Libraries Development Manager: Communities Janice Hall Libraries Development Manager: Communities

Visioning group of staff of all grades right from the beginning Consulted every step of the way, On what we wanted in the future What was good/bad about old service Staff went on visits to other libraries Briefing and presentations on 3 bidders feedback considered Consulted on furniture Layout There were some givens Self service More stack material out Edit stack No reference 2

Our brand City Library develops had to have an impact of community libraries We didn’t want Cinderella service in branches Branding used as wayfaring but also to give each service area their own brand within the overarching brand Branding used across whole service notices, posters, leaflets etc New tickets in all service points When you walk into any Newcastle Library you know what you can expect

Customer Service excellence Transparent Accessible Engaging Customer service excellence award Customer focussed service In how we present ourselves – dress code, uniforms, attitude, basic welcoming skills How we present our stock - Embervision training, tidy shelves, tidy walls Opening hours Training /Shadowing Lots of staff on different grades planned and delivered training created ownership and responsibility

Our brand is welcome Safe Trusted Our vision is transparency, access, engagement

The C word staff we did similar work with customers Changing the culture no blame culture Consultation - asking, listening, valuing what is said, explained when we couldn’t do things Communication – sharing comments, views, can’t communicate in to many ways, briefings, talks, conference, Informer working groups, informed of progress, visits to building Change support whole service approach Embervision Challenging - Embervision branch audits, the need for counters, amount of stock on the shelves, reference library, need for a huge stack Clarity everyone likes to know what they are doing and who is doing what

Created a sense of team work

Uniforms create a sense of belonging, part of a family who support each other Also creates pride Engaging with customers Service teams Working across the building No hierarchy of service as in the past

Sharing routines Shelving Working on different floors

New ways of working No desks/no barriers Challenging behaviour course Customer radar Vocera no telephones ringing don’t have to leave the customer to talk to another member of staff need to work out best way of distributing them No telephones ringing in shared work area

Staff awards Training Used decant time to up skill staff and build a broader knowledge base makes decant more positive rather than negative experience

We thought that: Desks give you protection Public won’t like self issue Staff will be standing all day Must timetable every minute Shared work room won’t work Need self issue on every floor Problems with toilets Staff would lose their specialist knowledge Wrong

As many staff as possible introduced to Queen All had a role on the day Communicate, again and then again Valuing staff