sustainable quality public library service
DESCRIPTION
How to develop and maintain quality service in a public library during challenging budget times. Downloaded file includes speakers notes.TRANSCRIPT
Sustainable QualityPublic Library Service
Andy Barnett Assistant Director - McMillan Memorial Library
Wisconsin Rapids
www.slideshare.net/mcmillanlibrary
Starting Out
• If you meet Buddha on the road, kill him
• Next practices not best practices
• The direction of change is more important than the pace of change
• Change is additive/addictive
• From an age of scarcity to an age of abundance
Are you on the right track?
• Five Laws of Library Science
• Benefits users, not just staff
• People first, then things
• Tech like you want/use at home
• Wow factor
Paco Underhill & Design
• Retail anthropologist
• Comfortable, easy, practical, fast
• Design as people management
• Design as theater
• If a TV crew was coming, what would you change?
Self-Service Options
• Self-service often best service
• Non-service isn’t
• Staffed self-check – like WalMart
• Staff, design, signage changes
Wayfinding
• Important piece of self-service
• Intuitive and self-navigable
• Design, layout and decoration
• Sightlines – patron and staff both
• Better signage / less clutter
• Clear service points
Display Oriented Library
• Display / merchandise as much as possible
• Genre collections
• Wayfinding and in-library users
• Develop browsing areas
• Size matters
• Implement incrementally
Implementation @ MCM
• Display shelving for New Book area
• Genre / subject collections of New Books
• Display shelving for AV
• Additional permanent genre collections
• Creating display areas wherever possible
• We still have stacks (so far)
• Three levels – new/stacks/system
Just in Time
• Originally an industrial concept
• Shared systems and delivery make it work
• Leaner local collection
• Three levels – library/system/ILL
• 80/20 rule?
Zoning
• Different zones = different purposes = different rulesets
• Children’s Room a common zone
• Unenforceable rules or missing mission
• Social/quiet zone often missing
Right size /staff
• Changes in operation should equal changes in staffing
• Libraries move slowly on staffing
• Right size = fewer staff
• Right staff = changed mix of staff
• Re-examine position descriptions
• Re-examine structure
• Volunteers
Commons @ MCM
• Social zone for all ages
• Dominant users vary by time of day
• A Children’s Room for adults and teens
• Food, drink and wireless
• Strict enforcement of rules
• Benefits other zones