You won’t need Sinatra to get ’em in June 27, 2009
Posted by k3nd in Events, Library Image, Staff.Tags: Events
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I often cringe when I see that Library magazine in the staff area where various libraries report on activities going on in their organisation. It’s usually a lame picture of an arkward looking librarian dressed up as some sort of character, or a sparcely attended event where they have dragged a few people in through the doors and they can’t wait to escape.
I’m probably being a bit unkind, but I think things can be done better. Make sure your event people are passionate, knowledgable and good marketers. Don’t do events for the sake of it, make sure they are planned, well staffed, and ooz energy. They don’t always have to be “library” related as well. Promote activities which reach all pockets of your community.
Example I can think of are discussion groups, State of Origin nights, expert speakers, pool competitions, careers nights. Any area that your staff have a passion for, make an event out of it. Give them full reign to research it, promote it, and run it. If it’s a flop, well hopefully lessons have been learnt and the next one will be better. An added advantage is getting more library staff known to the community in a social environment, rather than having them chained to their desks.
To those who think these activities are not related to libraries, I say take up the challenge and make the library an even more popular and indispensable part of the community, or you will soon see the world literally pass you by.
Where’s that darn assistant gone? June 21, 2009
Posted by k3nd in Staff.Tags: Staff
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I’ve always been of the opinion that you could grab a person off the street, train them for a week or so, and they could do the work of a present day librarian or library assistant. As long as the individual possesses a commitment to customer service and is willing to learn, they are in. I can hear the yells from those library lecturers. Sorry guys, you will have to change your course structure me thinks.
This situation will be changing in the future. “Librarians” will need to be information professionals, keep up to date with technology trends, know how to market a product, and be excellent teachers and communicators. There goes my theory of “anybody” working in a library, along with the average salary. A new professionalism based on the need to master and then pass on this new information technology to the public will revolutionise staff competencies to a level never witnessed before, along with salaries.
The differentiation between “librarians” and library “assistants” will in the future be no more. It will be a flat organisational structure where we are all information professionals, with customers expecting the same level of service from all workers, not just the chosen few gatekeepers of knowledge. Anyway, with RFID, along with the outsourcing of processing and other mundane duties, the position of library assistant will be redundant. No more will the “librarians” be looking down on their assistants, nor assistants be awestruck by the sight of their superiors!!
Tick a Box and See ya Later June 19, 2009
Posted by k3nd in Customers, Survey.Tags: Customers, Survey, video
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“Excuse me sir, the library is carrying out a survey, could you please fill one out and leave it in the box”. “Certainly!” Boxes are ticked, and there you are. The results are tabulated, scrutinized and forgotten. Yes, for many libraries it is survey time.
I feel a more effective and “real” alternative is the video survey. Allow the person to talk as long as they like about how they feel about their library. Like the saying goes, a picture paints a thousand words, well a video paints a better picture than any survey could.
Resulting videos can be uploaded to You Tube and be seen by all. The library can have it’s own survey channel. Comments can be added. But let’s not stop there. Why confine yourself to one week during the year, using a restrictive methodology. Make it ongoing. The library should be responding to the needs of it’s customers all year round. Possibly make it a once a month activity where the library videos the opinions of its users. Even take it out of the library and to the streets.
This video vox populi approach is a natural progression from the pencil and paper method. Pie charts are fine up to a point, but a video is far more reinforcing than a scribble.
Where oh Where have my Reference Skills Gone? June 18, 2009
Posted by k3nd in Reference, Staff.Tags: Reference, skills, Staff
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If your library does not have RFID or an automated computer booking system, there is a good chance that you have lost your reference skills. I know I have. It’s crazy, but I find that there is no time to help customers with reference queries. Isn’t that what the aim of the library is? Or is it to manually check in/check out items, and book customers onto the flamin internet!
I have noticed a considerable drop off on the amount of reference questions that have been directed my way. I guess this is the result of people having access to the internet, and the numbers are growing. Are customers afraid to ask questions to the librarian? I don’t know. Maybe they see that you are busy issuing and returning items and don’t want to disturb you. Certainly the numbers of people attending public libraries are increasing, especially in this period of economic difficulty. It makes sense that reference questions should be out there.
When they do come I have to search the far reaches of my brain and think where that information is. It takes a few moments for the cogs to get started, and you think yes, this is an enjoyable part of the job. You learn something as does the customer. Better than mindlessly issuing 15,000 graded reader books and stamping every one.
In my mind, the question arises, should there be a reference desk. Shouldn’t we all, as information professionals, have the knowledge, interest and endeavour to be able to direct customers to the relevant areas? In the ideal situation of RFID and automated booking systems being in place, a couple of librarians would be able to “rove” the library. These are our “roving librarians”, our “roving reference desks”.
Until RFID and automated computer booking systems are common place in libraries, there will always be questions unanswered, and librarians skills being wasted.
Dusty Old Library or Community Hub? June 16, 2009
Posted by k3nd in Library Image.Tags: community, entertainment
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What should libraries be in the business of? Entertainment, physical activity, information, training? How about all of these things and more. So long as a public library follows the guidelines of the Library Act and remains elligible for grants, why not.
The library of the future will be a community hub, not just a gateway to information. What shall we call this new institution? The Hub, The Nexis, The Community Centre? I don’t know. That’s for another post. Here’s a few ideas about what activities may be included here. Some of which may already be implemented elsewhere now.
How about having pay television piped through to screens throughout the library. And not just educational. When there is a sports event on, get the male members of society on side, turn it on and watch them rock in. Voila, you have just captured a segment of society that would otherwise have been lost forever.
A coffee shop is a must. Why have your customers go out to get their caffeine when you could pocket the money?
A games room. This could include board games such as monopoly, and electronic devices such as Wii.
A fitness centre. A few treadmills, basic weight equipment, video screens, etc.
You can see where this is going to. The “library” will no longer be the place you have to go to get your darn homework done. It is a community hub. Where people are not forced to come and feel uncomfortable. They can be loud if they like, of course away from the designated quiet areas. It is a place for social and technological interaction, plus you can pay your rates, have a coffee and watch the news while the wife brings the kids to a children’s storytime.
Of course many libraries are constrained by the phyical layout of their present structures. Building a new library or extending costs a motza. In that case, take the baby steps approach and do what you can.
Great Firewall of Trust June 14, 2009
Posted by k3nd in Restrictions.Tags: firewalls, internet, trust
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Trust is an important factor in life. You trust the drivers on the road will stop at red lights, that the restaurant cook will not poison your food. If you end up being on the wrong end of these scenarios, there are penalties which are dished out to the perpetrators.
With this in mind, let’s set our sights to internet filtering. Should an organisation block certain sites and applications from it’s staff? Many I.T. departments will say yes because of the bandwidth issue. However, much information is no longer displayed in PDFs or word documents these days. Video is fast becoming a more attractive and efficient method of relaying information. Staff also need to continue to develop their skills and stay informed of trends in Libraries and Information Technology, much of which may be blocked. If people abuse the system then penalise THEM, not the entire organisation. For instance, do not allow them internet access for a week . That will soon bring them into line.
Trust should also play a part in public access internet. Is it right that Libraries govern what it’s customers can see or not? I think not. In many cases, appropriate sites are blocked, due to filtering software. It should be the responsibility of the Library to monitor internet activity and warn customers when inappropriate sites are viewed. However, I must admit the bandwidth problem arises with the use of video streaming. This actually is an issue in Australia as our internet speeds are pathetically slow compared to the rest of the world. Organisations must be committed to a program of line upgrades.
How does this relate to building better libraries? The following is a starting point:
- internet lines need to be upgraded wherever possible
- a level of trust needs to be developed between staff, customers and I.T Departments
- the Library should act as a gateway to information, not a firewall
- a realisation that certain actions will result in certain penalties
Darien Library and Customer Service June 12, 2009
Posted by k3nd in Customers.Tags: Customers
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Reading the David Lee King blog I came across a video of a progressive library in the US. Darien Library in Connecticut is pushing all the right buttons from what I can see. The following statement from it’s Director sums it up:
“We want it to be the heart and intellectual center of our community, and the place where you can meet your friends, discuss your interests, and continue life-long learning and enjoyment. Our new website is all about community, conversations, connections and the library of the future. It’s yours, and it’s for you!”
I also was impressed by Librarians having a profile on the website with a picture. Just a short blurb about what their position involves plus some personal interests. Gives it all a more friendly feel.
Where have all the Librarians gone? June 11, 2009
Posted by k3nd in Staff.Tags: Staff
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In a library of the future there will be less staff employed. It is plain common sense.
Firstly, there will be no need for the trusty cataloguer. The trend is towards the outsourcing of this activity to booksellers, which I agree with, as most of the time there is only the need for the addition of a tag or two.
Secondly, let’s not forget the processing staff. Those trusty souls who sit valiantly at a desk and meticulously cover books. Outsource it with the cataloguing. Makes sense. Sure as the sun sets in the west, it ain’t developing their skills, and there is more productive work to do on the library floor.
Thirdly, if your library is lucky enough to have RFID installed, all returns and issues are automated. Therefore, there is no need for staff to carry out these duties. (Thank God). Only a person to transfer the items from returns area to trolley for shelving.
This brings me to the point of employing I.T. savvy staff. In the library of the future, librarians (for use of a better word) will be the new teachers. They will need to educate customers on the new technologies. No point directing them to the staff member who has the knowledge. What if they are at lunch or not in that day? Being tech savvy will be part of their position. All librarians will be gatekeepers of I.T. knowledge. Not just a few.
Someone answer that #f/!## Phone June 5, 2009
Posted by k3nd in phones.Tags: phones
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The answering of phones in a library can be a thorny issue. Here, I am targeting calls made to service desks. There is nothing more annoying than attempting to help a customer and being interrupted by a damn phone ringing. And much of the time it is a trivial issue which may simply involve the renewal of an item.
Such a system where desk staff are forced to answer phones is detrimental to customer service. What are we, receptionists, check out chicks/dudes, or information professionals? This simple, but important issue, is just one step in the journey towards a library of the future.
Here is my solution. Staff at service desks do not answer phones. A “roving librarian” is given a cordless phone. This person answers all calls normally handled by the desk. When not answering calls, they can help customers, tidy areas, place books on display, whatever. Of course, during quiet periods such as evening shifts, calls can go back to the desk. It’s all about flexibility and forward thinking, which is essential if your library is to remain relevant and customer, not routine focused.
Revolutionary Times June 4, 2009
Posted by k3nd in Library song.Tags: song
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Every campaign needs to have a theme song. Libraries should possibly adopt this one. Plus it’s just a cool song.
FutureLibrary 