joan@jfwilliams.com Joan Frye Williams www.jfwilliams.com April 2008 Leave the Stereotypes Behind: New Tools for Shaping the Library Experience Joan Frye Williams www.jfwilliams.com April 2008

What’s Behind the Stereotypes? joan@jfwilliams.com What’s Behind the Stereotypes?

Who Are Your “Civilians”? joan@jfwilliams.com joan@jfwilliams.com Who Are Your “Civilians”? 3

joan@jfwilliams.com How We See Civilians

How They See Themselves joan@jfwilliams.com How They See Themselves

Civilian Reality Information everywhere Ideas economy joan@jfwilliams.com Civilian Reality Information everywhere Ideas economy Decline of deference Preference for personalization Time pressure

joan@jfwilliams.com joan@jfwilliams.com Stereotype: Detailed Rules, Procedures, and Standards Ensure Excellent Service 7

Civilian Perspective: Do These People Really Want Me Here? joan@jfwilliams.com Civilian Perspective: Do These People Really Want Me Here?

Strong Sense of Arrival joan@jfwilliams.com Strong Sense of Arrival

Inspiring Destinations joan@jfwilliams.com Inspiring Destinations Cleanliness Hospitality Views Natural light Improvisation Better than home Source of pride

“Green” Buildings and Practices joan@jfwilliams.com “Green” Buildings and Practices

Zoning by User Activity joan@jfwilliams.com Zoning by User Activity

joan@jfwilliams.com Youth-Savvy Staff

OK, Within Reason… Talking Food and drink Shared computers Gaming joan@jfwilliams.com OK, Within Reason… Talking Food and drink Shared computers Gaming Cell phones

What Advice Would You Give the Library? joan@jfwilliams.com What Advice Would You Give the Library? “Be more pleasant to people” “Make the atmosphere… not so clinical” “Relax a bit on the restrictions” “Lighten up!” “Stop making it feel so much like church!”

Hospitality Insurance joan@jfwilliams.com joan@jfwilliams.com Hospitality Insurance Minimal gate-keeping Fewer, simpler rules Presumption of innocence 16

Service Isn’t About Winning Arguments joan@jfwilliams.com joan@jfwilliams.com Service Isn’t About Winning Arguments 17

Make Something Happen!

Stereotype: If We Shelve It, They Will Come joan@jfwilliams.com Stereotype: If We Shelve It, They Will Come

Civilian Perspective: Do They Have Anything I Want? joan@jfwilliams.com Civilian Perspective: Do They Have Anything I Want?

Demand-Based Resource Allocation joan@jfwilliams.com Demand-Based Resource Allocation

Emphasis on Abundance Mid-list fiction Fast, convenient delivery joan@jfwilliams.com joan@jfwilliams.com Emphasis on Abundance Mid-list fiction Fast, convenient delivery Minimal rationing Appeal factor 22

Leveraging the Books Brand joan@jfwilliams.com Leveraging the Books Brand Benefits of reading Reading lifestyle Support for authors Ties to/from other media All staff recommend books

Plenty of Programs/Classes joan@jfwilliams.com Plenty of Programs/Classes

Tie-Ins with Local Arts Events joan@jfwilliams.com Tie-Ins with Local Arts Events

Make Something Happen!

joan@jfwilliams.com Stereotype: “Patrons” Aren’t Capable of Finding Good Things on Their Own

Civilian Perspective: Why Do They Call It “Cookery”?

Browsable Multimedia Information Neighborhoods joan@jfwilliams.com Browsable Multimedia Information Neighborhoods

Consistent Terminology joan@jfwilliams.com Consistent Terminology Magazines Periodicals Journals Serials Periodical literature Current periodicals Back issues Bound journals

joan@jfwilliams.com Engines, Not OPACs

Recombinable Resources joan@jfwilliams.com Recombinable Resources Mainstream data formats Easy import/export/snip Digitized materials Institutional and civilian-defined tags

Make Something Happen!

Stereotype: One-on-One Service Is Our Most Valuable Product joan@jfwilliams.com Stereotype: One-on-One Service Is Our Most Valuable Product

Civilian Perspective: Will I Succeed Here? joan@jfwilliams.com Civilian Perspective: Will I Succeed Here?

Simplified Wayfinding joan@jfwilliams.com Simplified Wayfinding Less clutter Consolidated desks Situational signage Virtual tours Prepackaged tips, shortcuts, FAQs

Self-Directed Service joan@jfwilliams.com Self-Directed Service

Support for Different Learning Styles joan@jfwilliams.com Support for Different Learning Styles Individual, Pair, Group Print, Media Quiet, Lively Traditional, Kinetic, Interactive

joan@jfwilliams.com Zone Staffing Staff are responsible for the overall environment and for the civilians’ successful experience, not just for specific transactions Everyone assists with basic civilian tasks “Hip to hip” service

joan@jfwilliams.com Upselling

joan@jfwilliams.com “Bookends” Service Get me started Check back later

Dispatched Service Centrally located desk(s) joan@jfwilliams.com Dispatched Service Centrally located desk(s) Staffed by non-librarian dispatcher Dispatcher matches question to the best person to handle it Librarians work on call Tech staff work on call Work to completion with each person

Redeployed Reference Online reference Hot topics Extreme Googling joan@jfwilliams.com Redeployed Reference Online reference Hot topics Extreme Googling Training, coaching Appointments Community specialists

Make Something Happen!

Stereotype: Quality Always Takes Longer But It’s Worth It

Civilian Perspective: How Convenient Is it? joan@jfwilliams.com Civilian Perspective: How Convenient Is it?

Expedited Returns and Sorting joan@jfwilliams.com Expedited Returns and Sorting

Netflix-Style Circulation joan@jfwilliams.com Netflix-Style Circulation

Podcast/Webcast Programs joan@jfwilliams.com Podcast/Webcast Programs

Text/IM and Microformats joan@jfwilliams.com Text/IM and Microformats

Going Where the People Are joan@jfwilliams.com Going Where the People Are

Make Something Happen!

Stereotype: We Talk, They Listen joan@jfwilliams.com joan@jfwilliams.com Stereotype: We Talk, They Listen 53

Civilian Perspective: Am I Trusted to Participate? joan@jfwilliams.com Civilian Perspective: Am I Trusted to Participate?

Nobody Knows (or Cares) That It’s 2.0 joan@jfwilliams.com Nobody Knows (or Cares) That It’s 2.0

Outreach to Non-Library Blogs, Wikis, Social Networks joan@jfwilliams.com Outreach to Non-Library Blogs, Wikis, Social Networks               

Real-Time Activities Buzz joan@jfwilliams.com joan@jfwilliams.com Real-Time Activities Buzz Live circulation activity, e.g. Yorba Linda PL “book feed” Today’s hot topics Live program excerpts New titles just in Wireless strength Parking cam 57

joan@jfwilliams.com Online Donations

Collaborative Filtering joan@jfwilliams.com Collaborative Filtering

The Idea Laboratory A place to TRY new things: Book art studio joan@jfwilliams.com The Idea Laboratory A place to TRY new things: Book art studio Media production facility New technology showcase Small business incubator                                                                                                                                                      

Make Something Happen!

One Last Stereotype: To Use the Library Is to Love The Library joan@jfwilliams.com One Last Stereotype: To Use the Library Is to Love The Library

There Is No Correlation Between Library Use and Library Support joan@jfwilliams.com There Is No Correlation Between Library Use and Library Support

Complacency Can Be Fatal Kathy Sierra on the “Creating Passionate Users” blog http://headrush.typepad.com/creating_passionate_users/2006/01/death_by_riskav.html

10 Ways to Know if You’re on the Right Track

You Know What Kind of Success You’re Aiming For

Some Indicators of Civilian-Centered Success Circulation Users Diversity Visits Volunteers Friends Smiles Press Partners Thanks Clout $$$$

You Have More Than One Idea About How to Get There

You’re Not Waiting for “Perfect”

You’re Inviting the Entire Community to Participate

joan@jfwilliams.com You’re Speaking Up

You’re Trying New Ways of Working

You’re Helping Each Other to Succeed joan@jfwilliams.com You’re Helping Each Other to Succeed

You’re Learning and Making Adjustments as You Go

You’re Finding Ways to Have Fun

You’re Building Relationships joan@jfwilliams.com You’re Building Relationships