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Back in the Saddle April 7, 2010

Posted by k3nd in Change, Staff.
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1 comment so far

Everybody occasionally needs time to step back and  smell the roses. To enjoy the moment, reaffirm what’s important in life, and work towards it, or else you will find it’s too late. Renewal is an important factor in life. There are many paths to take. Many may seem easy on the surface but fail to deliver in the long run. Often the harder path will see you wanting to turn back. However, stick it out and the rewards will be worth it. Well that’s enough from the enlightened guru.

The same principle applies to libraries. Don’t get too caught up in processes and policies which are past their use by date. Jump clear of the cogs and visualize the organisation for what it is. Directed and motivated by people, not people being a slave to the organisation. Be part of the machine, not of the machine.

Ask everybody how procedures can be improved. Take all suggestions on board and treat each with the respect it deserves. To quote the Desiderata, “Speak your truth quietly and clearly, and listen to others,
even the dull and ignorant; they too have their story.” Well maybe not as brutal as that, but you get my drift.

There will be the doubters, those driven by the machine. Those unable to see the forest for the trees. Those protecting power bases, vested interests, and comfort zones. Hopefully those types are falling by the wayside as they are being swept along by the torrent of change. As the saying goes, it’s not rocket science, just plain common sense.

And the Walls came Tumbling down September 29, 2009

Posted by k3nd in Customers, Reference, Staff.
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3 comments

wallApproaching a library reference desk is a daunting task for many. I liken it to the movie “Oliver Twist” when the little boy went up to the dude asking for more gruel. “More!!!????!!!!” Usually its a serious looking person who gives the impression they do not wish to be disturbed. It’s a throw back to the bad old days when the library was seen as the gatekeeper of knowledge, rather than the facilitator.

I see no reason at all to have a reference desk. In an action akin to the demolishing of the Berlin wall, the reference desk walls need to come down as well. In an organisation where all staff are highly trained and knowledgeable, everybody take on the role of the reference  desk. Once again I beckon back to the idea of the “roving librarian”. Get out of that seat and actually help people! Go to the people, because, most of the time, they sure as hell ain’t gonna go to you.

Think about yourself walking into a shop. Isn’t it pleasant when staff approach you and ask if you need help. Why should a library be any different?  The excuse that it has always been done this way no longer cuts it. Take it on board and you will find that your skills will increase, you will be happier doing the job, and customer service will skyrocket.