“Jisc’s Framework for digital transformation (DT) in higher education, offers a comprehensive approach to managing the dramatic change which is taking place in all our lives now that the world of business and work is largely driven by digital technologies.” I wrote this in an earlier post about our work to develop a library view, or lens, on the framework.

To develop it, using a co-design methodology, we brought together 45 group members, made up of senior librarians and representatives from sector bodies CILIP and SCONUL, into a working group. We brought them together to help us develop a library lens on the existing framework. The group met during three webinars in which the Jisc digital transformation library lens (DTLL) team shared insights and work in progress. During the sessions we also had several excellent and inspiring lightning talks from members of the group who have already been undertaking DT initiatives in their own institution.

Structuring the lens

We intend to publish the lens in the autumn, but we thought it would be a good idea to offer and update on the outcomes of the working group. We worked on a shared document which has six sections:

• Organisational digital culture
• Knowledge creation and innovation
• Knowledge development
• Knowledge management and use
• Knowledge exchange and partnerships
• Digital and physical infrastructure

Image by Mitch Gaiser @ unsplash

The lens document sets out the original Jisc DT framework structure and for each section, we document things that libraries already do which are related to digital transformation. Further to that mapping, we have described activities libraries could undertake to facilitate institution-wide digital transformation, often proposing that libraries should lead those activities due to their long history of DT.

An example activity, “Contribute to the development of institutional research and education strategies, policies and guidelines to ensure that all faculty and schools include library staff on curriculum teams and have opportunities to embed digital capabilities into courses,” proposes that the libraries already have well developed digital capabilities and are therefore well positioned to lead work with other teams in their university.

Another example, “Provide staff training around using digital information and effective knowledge management to support organisational planning and decision making, problem solving, and monitoring organisational performance,” positions the library as the custodian and disseminator a of an institution’s most valuable asset, knowledge.

Image by Chengting-xie @ Unsplash

We are now going to refine the lens document and publish it formerly together with a set of summary documents to introduce the lens to a variety of audiences and to aid the participants in the working group in disseminating the lens in their own institution or amongst the various sector bodies with an interest in digital transformation.

Over the next year, we are also going to undertake pilots in five universities with representatives from the working group. The pilots will test some of the assertions made in the lens, develop new insights and produce a series of case studies of practical work higher education institutions undertake to start or improve their digital transformation journey.

We thank the members of the group for their contributions to the lens, and we also thank our partners SCONUL, CILIP and RLUK for their ongoing support with this work.

If you are interested in this work, please do not hesitate to get in touch and please keep an eye on this blog for further updates later in the year.