By all accounts the Annual Conference in Washinton, D. C. was a huge success. Over 28,000 librarians and venders attended this conference and set an attendance record for ALA.
The social networking theme permeated many programs and discussion forums. Are libraries ready to have online discussions with their patrons? Are patrons, especially young patrons, ready to communicate with librarians online? Do they want libraries in their social spaces? These are all questions that librarians are trying to answer.
To join the discussion you must look at and become familiar with a few of the online tools that are being used today. I have set up this blog to send out my notes from programs that I attended in Washington, D. C. I'll post a program a week. Please feel free to comment on or ask questions about any of the programs.
Transforming Your Services: Your customer has been transformed, so where is your library?
Speakers:
Karen Hyman, Chair, South Jersey Regional Library Cooperative
George Needham, OCLC
Joan Frye Williams, Information Technology Consultant
“What do people want and where is your library in that picture? What are the high impact new services that could reinvent your library today?”
Some interesting ideas:
1. Rethink reference: today’s librarians train and coach the user to do online research, they keep up with the hot topics in technology, they are extreme “googlers”, and they should promote their learning specialties to target audiences, and they should take appointments.
2. “Dispatched” Service: information desk to direct patrons
- librarians work on call
- tech staff work on call
3. Leverage the book brand
- order books that reflect patrons lifestyle
- books should be clean and displayed in bright locations
- programming: literary and entertaining
- “stop making it (the library) feel like church” – patron
4. “Information is everywhere – convenience will top quality any day.” Our job is to make quality convenient for our patrons.
14 comments:
I would much rather share my knowledge with you virtually rather than face-to-face some days! One interesting point in your post - are young people ready? Rather - are WE THE LIBRARIANS ready for the young people and the technological challenges that they bring! It's a very exciting time to be a librarian!
I think alot of patrons would like the "taking appointments" part. Maybe it's something we should try again.
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To Blog or Not to Blog that is the question. I'm a market driven kind of 'Brarian. I say "Give them what they want!"
What if they don't want what you have?
Reinvent, Reinvent, Reinvent. Repackage, Redeliver, create a need or a niche.
We have QUALITY, we just need to market it differently.
I'd like to know how many people
were at the previous summer
conferences.
ALA Summer Conference Attendance numbers for the last three years:
2007 Washington, D. C. 28,635
2006 New Orleans 16,964
2005 Chicago 27,962
Linus's comment was interesting, but how do we find out what they want? I think that is something we need to work on.
The "Ask a Librarian" is as much of a virtual library world as we need. We have real patrons with real needs. We have to get to know them and respond to them here in the real world.
Technology is great when it works, but when it doesn't, how capable are we? That is the question.
We may be able to learn more about our "customers" and their needs and wants through demographic and psychographic information.
For example:
13% of our patrons have administrative occupations.
21% have professional/technical occupations.
16% are homemakers
16% are retired
16% are Blue Collar
16% have a 4+ college education.
70% own a home.
Median Income $46,804
Top Ten Lifestyles
Own a Satellite Dish
Enter Sweepstakes
Moneymaking Opportunities
Improving Your Health
Fashion Clothing
Casino Gambling
Bicycling Frequently
VCR Recording
Shop by Catalog/Mail
Automotive Work
Interests:
Avid Book Reading 35%
Home Decorating 36%
Own a Cat 23%
Own a Dog 35%
Shop by Mail 48%
Travel USA 35%
Donate to Charity 47%
Collectibles 16%
Home Workshop 27%
Sewing 15%
Stocks/Bonds 20%
Camping 19%
Dieting 29%
Walk for Health 31%
Fishing 27%
Photography 20%
Own a PC 47%
This could indicate what subjects and programs may appeal to patrons in Lake County. It may also indicate that 50% of them have an interest in computers and computer technology and maybe.... Blogging or reference databases.
I agree with linus the libraraian's comment,"give them what they want". However, "they" needs to include the folks who still prefer human interaction. Many visit a library for comfort and enjoyment. Not all are searching for information.
Here's some more what-if's: What if patrons just want trashy novels? They aren't going to be sold on we've got quality non-fiction. Repackaging Hemingway won't help readers who want the bodice-rippers.
We listen to patron requests; we send requests to the subject specialists or the book coordinator. There ought to be a better way to make patron requests more virtual. Especially when we get an Ask Q - 'how can I request a new book that you don't have?'
BTW, linus - ?? sources ?? for your demographic and lifestyle info??
The idea of “ ‘dispatched service’: information desk to direct patrons” makes sense to me for two reasons:
1.Many people are in a hurry or impatient. A manned desk near the entrance of a large library would allow customers to be served quickly. This would save them the time of walking to the wrong desk or department to locate the material or information needed.
Example a: Visitor wants to search for an obituary for an ancestor deceased in 1890. He assumes the obit will be found in the Genealogy Room, when in fact, he should head in the opposite direction to the Periodicals department for newspaper microfilm.
Example b: Visitor needs the use of an Internet computer. He walks to those computers only to discover that his first stop should have been the registration desk.
2.Some library users have a reference question that may be answered in as little as a minute, such as, “What is James Patterson’s latest book and where may I find it?” A library dispatch desk would be the same concept as the express lane at the grocery store. Others with more in-depth questions could be directed to the reference desk.
The dispatch desk would not need to be manned every hour that the library is open if that puts a strain on staff scheduling. The need might be the greatest during lunch times, when people are on their way home from work, and that last hour before closing when there seems to be a mad dash.
Each person should not be scheduled for more than one hour at the dispatch desk during a shift.
A large sign at the desk could read: “Quick Questions” or “Need help?”
I used SRDS'S The Lifestyle Market Analyst, pages 158-159 for demographica and psychographic information about Lake County Indiana residents.
Well, first of all, what is wrong with being in a happy, friendly place like church?!
I think patrons like friendly, personal attention, and now that PC Management has been installed and the burden of computer signups has been alleviated, we'll be much better able to give it to them!
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