Lessons learned
What the first six months have taught us so far…
Deciding where to focus our efforts
The Innovation programme’s biggest challenge this half-year has been deciding what not to take on. Demand for collaboration now exceeds capacity.
While this is proof of credibility, it also creates a risk if the team spreads too thin on pioneering projects whose value is not yet proven.
We can stay lean with external support
The GLAM programme produced focused, high-quality output through the work of freelancers and volunteers. Meanwhile, the Innovation programme restructured to rely more heavily on specialised external experts. This model allows our team to remain lean and agile, but as part of the new strategy work, we will reassess our structure for the future.
Measuring what matters
Hiring a freelancer specifically to define KPIs and improve Community programme reporting signals a shift from documenting activities to managing impact.
The reporting structures themselves become tools for learning and course correction.
Building replicable models, not one-off projects
Sybilla and the Lib4RI cooperation represent a move from one-off partnerships to replicable models. The value of the project is multiplied when it becomes a method we can run again with different institutions and knowledge domains.
Campaign storytelling works
Anchoring each campaign phase in a specific story (Romansh language, museum heritage, archives in a divided world) made it possible to combine brand awareness with programmatic depth. Generic messaging about free knowledge would not have generated the same media coverage.