J ITENDER SHARMALIBRARIAN

NIILM CENTRE FOR MANAGEMENT STUDIES, GREATER NOIDA, DELHI-NCR

Intrapreneurship and Libraries: Need, Competencies

Requirement, Barriers and Strategic Approach for Success

Rationale Behind this Paper

Topic of the conference “Entrepreneurial Approaches to Librarianship” forced thinking about relevance of the topic for librarians

Trying to understand correlation between entrepreneurship and librarianship

Understanding need to borrow management concepts in librarianship

State of librarians and their intrapreneurship capabilities in Indian libraries

Beginning…

Global economic recession impacted all sphere of life

Hit hard on the education sector as hiring demand is less due to slowdown

Many institutions either closed down or are in the process of closing down

Need of additional revenue generation and adopting innovative methods to remain relevant

Impact on Libraries…

Libraries are still considered to be non productive entities

Budget shrinking in any academic set up always starts from library

Downsizing of staff and cutting down on academic resources

Users’ expectations and demand however always go up

This need to think on some innovative ways of revenue generation and be less dependent on organizational resources

Entrepreneurship…

Numerous definitions are available on entrepreneurship and lot has been written

Thinking, judgment making, risk taking capabilities, innovation are some common traits of an entrepreneur

Summing up: Entrepreneurship is an inner quality of dreaming, thinking differently, developing innovative idea(s), striving hard to make that idea(s) a reality and taking calculated risk to make this idea successful

An Entrepreneur…

Various definitions are availableSumming up them all

An entrepreneur is willing and able to convert a new idea or invention in to a successful venture

An entrepreneur always strives for novelty, innovation and is always willing to take risk or sacrifice for bringing innovation in an existing system

Intrapreneurship…

Lot of overlapping between entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship

Entrepreneurship within a firm or large organization is referred as intrapreneurship

It is comparatively less risk takingFocus more towards bringing innovative

practices and methods in existing system for more efficiency and additional revenues/resources generation

Entrepreneurship is like a tree and intrapreneurship is like its branches

Intrapreneur…

An intrapreneur is an entrepreneur who works within the organization

Intrapreneur works for innovative accomplishments

Works for finding new opportunities, developing a new product, service or technology

Introduces new process, procedures and make structural changes so as to bring innovation and resources generation

Need of Intrapreneurship in Libraries

Information is commercially exploitable in 21st centuryIt is considered as fifth pillar of productionLibraries being the storehouses of information can

easily make use of the same for commercial senseThis can make libraries and librarians relevant in

these tough economic timesThis will bring financial rewards and professional

experience for library professionalsTaking up such challenging tasks will help them in

getting parity with teaching communityNot possible for all librarians to take up a full scale

entrepreneurship route

Competencies Requirements…

Information assimilation, storage and dissemination is their stronghold

Requiring basic management skills like developing, implementing & marketing a business plan, simple accounting/ finance methods and operations management skills

Need of good communication skills both verbal and written

Barriers…

Lack of staff resulting in hampering regular work and services

Lack of clientele and lack of marketing skills in finding and developing new clients

Dilemma of Users first versus Customers firstLack of organizational support for taking up

such ventures and for initial funding Tough competition from commercial

established players working on large scales

The Way Ahead…

Identify your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and Threat (SWOT Analysis)

Strengths Sound knowledge in information acquisition, processing and dissemination Knowledge of IPR, Patents and related laws Easy availability of information resources in library Availability of qualified staff

Weaknesses Lack of professional entrepreneurial skills Lack of initiatives by staff Lack of time Lack of innovative practices Library image as public-service institution Lack of authorities support

Opportunities Extending professional knowledge to commercial entities Joint development of information products Lack of cut throat competition No primary responsibilities of funds generation Emergence of online education

Threats Threat of institutions starting assuming entrepreneurial income as substitute of library grant Similar ventures from other libraries Risk of being penalized for failure Competition from professional vendors Scale of operations

Strategic Approach…

Devise a workable and profitable plan and defend the same before authorities about need of such work with clear cut achievable goals and also potential risk involved

Indentify information products that are different or superior from competition

Think about collaboration to avoid duplication and gain more

Correctly estimate your organization risk taking appetite May tie up with commercial entities and extend your

expertise for mutual benefitsContents developments for online education can be one

such example

Conclusion

Only change is constant, hence change and change for your skills upgradation that results in new innovative products development with potential of not only serve your existing users but with commercial viability also.

Intrapreneurship efforts will help librarians not only keep floating in these uncertain times but will cement their place and worth in organizations