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Rethinking Library IT: Break Habits That Hold You Back

When Habit Fights Change: What a Backward Bicycle Teaches Us
Let’s begin with a deceptively simple challenge: ride a bicycle that turns in the opposite direction of your steering. You steer left, it turns right. You steer right, it veers left. Easy? Not in the slightest.In a popular video, an engineer named Destin builds this “backward brain bicycle” and attempts to ride it. Despite understanding the mechanics, he fails miserably for months. His brain knows the rules, but his body refuses to obey. It takes him eight months of consistent practice before he can ride it smoothly.
Watch the Backward Brain Bicycle video on YouTube
Why does this matter to library directors?Because many of us are sitting on our own version of that bike every day. It looks like an outdated IT system. It feels like the constant burden of keeping things running while planning for modernization. It sounds like staff frustration, board pressure, and patron complaints all rolled into one.

 

The Brain, Habits, and the Real-Life Struggles of Library IT

This backward bicycle exposes the gap between knowing and doing. Between what makes sense on paper and what actually happens in your library.

We all know we need secure networks, cloud tools, and reliable tech. But implementing change? That’s the hard part—because we and our teams are wired for familiarity, not disruption.

Just like the backward bike, IT change in libraries isn’t about logic alone. It’s about learning a new balance—often while the public watches.

 

Break the Cycle: 5 Practical Strategies for Changing Library IT Habits

  1. Choose Library-Specific IT Support: Work with partners who understand library software, workflows, and staff needs.
  2. Train Slowly and Kindly: Let your staff learn new systems gradually, without fear or shame.
  3. Standardize Infrastructure: Ditch one-off fixes for a long-term plan that avoids future breakdowns.
  4. Communicate Benefits Clearly: Help your board and staff see how tech improves operations and patron satisfaction.
  5. Celebrate Progress: Acknowledge small wins and remind your team that learning takes time.

Change becomes possible when we stop pretending it should be easy.

 

From Frustration to Freedom: What Seamless IT Looks Like in Libraries

Imagine a library where systems just work. The network is fast. The help desk isn’t overloaded. The board sees results. And staff? They’re empowered, not overwhelmed.

That’s the result of IT systems tailored to library life. When your tech provider understands Koha, SIP2, or circulation quirks, everything flows better.

You don’t need an overhaul tomorrow. But you do deserve a clear, strategic path. One that leads to less stress, better outcomes, and smoother operations.

The backward brain bicycle may seem like a novelty. But for today’s library leaders, it’s a metaphor—and a mirror. One that reminds us: change is hard, yes. But not impossible.And when it finally clicks? The ride is smoother than we ever imagined.