LIS 657: The Special Library
Ms. Joyce Weaver
Fall 2014
Brenda Lance
Reaction paper 1
My initial reaction to the topic of competition in libraries was to think of competition as creating
a negative and selfish environment in a library. What I love about working in a library is that
most library environments foster a sense of teamwork, sharing and service. After reading the
article I realized that competitive intelligence and market intelligence is guided by ethical
principles and does not promote an environment of ruthless self-interest, but rather
acknowledges that libraries are competing for funds in an ever changing technological
environment. Libraries can’t operate as isolated entities but must be aware of user expectations,
technological advancements, necessity of communicating their value, funding issues and threats.
Competitive intelligence is a way for libraries to make more informed management decisions,
increase understanding of their role in the organization, keep up with latest trends and be aware
of grants and other funding resources.
If I was a manager of a special library, I would start by following the suggestions listed in the
article. I would join SLA, take advantage of SLA’s competitive intelligence division and training
opportunities, network with other competitive intelligence users, read articles about competitive
intelligence and consider meeting with an intelligence consultant. I would also build
relationships with employees in other departments of my organization, communicate with
management regarding the value of the library, monitor financial stability of vendors and be
aware of any financial concerns within my organization. When used effectively competitive
intelligence does not create an antagonistic environment, but rather creates a positive
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environment where employees are aware of threats to the library and everyone works together to
ensure the library’s longevity.
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Works Cited
Correia, Cynthia Cheng. 2006. Competitive Intelligence. Information Outlook, vol. 10, no.7: 2326.
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