Conversation British Library CEO Lynne Brindley on helping to spur business innovation
B
usiness innovation in the United Kingdom
We’ve also partnered with
has a powerful ally these days: the British
some unexpected groups –
Library, the country’s biggest repository for
like the TV shows where entre-
rare books, manuscripts, and scientific papers.
preneurs pitch ideas to venture
In the past seven years its chief executive,
Lynne Brindley, has overseen a major shift in its mission
capitalists. On one of those shows contestants have to prove they’ve done research at the BL.
and culture. The library has become more forwardlooking and customer focused and much less exclusive.
You’ve overseen a major strategic and cultural
These changes have occasionally engendered contro-
change at the BL. What have you learned?
versy. A Guardian columnist sniffed, “The studied calm
I brought in a more corporate-style senior team, which
of the reading room has given way to a hum of mobile
included a senior marketing function for the first time.
phone ringtones.” But one has only to visit the library’s
But of course one can’t simply decree a major change.
public spaces, where scores of entrepreneurs, research-
The British Library is a knowledge institution. I learned
ers, and students take advantage of the collection and
the importance of fitting communications to what the
the free wireless network, to see a reflection of the UK’s
organization wants and needs – otherwise you don’t get
vital business culture.
the buy-in. People wanted to learn about the changes
How did you get interested in serving the business
people on the staff who are deeply happy, driving forward,
community?
and we have a few people who just want things to stay as
from the horse’s mouth. At any given time we have
When I took on the leadership of the library, we did mar-
they are. That’s another thing I’ve learned about change
ket research to understand why people used us and what
initiatives: The whole organization is never in the same
some of the barriers were. In the case of the business
place at the same time.
community, researchers from large companies used us, but the small and medium-size businesses less so. Mean-
Yet another lesson is the importance of protecting your own physical health. You must learn what drains you and
while, the government, which provides most of our fund-
plan accordingly. I realized I need my own private net-
ing, was encouraging entrepreneurship and innovation as
work and my own mentors, and sometimes an executive
key to the country’s future economic success. The creative
coach. I’ve encouraged my colleagues to find networks
industries were growing faster than traditional industries.
and mentors, too.
So it made sense, strategically, to serve those communities and to change the perception of the library from quite a
You’re the first IT professional – and the first pro-
formidable institution to a place that said, “Come in – we
fessional librarian – to head the BL. How has that
have real value for you.”
affected the way you do your job?
In this phase of change, the institution needed technical How did the library make that happen?
expertise as well as general management skills; I needed
Our style and approach is “learn by doing.” We’ve focused
to be able to ask informed questions. Running a major
a lot on networking. As you would expect, the majority
library is a bit like running a university: Your personal
of the library’s reading rooms are completely silent.
credibility as an expert needs to be strong.
However, when we designed the Business & IP Centre, we provided space, before you go into the reading room, for
Do you have a favorite piece from the collection?
brown-bag lunches, networking events, seminars, and free
I never answer that question. I want people to understand
access to databases. It’s made the Business Centre much
that we’re not a museum. We have a responsibility to our
less of a “shush” kind of place. And we’ve had very high-
heritage, but our mission is to foster innovation and build
profile events where, say, Anita Roddick from The Body
future knowledge on top of past knowledge.
Shop spoke to a group of entrepreneurs. I love to watch all the cards being exchanged after a talk like that.
32 Harvard Business Review
1657 Nov07_Forethought.indd 32
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November 2007
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– Sarah Cliffe Reprint F0711G
hbr.org
10/5/07 7:17:13 PM
