T15: Fostering innovation at the leadership table: the value of new perspectives
Session Description
How might we design a future with vibrant, responsive and innovative libraries? What tools are at our disposal to tackle the challenges and opportunities we face? According to international design firm IDEO, “diversity—of backgrounds, opinions, experiences, and disciplines—is an essential ingredient in every design challenge.” Multiple perspectives and divergent opinions create better solutions. It stands to reason, then, that hiring from outside our profession can bring great strengths, foster innovation and help us tackle problems in creative new ways. This panel features three public library leaders from varied professional backgrounds, including marketing, IT, sales and business development. Come hear about their individual paths to library leadership, their experience bringing new perspectives to the table, and their observations about the sector’s strengths, opportunities, challenges and curiosities.
Speakers
Patricia Chong, Vancouver Public Library
Biography
Pat joined Vancouver Public Library in 2017 where she leads the library’s long-term planning and analytics function. She comes to the library sector with 20+ years of experience in business management, including several leadership positions in financial services marketing at Vancity Credit Union. She is keen to apply her skills in strategy development, research and analysis, project management and product development to public libraries. Pat received her MBA from McGill University and has obtained a Certification in Change Management. She is passionate about values-driven organizations, leadership development, mentorship and coaching.
David Derby, Vancouver Island Regional Library
Biography
David joined Vancouver Island Regional Library in 2014 as the Divisional Manager, Information Technology. With over 25 years of IT management experience, he has lived in 6 provinces coast to coast and worked in a variety of industries including automotive, pharmaceutical, education, agriculture, municipalities, liquor & gaming, and oil & gas. As a lifelong learner he is a certified Project Management Professional, Enterprise Architect, and Certified Agile ScrumMaster. He holds a Bachelor of Computer Science and MBA degree. David envisions libraries re-inventing themselves through customer service excellence, data driven decisions, and technological innovation.
Jeff Narver, Fraser Valley Regional Library
Biography
Jeff Narver is the Director of Infrastructure and Resources at Fraser Valley Regional Library. He spent 27 years working for 3M Canada in various sales, marketing and business development roles. In his last 12 years at 3M, Jeff worked for the Library Systems division, selling hardware/software, and managing technology projects in Western Canada and Western United States. Jeff lives in Vancouver and has two (almost launched) daughters.
Anne O'Shea (Moderator), Vancouver Island Regional Library
Biography
Anne is the Deputy Executive Director & Chief Operating Officer at Vancouver Island Regional Library, an award-winning library system serving 39 communities across Vancouver Island, Haida Gwaii and the Central Coast. A self-proclaimed professional development devotee, she recently completed certificates in Social Impact Strategy (University of Pennsylvania) and Public Library Leadership (Canadian Urban Libraries Council/University of Toronto). Struck by how effectively these two programs complimented each other, she is convinced libraries can benefit by including a wider range of perspectives and professional backgrounds at the leadership table, particularly where strategy and design intersect.