Our partners from the University of Lille have recently contributed to the academic dialogue on public service innovation with their latest publication in Research Policy, titled “Beyond the Reverse Product Cycle: An Exploration of the Digital, Social and Spatial Transformation of Libraries.”
The article focuses on the innovation dynamics in public libraries, offering a fresh perspective on one of the earliest service innovation theories – the Reverse Product Cycle (RPC), first introduced by Barras (1986, 1990). This foundational model describes how innovation in services typically begins with improvements in processes, followed by the development of new or enhanced products.
Using the evolution of ICT-based innovations in libraries as a case study, the authors validate the RPC model and illustrate how libraries have followed a similar trajectory – starting with internal digitalisation (process innovation) and moving toward user-facing services (product innovation). But the article doesn’t stop there.
In a significant advancement of the theory, the authors extend and update the RPC model to better reflect today’s technological and societal context. They introduce forgotten or overlooked technologies and map the emergence of new waves of enabling tools linked to Industry 4.0 and 5.0. These include not only digital advancements but also social and spatial innovations that reshape how libraries operate and serve communities.
The paper underlines how the rise of the internet and digitisation once posed an existential threat to libraries. Their survival, however, is attributed to their remarkable ability to adapt, evolve, and innovate—turning challenges into opportunities.