Toban Shadlyn

Rhode Island Office of Innovation

The Rhode Island Office of Innovation was an initiative launched by Governor Gina Raimondo in January 2016 to support and positively impact public systems in the state.  I led multiple programs including the Innovation League and the Next Generation Library Initiative. 

The Innovation League was a nine-month learning program that supported government officials to collaborate across departments on shared challenges and embedding creative practices and novel approaches.  Each cohort was comprised of rising leaders from across state agencies, including Department of Health, Education, Transportation, Administration, and Environmental Management. Through hands-on workshops and applied projects the cohorts worked together across state departments on existing and new challenges. This experience reinforced the value of building internal learning environments that encourage safe spaces for experimentation.

In Rhode Island, libraries are already embracing their role as community hubs that empower residents to be active learners and creators – providing learning lounges, computer science training, literacy programs, and makerspaces. But much more work needs to be done to truly transform the user experience in Next Generation Libraries.

Funded by the Knight Foundation, the Studio Rhode Next Generation Library Challenge supports Rhode Island libraries to explore ways to accelerate this transformation. It provides Rhode Island libraries the opportunity to use technology and space in different and innovative ways in order to provide new services to their communities. This reimagining of tools and space—as well as the integration of traditional and new services—enables libraries to proactively create their future