Building a High Quality,

Flexible Acquisitions R
I B
Workflow L RY
in a Web 2.0 World A

Adam Wathen
Kansas State University Libraries

Acquisitions Institute at Timberline, 2007

by Luca Cremonini - Dec. 25, 2006
Chaotic Workflow –
Swarm
 Chaotic Workflow –
Swarm

Adaptable Resilient

Evolvable

Novel
Boundless
Linear Workflow –
Assembly Line
 Linear Workflow –
Assembly Line

Streamlined

Predictable

Controllable

Immediate
 Radical
Trust

Darlene Fichter
 TRUST is key
distrust trust

rule bound  flexibile

shhhh!  louder group study areas
unapproachable  service-oriented
LCSH  tags
“eat your peas”  give them what they want
fines  free access
tattletape  loose tracking
gatekeeping purchase requests  purchase on demand
protect resources  use resources
barriers  accessibility
Self-organizing Teams
 Committed to
success
 Trust
 Clear Objectives
 Train continually
 Workflows
 User-focused (add value to users’ lives)
 Process-Centered Organization
 Not tasks – processes
 Get rid of tasks that don’t add value to
users
Linear workflow with specialized staff – one task per person
and tasks depend on the previous task being done

Task A Task B Task C Task D

Non-linear workflow with highly trained staff who are given the freedom
to make creative decisions about how to complete the tasks. Flexible
enough to choose which tasks to do to have the greatest impact.

Task A

Task D
Task B

Task C
Individualized needs forced into
non-customizable (proprietary) tools

Vendor A Vendor B Vendor C

Static TOOL which Static TOOL which Static TOOL which

provides little provides little provides little
customizability customizability customizability

User A User B User C

 Vendor A Vendor B Vendor C

Dis-integrated data available to be used however the user sees fit

Tool which creates customizable, relevant,

useful data sets for individuals

User A User C
User B

individualized needs demand customizable tools

 Budgeting
Departments

English Chemistry Computer History

Science
Library Resources
 Chemistry Budgeting
Computer
Science

English
History

Library Resources
 Collaboration
The information industry swarm

CARL
OhioNET SPARC

Google! CRL
Library Portico
Project
LOCKSS
GWLA
 best of

Swarm both Linear

worlds