Broken signage

I've been away from the blog for what feels like a while--but for a good reason! My wife and I met up with some friends that came from the west coast and we did a seven day cruise to the western Caribbean. Lots of rain, no sun, but a good time was still had by all. We swam with dolphins, played with monkeys, ate, slept, read. Who needs the sun anyway?

I never had any desire to vacation on a cruise ship, and while the service and food was generally excellent (with a few notable exceptions), the cruise ship experience is probably just not my bag.

Anyhoo, I'll get around to getting the monkey and dolphin pics up on flickr, but in the meantime I thought this picture was worth sharing. Yup, that's the emergency exit door on deck 1 of the Carnival Valor. What message does this sign send to the passengers? I think it should be subtitled, "In case of emergency, good luck suckers!" Hey Carnival, let's barter: You give me a free seven day cruise and I'll give you a kick-ass signage audit. :-)

Tags: This is Broken, signage, carnival cruise, carnival valor

Tom Asacker on Branding

Tom Asacker, who blogs about marketing and branding over at A Clear Eye, gave a short interview after his recent presentation at Brand Manager Camp. I want to highlight one of Tom's statements, but check out the whole interview (which is short) and his blog (which is intelligent and stimulating.)

A brand is a customer's perception and an expectation of receiving something.

This got me thinking: What are my perceptions and expectations of the various businesses that I interact with?

• My perception and expectation of Lubeworks is, a quick oil change, today's paper to read while I'm waiting, fresh coffee, fresh flowers, honest, friendly and helpful staff, AND I'm going to leave with a smile on my face. (Everyone working there is having a good time! They care about me. I'm "tennis guy".)
  
  
• My perception and expectation of Commerce Bank is, I never ever have to interact with a human being to accomplish my business. Yay! (and I'm an extrovert) But on those rare times that I do want to actually interact with a teller or service agent (or whatever they call themselves -- I just noticed, I don't really care), I'm going to be treated by someone with a smile. No charge to dump my jar of pennies in the "penny arcade" and convert my spare change into crisp twenties. Nice touch!
  
  
• My perception and expectation of Wegman's is, they will have good prices, a great selection, a convenient 'small' size cart that's just right for me and easier to push through the aisles (why don't all stores have them?), friendly, attentive service, and never a long wait---because they have a few employees just roving to make sure the lines aren't too long and coordinating the opening of new lines. If I'm honest with myself I have to admit: Going to Wegman's is darn near recreational. ("Hon, what do you want to do tonight, go to movie? Hit the cookie counter at Wegmans?")
  
  
• My perception and expectation of Petro used to be, a big headache, long waits on the phone, disconnects, arguments, mistakes in billing, a freezing home and no service. Just before I hit my limit with this crappy service, a friendly and helpful Petro service agent told me that they were overhauling their phone system, that it was a big nightmare but it was almost done, and PLEASE PLEASE hang in there with them. Now: I expect, no wait on the phone, quick, friendly service at any time of the day or night, a nice website where I can manage my account and -- YAY! -- request an oil delivery without having to pick up the phone or deal with a voice menu. Thanks for turning it around Petro!
  
  
• Our customers' perceptions and expectations of our libraries are... [fill in the blanks] Am I copping out by not telling you my perception/expectation of my library. Uh, yes I am. Truth is, I am a member of two libraries and spend time in countless others. I get great service and really enjoy the feel of being in most of these libraries (and I always have--that's why I became a librarian. Duh.) Lots of smiles, lots of face-out merchandising, coffee, nice nooks to sit in and read or think. Generally, my satisfaction with the physical experience of being at these libraries exceeds my satisfaction with my virtual experience. Libraries, get thee to a web designer!

So what do your customers expect and perceive when they visit your library or website? What experiences are you offering them?

Tom Asacker suggests that if we offer our customers an appealing experience -- that is, an experience that's going to 1) satisfy their problems, and/or 2) help them feel good about themselves, and/or 3) allow them to make social connections -- they will choose to spend their time with us. I think that's good news for libraries. We DO help people solve problems and we (at our best) offer physical spaces that are ripe with opportunity for social connection. (Here come the "I caught them doing it in the stacks" stories...)

My questions: How can we do this better? How can we offer a consistently positive customer experience across time? Across platforms? (i.e. in-person, on the phone, on the web.) If the experience isn't consistent, how can customers ever come to expect it? In looking at my own behavior, I notice that I'll tolerate a low level of consistently poor or mediocre service more than I'll tolerate inconsistent service. Receiving consistently bad service is actually less stressful for me---as long as I know what to expect. It's the uncertainty that stresses me out...

Technorati Tags: branding, customer experience, customer service, libraries

Improving library services

Jennifer Macaulay, an MLS student at Southern Connecticut, has a wonderful post on her blog, Life as I know It on the topic Improving Library Services: A Review of Techniques.

I'm listing her main points below, but I highly recommend the entire post. Her selection of topics is inspired (and inspiring); her annotations on each topic are concise and insightful.

If you want to make a positive change in your library, tack up Jennifer's post on your door, throw a dart, and start doing whatever you hit (unless your aim is bad and you hit that old Calvin and Hobbes comic that you taped up in 1992-- don't, I repeat, don't do what Calvin is doing...)

Here are the techniques Jennifer highlighted, but really, read the post.

• Use of integrated service points
• Cross training of staff
• Flexible management technique
• Redefine the library’s physical space
• Allow users to participate in decisions about which services to offer
• Focus on new models of professional development for the entire staff
• Adding content to library catalogs (OPACs)
• Develop a comprehensive marketing strategy to advertise library services
• Re-evaluate the current library user and their information needs
• Re-evaluate library signage
• Beware of technology for technology’s sake
  

If Jennifer is at all representative of the future of our profession I think we're in good hands.

Tags: libraries, library management, lis, library science, library education, l20

Library as Place

Note: This piece originally appeared in slightly different form in the NJLA Fall (2006) Newsletter.

We are currently experiencing a unique convergence of three societal trends, and that convergence is creating an unprecedented opportunity for libraries.

The first trend is that people are increasingly using the internet in the privacy of their home for activities that were previously conducted in public spaces. Shopping, banking, conversing, researching, listening to concerts, and watching movies are just a few examples of such activities.

The second trend, pointed out by Robert Putnam in his insightful book, Bowling Alone, is that Americans are experiencing a marked decrease in social interaction as we become increasingly disconnected from our family, from our friends, and from each other.

The third trend is more subtle and presents a threat as well as an opportunity: Businesses are increasingly embracing the value of being a "destination of choice" and modifying their environments and their services accordingly. For example, we used to go to the hardware store to buy grout or drywall; now we go to learn how to tile our bathroom or put up a wall. We used to go to the bank to deposit our checks; now we go to attend a retirement planning seminar. We used to go to the bookstore to buy books; now we go to hear music, drink coffee, and, dare I mention, bring our children to story time…

Our customers have a greater need for shared spaces and social interaction than they ever have before, but they also have more options regarding how, and where, they choose to spend their free time.

LIBRARIES ARE TRANSFORMATIVE PLACES
Libraries are transformative places. By our very nature we offer people a “third place” (not home, not work) where they can come to explore, imagine, think, learn, play, and reflect. Our function as a “third place” has never been more important to our continued health and relevance. If libraries are to survive and thrive we must redouble our efforts and refocus our energies to ensure that we are not only “third places" but destinations of choice.

Thinking of “library as place” goes to the heart of the matter. It invokes the big question: Why would someone in our community choose to spend their time here rather than somewhere else? Related questions might be: What does the library look like, smell like, feel like, and sound like? What do our signs communicate? What kind of environment are we offering to the community and how do library staff contribute to the creation of a friendly, welcoming environment?

The thriving library of 2010 will have thoroughly considered these questions and be guided by the answers they have discovered. Many NJLA members are probably familiar with Mount Laurel Library's success with their use of retail merchandising techniques. Those techniques were implemented as part of the "Trading Spaces" project. A do-it-yourself kit, replete with documentation, signage, photos, furniture vendor contacts, prices, and more is available at the project website http://www.sjrlc.org/tradingspaces. Taking a look at this resource page is a great place to start if your library is interested in becoming a destination of choice in your community.

SIx
Detailing a strategic direction for your library is outside of the scope of this short piece. But in the interest of practicality, here are six things you can do today to enhance your library's status as a true "third place" in your community:

1. DO A SIGNAGE AUDIT: Have everyone on your staff, and maybe a couple of customers, walk through your library with these questions in mind: What makes it easy to find something? What makes it difficult to find something? Are signs readable from a distance? Are signs jargon-free? Do you use Dewey numbers instead of natural language? (Don't.) Get rid of ripped signs and visible tape. Eliminate handwritten notes. Use positive, respectful wording and avoid parental tones.

2. OFFER FOOD AND DRINK IN THE LIBRARY: (Notice, I don't say "permit".) Having food and drink in your library helps create a welcoming environment. The role of our olfactory senses in creating a positive or negative impression of our environment cannot be underestimated. Translation? Coffee smells like comfort.

3. OFFER A VARIETY OF PROGRAMMING FOR DIFFERENT AGES/INTERESTS: This fits in very well with our traditional role and mission, and many libraries already do a wonderful job with programming. Do more. Take some risks. Ask yourself who's NOT coming to the library and try to offer a few programs for that demographic. Think of five new places to advertise your programming (bulletin boards in laundromats, the Y, the Rotary Club, the carwash, etc.)

4. MAKE THE COLLECTION THE STAR: Use themed displays of face-out materials to highlight and promote portions of your collection. Tie themes in with current events, pop culture, current library programs, or anything else that seems relevant, playful, or fun. Make your collection browseable and your customers will reward you by circulating materials in record numbers.

5. INVOLVE YOUR CUSTOMERS: Ask your customers what they would like to see in the library. Ask them for help with walk-throughs and signage audits. Ask them for display ideas, or enlist their help in creating displays. Any way you can involve your community directly will pay off tenfold by giving you an inexpensive and highly effective marketing tool: a cadre of invested community members who will promote the library through word of mouth.

6. GO WIRELESS: Wireless Internet access is a must-have infrastructure. If you're not offering it already, do it now. It's cheaper than you think, and your wireless customers will come out of the woodwork.

Bibliography

Oldenburg, Ray. The Great Good Place. New York: Marlowe & Company, 1999.

Rippel, Chris, "What Libraries Can Learn from Bookstores". Webjunction Marketing Forum. Dec 10, 2003 <http://webjunction.org/do/DisplayContent?id=1191>.

Rockwood, P. E. and Koontz, C. M., "Media Center Layout: A Marketing-Based Plan", School Library Media Annual 1986, Volume Four. Ed. Aaron, S. L. and Scales, P. R. Littleton, Colorado: Libraries Unlimited, Inc., 1986. p. 297-306 <http://www.geolib.org/pdf/slma.pdf>.

Stanley, John, "The Third Place: The Library's Role in Today's Society", MLS Marketing Library Services. Nov.- Dec. 2005: 1,8.

Technorati Tags: library as place, libraryasplace, LibraryGarden, Libraries

Blog-based library websites: An interview with David Lisa

I recently sat down with (ok, meebo'd) David Lisa, Director of the West Long Branch (NJ) Public Library, to discuss how he recently converted his traditional library webpage to a blog-based webpage.

Pete: Thanks for joining me this afternoon.

Dave: Always a pleasure!

Pete: For starters, tell me a little about yourself and your library.

Dave: My name is David Lisa and I am the Director of the West Long Branch Public Library. We are a small municipal public library. West Long Branch has about 8700 residents. We have three full-time employees and 7 part-time, 3 pages (PT) and one volunteer. I'm the only professional on staff. Other than that, we are your normal small burg PL.

Pete: Thanks Dave. So tell us a bit about your decision to make your webpage blog-based.

Dave: I had worked on several different templates for the new version of our website and nothing was working. Then I attended the Web 2.0 seminar led by Michael Stephens and Jenny Levine and took what the speakers said to heart. It really seemed to me that if we started with a Blogger.com format and expanded upon that, we would be able to accomplish what we wanted to do. Namely to be able to give our users news about programming, spotlight our collection and keep them up to date on new additions to our collection. It also dawned upon me that we could utilize Blogger's template structure to organize our website by listing the links to the various pages on our site in the right column and be able to provide an archive etc. It did everything we needed! So, I set to work setting it up, then "adapted" our extant pages to the Blogger template format.


Pete: Yes, the built-in archive feature is wonderful. Are there any other specific benefits that you see with a blog-based website? Any drawbacks?

Dave: Well we are getting lots of great comments about how up to date our site is. People really like seeing the latest news on the front page in reverse chronological order. And, of course, one big benefit is being able to offer an RSS feed through Feedburner. We like to stress that we can bring the news about the library to you on your schedule rather than you having to come to us all the time. One drawback has been that we have found that not a lot of people are acquainted with RSS feeds and we have to explain how to subscribe a lot.

Pete: That leads into my next question (or series of questions): Do you find that your customers understand the RSS feed? Are they using it? Have you done anything to promote the feed and/or teach your customers how to use it?

Dave: As I mentioned, there is some confusion about RSS still. I see that as being general initial confusion amongst the public at large. We really wanted to get the feed through Feedburner since they do a good job explaining it. We are pleased to have the feed in place and are actually waiting to see how it works out...right now.

Pete: Well, I think you're ahead of the curve. I believe the next release of IE will have built in RSS detection and reader. At that point, knowledge and use of RSS among the general population is likely to grow quickly and exponentially.

Dave: That's a good example of the confusion...try setting up an RSS feed with Firefox and IE and it's a different experience. We wanted the user to be able to click through the experience and know little about what they had to do to make it work. Feedburner does a great job enabling that.

Pete: And of course Feedburner gives you great stats and bunch of other nice benefits!

Dave: Feedburner has a nice page that you get after you click on our Subscribe link and it explains the variety of choices of RSS readers.

Pete: How much technical ability is needed to create a blog-based website? Is it something anyone can do or is a certain level of technical know-how necessary?

Dave: Good question. I believe that the approach we took to revamping our website takes little web publishing knowledge and could be mounted by people with little experience. And I think that is the direction web publishing is taking. Jenny [Levine] and Michael [Stephens] mentioned that web publishing software (Dreamweaver, FrontPage, etc.) will be outmoded by this approach soon... and I believe them.

Pete: Well, Blogger, Typepad, Wordpress really make it easy!

Pete: I see you have multiple authors. Who gets to post, and what do they get to post about? Did you and your staff come up with a blogging policy?

Dave: Glad you asked that question. From the get -go, I wanted our library website/blog to be a collaborative effort. I met with my Administrative staff and indicated that since we were re-creating the website in this fashion, I wanted them all to be involved. I also involved key members of the part time staff too (Book Discussion group moderator, etc).

Pete: That's great!

Dave: I also wanted staff members that are posting to be recognizable by name to library patrons that read the blog and could answer questions. We crave a fandom. [smile]. This is a truly collaborative experience.

Pete: I salute you! The research going on in virtual reference shows that customers really like to have a name associated with the librarian (as opposed to being served by ‘librarian34’). Using names is a great way to bring about more of a sense of personal connection.

Dave: I wouldn't have it any other way...I want it to be a personal experience for the user. We want to hear this: "Wow, Janice recommended the new DVD Lucky # Slevin. I checked it out and I loved it. Thanks Janice!"

Pete: OK, since we're on the topic of collaboration... It doesn't look like you have comments enabled. Any plan to enable comments?

Dave: We purposefully disabled it for now. We do have plans to enable them at some point, but we want to plan for it so we can handle it correctly.

Pete: Well Dave, I think you've done a great job with the site, and I appreciate you taking the time to share your experience with us. Is there anything you'd like to add before we conclude?

Dave: I'd just like to say that we actually stumbled upon this idea by accident, and it was all due to the seminar... so thanks for sponsoring it. We're always looking for new and different ways to do things here at WLBPL and we are having lots of fun with the website/blog.

Pete: Credit for sponsoring the seminar goes to Princeton Public Library and CJRLC (although we also had Michael Stephens present for SJRLC members that same week.)

Dave: Thanks for interviewing me!

Pete: You're welcome Dave. Thanks again for your time.

Wikipedia v. Britannica: This time it's personal

Get thee over to the Wall Street Journal and read this gloves-off (you know, in a genteel way) debate between Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia, and Dale Hoiberg, editor-in-chief of Britannica. Here's a taste:

Mr. Hoiberg: No, we don't publish rough drafts. We want our articles to be correct before they are published. We stand behind our process, based on trained editors and fact-checkers, more than 4,000 experts, and sound writing. Our model works well. Wikipedia is very different, but nothing in their model suggests we should change what we do.

Mr. Wales: Fitting words for an epitaph… ...We are open and transparent and eager to help people find criticisms of us. Disconcerting and unusual, I know. But, well, welcome to the Internet.

Personally, it took me a while to get to the point where I feel a fair level of trust in the quality of Wikipedia. I think Wales has done an excellent job of creating a system that maximizes the benefits of open source collaboration, while minimizing the drawback and dangers of having too much openness. I'm reminded of the brilliant article Clay Shirkey wrote a few years ago, "A Group is it's own worst enemy". Shirkey, building off of the concepts expressed by psychologist W.R. Bion in his seminal work,"Experiences in Groups", wrote,

Group structure is necessary to defend the group from itself. Group structure exists to keep a group on target, on track, on message, on charter, whatever. To keep a group focused on its own sophisticated goals and to keep a group from sliding into these basic [destructive] patterns. Group structure defends the group from the action of its own members. (emphasis is mine, pjb)

I remember being struck by Bion's work when I first read him in a college psych class, but Shirkey really brings it home. Although Shirkey is mostly focusing on social software, the concepts expressed in "Own Worst Enemy" are applicable well beyond that topic, and you might find yourself reflecting on the structure and health of your library (or your Bridge club, or your -- um, make that OUR -- government). Geek confession: I keep a copy of Shirkey's article in a "Ponderables" binder on my night table and re-read it regularly.

But I digress. Point is, Wales has done a great job of keeping Wikipedia from being it's own worst enemy, and I've seriously warmed up to Wikipedia as a trusted source.

Technorati Tags: britannica, wikipedia, clay shirkey, social software, LibraryGarden, Libraries

Is virtual reference successful? Part III (Hint: yes it is)

In parts one and two I raised a series of objections to Pascal Lupien's article in Online, "Virtual Reference in the Age of Pop-Up Blockers, Firewalls, and Service Pack 2"

In part three I'd like to address the end of the article where Lupien makes a case for using IM instead of standard VR software to do virtual reference. In fact, I agree with all of Lupien's main points:

• IM is generally free.
  
• It is easy to use, from the patron’s perspective as well as on the library side
  
• Unlike VR software, IM works with most computers, operating systems, and connection speeds.
  
• It does not require the patron to download software or configure a browser.
  
• [IM is] faster, as patrons who already use an IM system can simply add the library service to their list of “buddies” and message a librarian when they require assistance.
  

Not only do I find IM to be a perfectly good tool for reference work, I think it is quickly becoming (has become?) a standard mode of communication that every library should consider offering as a point of contact for their customers. Libraries, get an AIM Screenname, get a yahoo ID, sign up for Meebo, (maybe add the MeeboMe widget to your webpage) and start chatting with your customers!

But why limit IM to reference? We don't limit the phone to reference, do we? IM is just another way for our customers to contact us. Larger libraries can give each department their own IM identities, (i.e. "extensions") and let the customer choose which department to connect with. If a session needs to be 'tranfered' to another department, library staff can invite the customer and someone from the correct department into a new chat room, and viola! the session has been tranfered. So many of our customers are on their computers all day (and night) it just makes good sense to give them a quick, convenient option for contacting us.

But back to the article. Although I agree with everything Lupien wrote about the benefits of using IM to do virtual reference, he doesn't address the key reasons many VR services don't use it. These reasons were brought up in a great discussion about "The Future of IM" that took place on the digref listserv last month. (follow the link, then scroll down to the 'future of IM' thread to read the whole megillah.)

Caleb Tucker-Raymond, who expertly manages Oregon's VR service, started the thread and summed up some of the key points in this post, excerpted below:

• Sarah Houghton mentioned multiple librarians need to be able to monitor a single screen name.
• Jean Ferguson said that she that her campus enterprise IM software (Jabber) doesn't talk to commercial IM networks (like AOL).
  
• Jean also mentioned the need for a solution for the patron without an account (such as, come in anonymously over the web)

All true, all true. But Sharon Morris, until recently the VR Coordinator for AskColorado (congrats on the new job Sharon!) hit the collaborative VR software nail squarely on its pointed little head when she wrote:

24/7 availability is essential to making libraries accessible anywhere, anytime on the Internet. IM at this point does not offer the extra staffing/cooperation model that makes VR such an amazing step forward for library services on the Internet. (emphasis is mine.)

VR software gives us the power to collaborate. That gives us the power to offer 24/7 service and THAT makes customers (and the press) sit up and take notice. It also gives regional and statewide VR collaboratives the ability to market a single, powerful, expectation-busting, W-O-W, library service. We don't get opportunities like that every day. Bottom line: Beyond the fact that VR software gives us the power to offer convenient, relevant, 24/7 service, it gives us the power to change peoples' perceptions about libraries. I would argue that we have done just that. In my book that far outweighs any of the downsides that Lupien raised about the bugginess and technical limitations of VR software. Perhaps I should say, far outweighs for now...

One final, more personal point before wrapping this up. I'm unhappy with the snarky tone I took in responding to Lupien's article in part one, and I realize it was not productive to take such a tone. It came partly from writing much to late, while far too tired, and partly from my own deep wish for librarians to stay focused on the bigger picture of customer experience, and my perception that the article lacked that focus (whether it did or didn't, dear reader, you may decide.) I am not trying to make excuses for my snarkiness, just offering a little self-reflection from a nascent blogger, tinged with a bit of regret. I will try to do better.

I am convinced that Pascal Lupien cares deeply about the vitality and relevance of libraries and the importance of customer experience. I recently found a copy of his presentation, (along with Lorna Rourke) Adding a Personal Touch to a Virtual World, presented at Computers in Libraries, 2006. This presentation gave me a fuller picture of Pascal Lupien's attitudes, concerns, and values and I found myself nodding in almost constant appreciation and agreement with his work.

OK, that's all I'll be posting about VR for now. Back to customer service!

Technorati Tag: vr | Technorati Tag: virtual reference | Technorati Tag: im | Technorati Tag: instant messaging