Martin PalmerInterim Libraries Manager:Essex County Council: Libraries

Making it Happen

RFID and Public Libraries – Making It Happen- APPENDIX 7

MMIT NW Beyond the Barcode 21 May 2007

Essex County Council

Making it Happen

RFID and Public Libraries – Why?

Range of Challenges –

• Negative perceptions – “Sleepwalking to Disaster”?

• Comparisons with retail sector – need to modernise…

• Increasing range of services

• Need to make better use of staff

• Framework for the Future

• Gershon efficiencies…

Essex County Council

Making it Happen

RFID and Public Libraries – Why?

Offers potential for better customer service through:

– radical process re-engineering

– changes in staff role

– staff savings…?

– more flexible use of buildings

– change in image…?

Essex County Council

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RFID and Public Libraries…But…

• Expensive

• Few standards

• Different systems, work in different ways

• No interoperability

• RFID still comparatively rare at item level…

Essex County Council

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RFID and UK Public libraries – take-up

• CILIP Survey November 2006 -

• Public library authorities with RFID = 18

• Public library branches with RFID = 51

• Range of branches per authority with RFID = 1 – 16

Essex County Council

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RFID and Essex Libraries

In the beginning… 1998 – 2003

• Colchester – security system problem

• RFID offered a “value-added” solution

• Best Value Review (2000-2001): self service a priority

• Colchester - live September 2003

Essex County Council

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Colchester showed that…

RFID potential can be realised…

– Popular with public

– Frees up staff time

– Opens up library layout

– Makes re-branding/modernisation easier

– And more…

(it also fixed the security system problem…)

Essex County Council

Making it Happen

RFID and Essex Libraries

Expand and Develop… 2003-2005

• Basildon – large town library

• Thaxted – rural library linked to community college

• Bishops Park – part of extended school

Essex County Council

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RFID in Essex Libraries

Business Case for RFID based on a mix of:

– Making Gershon efficiencies (2.5% per year)

– Making better use of staff time

– Needing fewer staff – saved by natural wastage

– Extending opening hours

– Contribution to corporate agenda

• “Council’s Front Door…” Partnership working…

Essex County Council

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Efficiencies…

Experience at first 4 libraries demonstrated:

RFID self service should account for at least 50%

of all loan transactions – issues and returns – at any site

Essex County Council

Making it Happen

% of current counter routine staff

35%

50%

15%

Saving for Gershon target/increasedICT cost

Retained resource

Floorwalking/increased openinghours

Essex County Council

Making it Happen

RFID and Essex Libraries

The rollout… January 2006 – March 2007

• 31 more sites over 15 months

• Completed on schedule and within budget

• 35 live sites at present

Essex County Council

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RFID library vision

An Essex RFID library will be…

• Welcoming

• Easy to use

• Stimulating

• Contemporary

Essex County Council

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Vision in practice…

• Staff at all levels working actively with customers

• Express Zones to help improve satisfaction with stock

• Every customer transaction is a positive experience

Essex County Council

Making it Happen

Essex County Council

Making it Happen

Staff development – new roles

• Library Assistant → Customer Services Assistant

• Pro-active: floor-walking, not book-stamping

• Training and development to support change

– FISH!

– Frontline

– Retail techniques: John Stanley Associates

Essex County Council

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FISH!•Choose your attitude

•Be there

•Make their Day

•Fun!

Essex County Council

Making it Happen

Frontline

• Supporting customer service

• Booktalking…

• Displays

Essex County Council

Making it Happen

Retail techniques…

John Stanley Associates…

– Service presentation

– De-clutter the library

– De-stress the customer

– Transition zones

– Power Displays

– Hunters and gatherers

Essex County Council

Making it Happen

Floorwalkers… what do they do?

• Host role…

• Engage with customers…

(but, distinguish between hunters and gatherers…)

• Offer help, answer enquiries…

• Maintain Express Zones…

• Make library visit enjoyable and positive…

Essex County Council

Making it Happen

Floorwalkers – other benefits?

• According to WalMart…

– Shoplifting is reduced by 35% where greeters are employed

to say “hello”…

– Thieves loathe shops with friendly, attentive staff…

– Eye contact is the essential componentQuoted in Publishing News

October 2006

Essex County Council

Making it Happen

Stock – selection and presentation

• Express Zones –

Books you don’t have to think twice about borrowing

Essex County Council

Making it Happen

Making it Happen - Standards

• Buildings

• Helping customers

• Presentation of libraries

• Performance management

Essex County Council

Making it Happen

Essex County Council

Making it Happen

Essex County Council

Making it Happen

Essex County Council

Making it Happen

Essex County Council

Making it Happen

Essex County Council

Making it Happen

Essex County Council

Making it Happen

Essex County Council

Making it Happen

Essex County Council

Making it Happen

Essex County Council

Making it Happen

Essex County Council

Making it Happen

Essex County Council

Making it Happen

Essex County Council

Making it Happen

What do the public think?

• What a great idea! – easy to use…

• A great improvement…

• We find the facilities and layout very convenient –

attractive ambience…

Essex County Council

Making it Happen

Self service take-up?

• April 2007 – average across 35 libraries:

–Self issue: 66.7%

–Self return: 85.5%

Essex County Council

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Increase in use…?

• Over half of the RFID rollout libraries are exceeding

their targets for visits – some, such as Witham (+19%)

and Loughton (+18%) by a significant margin…

• Loans starting to rise again…

Essex County Council

Making it Happen

User satisfaction up 5.8%...

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10

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%

Very sat Fairly sat Neither/nor Fairly diss Very diss

Changes in public satisfaction with Essex Libraries 2003-2006

2003

2006

Essex County Council

Making it Happen

What next?

• Further increase in take-up of self service

• Introduce self service payment from June…?

• More libraries…?

• Make (better) use of RFID in stock management…

• Make use of RFID in Acquisitions…