The San José Public Library Experience Jane Light Library Director

Imagine a Library that is too Successful...

...Skyrocketing Circulation Static Staffing Circulation 2002/03 est. : 13,150, Staffing

San José Public Library Visitors Compared to Bay Area Sports Attendance in Millions of Visitors

…Daily Programming

…a Summer Reading Celebration for all Ages

 Books for Little Hands  Grade One at the Library  teensReach  Internet Classes  Adult Literacy - Partners in Reading …Award Winning Community Programs Serving Over 20,000 Youth and Families

…all in Small Spaces …all in Small Spaces

…and on a Below Average Per Capita Budget …and on a Below Average Per Capita Budget

...Simultaneously, we are moving into a new Martin Luther King, Jr. Library  First public/university collaboration in USA  Jointly operated with San José State University  Merged units providing seamless customer service  470,000 square feet

…Building 20 New Bond Funded Branch Libraries  In November 2000, 76% of San José residents approved a $211 million bond measure for 20 new buildings  Ten year build-out project  Average size 20,000 square feet

…Implementing a New Innovative Library Service Model  Meets the increasing and changing needs of customers while dealing with the challenges of no additional staff  Customer first  Helping our customers help themselves  Using staff more effectively  Reinventing the library environment

…and Leading the Profession  Innovative Service Model  Merchandising/Display of Materials  New King Library  Branch Facilities Master Planning  Books for Little Hands  Partners in Reading Technology Initiative

The San José Experience = Environment + Service  Changing customer expectations  Marketing surveys  The 4 “C’s”:  Convenience  Choice  Customer Service  Comfort

Convenience  Self Service  Merchandising the Collection  eBranch 24/7 Access Customers prefer to be in control

Self Service  System goal 85%  Making policy and procedural changes to insure self-checkout success  Building customer expectations  New staff roles  Training staff and customers The Self-Checkout Experience

Implementing self-checkout machines: Before

Conventional

Transitional

The SJPL Check-out Experience

Self-Service Holds

The Use of Technology to Help Customers Help Themselves  Train customers on account self-management  Online functions: eBranch, booking systems, payment of fines, library card & program registration

Merchandising the Collection  Promotes the use of the collection  Supports self-service  Visual impact at the front door: “The Marketplace”  Easy to navigate layout and organization  Customer-centered collections  Bountiful collection displays

Self-Service eBranch 24/7 “the greatest convenience is not leaving home”

Choice  Rich array of materials in different formats and languages  Branch collection and system collection  Competition

Customer Service  Alignment of staff skills with customer expectations  Creating the 21st Century Library Toolkit  Valued-added  The untrainable attribute: people not process  Out of the backroom and onto the floor  Job descriptions of all classifications

Customer Service Principles  Redefining customer service  Not reactive, not proactive, but intuitive  Everyone serves youth  The Storytime Express  Everyone is a teacher  Breaking the cycle of dependency  Developing the flexible cross-trained team  Staffing for workflow not service desks

Comfort The missing piece at SJPL  The new facilities: marketplace, family place, teen space, internet café, living room, group and quiet study  The experience of the weekly visitor  The 80/20 rule

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