| Editorial:
'Think outside the box'
This imperative has cropped up quite a few times recently and I’ll keep it in the back of my mind, as a kind of guiding principle, during my period as Editor of Impact. It comes down to making connections beyond the sphere or profession you’re involved with (‘the box’) and reaching out to make links, networks and informal connections with other areas or professions. Some people call this ‘joined-up thinking’, whereas for others it’s equally about energy, enthusiasm and just being willing to talk to other people about what they do, and what you do, and the overlapping areas of common interest.
Bob McKee, CILIP Chief Executive, has said: "The library and information community is very good at talking to itself, staying inside its ‘comfort zone’, but the further out you go in the universe, the more the influence fades away" [The Bookseller, 5 Nov 1999, p. 24]. Only by moving out and telling other professions what we do, how good we are, and how we help them (daily!) can we start to influence the agenda with government and business. Then we can wield our power to influence the issues that matter to us on social exclusion, freedom of information and democratic choice.
David Baker, Pro-Vice-Chancellor at the University of East Anglia, has argued that
librarians are perfectly placed to
becom e senior executives in higher education [Library and Information Appointments, 3 Dec
1999]. This position
has only been gained by stepping ‘outside the box’ and engaging with
academics, university administrators and local government. It takes persistence, energy and, sometimes, a little courage, but there’s a challenge and it’s there to take.
Andrew Hampson
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