invite them to participate on the tech team and other technology projects.

Mentoring:  Set up a "reverse mentoring" program wherein more technology-savvy staffers mentor those who are less knowledgeable.

IT staff: If you have IT people in your library system, get to know them.

Empower:  As much as possible, empower and pass on leadership to pro-technology staff members.

Volunteers

Involve them:  If your library's volunteers will be end users of any information system or technology, it may be useful to involve them in the strategic technology planning process. Identify a key volunteer leader to serve on your technology team.

Stress accountability: Capture and filter enthusiasm, but even volunteers must be held accountable for their work.

Consultants and Vendors:  If you choose to use a consultant or a certain vendor, consider the following:

• To make the best use of a technology consultant, don't use their expertise as a reason not to do your homework. Work in partnership with the consultant or vendor so you will be empowered by the process. Do your homework and know what questions to ask.

• At the beginning of the relationship, spend a lot of time detailing a clear work plan, deliverables, deadlines, and roles. Stay in regular communication with the consultant.

• Remember that your library, as the client, is the boss. You call the shots.

• The consultant is not necessarily a member of your tech team, but may sit in on tech team planning meetings.