Library Gateway: Project design, teams, and cycle time

Librarians at Cornell University Library (CUL) launched the first systemwid e integrated gateway to networked resources, services, and library informat ion in January 1998. The system was created and introduced in just 17 weeks . The Library Gateway was launched in response to a confusing CUL online pr esence; the library teas spending half a million dollars a year on online r esources and devoting a substantial amount of staff time to provide access to them, but systemwide efforts were only loosely coordinated In this artic le, we examine the design and implementation process that helped the projec t succeed, rather than focusing an the technology or the vision hell ind th e gateway. Examining the gateway project as a case study Of new product dev elopment, Lee identify and discuss critical success factors, including star ting with a clearly defined concept, the importance of buy-in, simultaneous development of different portions of the project, employing cross-function al teams, and seeking continual feedback. Working together on a project of th is complexity a nd on str ch a fast time line was an important a organiz ational learning experience that moved CUL a step closer to mastering,a the process of innovation.