My weekly post committement didn’t work out. That’s okay. I got distracted. I’ll try again.
Tomorrow I’m heading off to SXSW. That should give me plenty of things to post about.
In the meantime I’ll leave you with this image. My husband found it in a used bookstore in Sedona.
I don’t know how I found time to watch television before I owned a DVR, but owning one has spoiled me. I am no longer satisfied with the vast amount of channels my cable company can provide in real time. Now I have a vision for what I want from my home entertainment, not as a librarian, but as a consumer.
Ideally my future television will:
I do think that the television and computer will merge soon, and it won’t be soon enough for me. So I’m pretty excited about the new Apple TV. It doesn’t do everything I want, but it does throw in the access to my iTunes playlists from my television, which I hadn’t even thought of. At least it is a step in the right direction, and I have a birthday coming up.
What will my vision of home entertainment mean for libraries? I’m interested to find out. The only thing I’m sure of is that it could free up a lot of shelf space.
first post in a long time…
It was easy to get into the idea of “I should write a post about that” but harder to follow through. It’s one of my New Year resolutions; at least one a week, as long as I don’t end up using this as a way to vent my frustrations. Enough about that.
Michael Stephens came to speak at a retreat in my area very recently. This was my first time to enjoy one of his presentations and what a fantastic experience… I will admit that I didn’t learn a whole lot. Since I have been reading every post he writes for so long it would be difficult for him to speak about something that I was completely unfamiliar with. It was more like going to see one of my favorite bands, and knowing all the words to the songs. (Yes, I just compared Michael Stephens to a rock star.)
The thing that was so great was the amount of energy he can bring into his subject matter. About a week later I attended a meeting for Branch Managers, and his presence was still there. People were still talking about it and still excited about it. Anyone that could not attend was pitied. Librarians that were resistent or ambivalent about technology before are now fired up about the possibities.
I could go on, but one of my other New Year resolutions is to write shorter posts.
If you are in the market for a fantastic presentation that will ingnite your staff, and who isn’t?, I can’t recommend him highly enough.
In my part of the world libraries are getting busier as new customers come in seeking refuge from the cold. We make a lot of new library accounts… wait, let me rephrase that. We meet a lot of new customers during this season.
The fact is that creating a new library card and account takes a little more time then some of the other functions that staff may perform on a daily basis, and I think they often get so immersed in the regulations and steps involved that they forget what a wonderful opportunity this is. It is the customer’s first impression of the facility, and that will can a big difference in future interactions and referrals.
I want our customers to walk out with their shiny new cards thinking “Wow, that is a great place. I’m going to go back again soon, and I’m going to tell all my friends.” So for me it is time to remind the gang that we really do want new customers to get a card. When a customer asks for a “membership” or an “application”, instead of instantly questioning their qualifications and asking for their papers, smile and let them know that they are wanted. Let them know how sorry you are if for some reason they can not provide the required documents for getting a card on the spot, and wrap it up with “you know, we will be open until ___ today. If you can bring that in we will get you a card in a few minutes.”
And when a customer does get a new card, be sure to highlight something about your library, and offer additional assistance. For instance, I gave a new card to a customer today and asked if he needed any help finding something at the library. He was interested in investments and stocks so I was able to sell him on an upcoming program for online investment research.
A new library card is not a task, it is an opportunity.
The issue of cell phone use in our libraries has become a topic for Administration. I’m worried. Personally, I don’t have a problem with the cell phones. Yes, sometimes a customer has a louder then acceptable conversation. I don’t view that, or deal with that, any differently then if they were having a too loud conversation with the person next to them. It’s part of the job. The thing that concerns me is that I’m outvoted. There have been a large number of complaints written in by customers that want us to have a no cell phone policy. What to do?
I have trouble understanding the anti-cell phone thing. We have three phones at our service desk. I’m sure that anyone nearby can hear them when they ring. No one has suggested that we should eliminate phones at the customer service desk.
I can think of many positive cell phone experiences, times when the customer’s use of the cell phone contributed to a better library experience. If they aren’t sure which book they are supposed to pick up, or they need additional information about a class assignment, customers often turn to their cell to clarify their needs and make my job easier.
When I go to the grocery store, I usually use my cell phone to find out what my family needs. My mother often calls me from her shopping expeditions to find out if I would like a particular item. Why should the library make those kinds of interactions difficult?
