Do Sweat the Small Stuff
No, this isn’t another post about cell phone usage, but I’ve been struck lately by the difference little things can make to people’s perceptions of their public libraries. To wit:
- Yesterday I got an e-mail from my library that I’d returned a case without a CD, and to please bring back the CD. Wondering what kind of fines I’d accrued, I logged into my account to find that they’d renewed the CD for me so I wouldn’t see any. I {heart} my library.
- When visiting the little branch library mentioned previously, we were using the self-checkout station when up popped a password prompt saying: “ITEM NOT DISCHARGED, ENTER OVERRIDE.” Not patron-friendly language there, and I wonder how many people stand there typing in their e-mail or other passwords before giving up.
- My mom will no longer visit a certain local library. This is largely because, while browsing once, she stood a book on top of the shelf and was accosted by an overzealous security guard. “Ma’am, you’re not allowed to display books in this library.” She explained she just put it there while bending down to look at the bottom shelf, to no avail.
All of these things are minor, but each leaves a lasting impression. We could probably all benefit from taking a step back and thinking about the impression our “small stuff” is making.
practical katie:
That’s an excellent observation. I have a friend who is a librarian who won’t visit the public library because of an argument over fines YEARS ago. Those little things make a huge difference.
10 July 2007, 5:10 pmDale:
I think it’s an important part of library administration’s job to listen to these customers (those who make the effort to call or write) and to then see if changes need to be made–while always supporting staff, who almost without exception were following library policy or what they had been informed was library policy.
I once quit shopping at an independent bookstore for years over a disagreement with an employee. The bookstore, like many libraries, kept the bathrooms locked. I asked if I could use the restroom key. The employee said that I had to be a customer. I explained that I shopped there a lot, and she could check my account to see that, and that I was going to buy something (a book and a coffee) that day, but I just wanted to use the restroom first. The employee yelled at me that I didn’t understand how difficult the job was. I calmly said that I did, I worked at a library in the same neighborhood, where we also kept the bathroom door locked. I then offered to pay for the coffee (I hadn’t selected a book) first. No, she said, you’re trying to cheat. So I left, then called the manager, who without even hearing the story said that he wasn’t getting involved in any dispute about the bathroom. He had set the “customers only” rule and that was just that. So, my book-buying dollars went to the chain bookstore!
Little things do matter a lot.
11 July 2007, 11:13 amAnonymous:
As a leading vendor in supplying library automation equipment I applaud your honesty. Many times decision to purchase equipment are driven by politics and aesthetics and NOT patron acceptance and the general, overall patron satisfaction.
To that effect, we constantly conduct surveys and feedback group sessions to provide libraries the most patron friendly system in the world (with hundreds of successful locations across the country to prove it).
Thanks,
Oleg
President/CEO
12 July 2007, 1:53 amLibrary Automation Technologies Inc.
http://www.LATcorp.com