1. Libraries Development Manager: Communities
Janice Hall
Libraries Development Manager:
Communities

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

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

6. 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

7. Created a sense of team work

8. 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

9. Sharing routines
Shelving
Working on different floors

10. 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

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

12. 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

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