Post on 14-Feb-2017
LIBRARY TRANSFORMATION ON A BUDGET
STRATFORD PUBLIC LIBRARY
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TODAY’S AGENDA
Overview of SPL Staff reorganization
Service changes results Discussions
Library renovations
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About SPL• 1903 Carnegie Library• 32,000 population• 8,761 active card holders• 355,541 annual circulation• 84,354 items in physical
collection• 171,058 visitors in 2016• 12,472 net sq ft / 17,202 gross
sq ft over 3 floors• 35 employees (15 FT, 20PT)
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Strategic plan 2013-2018
Provide Leadership in establishing a community technology commons
Address facility needsLaunch a re-branding campaign
Create a Culture of Continuous Improvement & Community Collaboration
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OUR approach
To improve the building
To develop staff and improve the customer experience
To redevelop services so that they resonated with the public
New Mantra…It’s all an experiment!
Space reorganization
2012
No Money…
Main Floor – aka Adult floor
• dated• lots of barriers• inaccessible• overburdened shelves• cluttered• little area for seating• people came… and left
No Money…
Before
After
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OUR GAME PLAN
Step 1
measure
Step 2
staff buy in
Step 3
weed
Step 4
do it yourself!
One Weekend that made a HUGE difference• Weeded 15,000 items• Moved 30,000 items• Rearranged shelving• Reshelved 30,000 items• Put it all back together again
17hours
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Food $ 350
Dump Fees $ 250
Truck Rental & Gas $ 435
Supplies (mallets & rags) $ 75
Steel Reimbursement $ -200
$ 910.00
FINAL PRICE
Let’s do it again!
Before
After
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OUR GAME PLAN
Step 1
measure
Step 2
staff buy in
Step 3
weed
Step 4
do it yourself!
One morning that made a HUGE difference• Moved 23,700 items• Rearranged shelving• Reshelved 23,700 items• Put it all back together again
6hours
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Food $ 50
Paint $ 244
Drywall $ 432
Junk Removal $ 316
Supplies (mallets & rags) $ 0
$ 1,042.00
FINAL PRICE
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And then Winnifred Henderson happened
Furniture notes• Buy the best your budget allows – you want it to last!• Go beyond the library market• Buy washable – especially in
children’s area• Prices are not always as posted
(and look for coupon codes!)• Factor in shipping• Remove the ugly
Rearranging made a HUGE difference• Teamwork• Sense of ownership• Built trust • Built community• Immediate results!• People now come and stay
2016
Staff reorganization
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A few things were going on• Stable staff composition• Irregular performance reviews• Very small training budget
Why the need?
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Our budget conscious process
What we did• New organizational structure• Task reassignment process• Workflow changes• Customer service standards• SOLS competencies
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Professional development
We liked disliked• Individual executive coaching • SOLS APLL program• SOLS Competencies • Webinars• Sharing positive stories• Plasticity
• Staff led workgroups(without manager present)
• Group leadership training
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YOUR TURN!
BUILDING TRAINING SERVICES
What PD do you offer a resistant employee?
How do you create quiet space in an
open layout?
How do you make the switch to ARPs?
COFFEE?
Service changes
Service =
Collections
Public Service &
ProgrammingAccess
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Community engagement methods• Counting Opinions (650 respondents)• Visioning Event “Our Library Tomorrow”
(October 2011)• Focus Groups (14 consultations)• Staff Feedback
Ripe for change
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Ripe for change
Clearly, there is room for improvement to be made, given that 42% (of 1,174) comments made express some form of dissatisfaction with the Library by patrons..
“”
Laura Dent, Consultant
No Money…
Standards is theMagic word
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Access
I have difficulty walking andfind the Stratford library has to be the most difficult public building to
access… not to mention thelack of parking.
“
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A library clearly trying to offercurrent services in a building that
cannot support them properly.It must be horrible to access this building if you are handicapped.
“
”
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Access
My only complaint is that it is not openon Monday mornings or on Sundays during the summer. I think it should be open during those
times as well. But other than that, it is great library with a very helpful and friendly staff.
Thanks!!!
“
”
No Money…
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1.PHYSICAL REORGANIZATION
2.EXTENDED HOURS
WE RESPONDED
3. STAFF REORGANIZATION
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Sundays Open Year Round $ 10,000
Monday Mornings $ 0$ 10,000
FINAL PRICE
Public Service &ProgrammingPatrons indicate that some
of the staff could be friendlier.
“”
Laura Dent, Consultant
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Public Service
Staff is not very friendly. Very seldom greeted when checking out
books. Sometimes there is no spoken communication at all.
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The feelings I get from eachof these interactions is that we are a burden they don’t want and they wish we would just go and use the steps
and stop bothering them.
“
”
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Public Service
It seems like there's a lotof tension at SPL, not a relaxing
place for patrons to be for that reason and because of the lack of space and
cramped quarters and limited selection.
“
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The staff talk too loud inthe library, and patrons follow suit.
Staff should demonstrate and enforce library decorum:
quiet for all, peaceful contemplation, reflection, and study.
“
”
86
Public Service
Excellent, helpful staff.“ ”
I feel the staff do a Herculean jobunder the circumstances.“ ”
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Developed Standards
Response
• Patrons are our first priority• Issues = inconsistent
behaviours & no clear goals for frontline activities
• Standards clearly describe the outcome desired as well as the model behaviours expected
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StandardsDeveloped by the NEW service teams with strong manager involvement, directing discussion & resultsBased on:• Best practices alongside our experiences• SOLS Core Competencies• Subject to Administrative team approval for consistency• Adopted by ALL not just professionals• Training!
Response
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Customer Service Standards• Welcoming Introductions• Welcoming Interactions• New Membership Orientation
Response
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Reader’s Advisory Standards• RA Basics• RA Conversations• RA Appeal Factors• RA Genres• RA Annotations• RA Tools
Response
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Search Standards• Coming in 2017
We Responded: How
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EDGE assessment & Benchmarks• Creation of Core Tech
Competencies for all Staff• Technology Plan to meet
Benchmarks
RESPONSE
www.libraryedge.org
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Every Child Readyto Reads (ALA)• Focus on Talking, Singing,
Reading, Writing, Playing• Children’s programming• Children’s space design
response
Talk
Write
SingRead
Play
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Outcome basedplanning & evaluation
response
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Every Child Ready to Read documents $ 100
Brain Power $ 0$ 100
FINAL PRICE
Collections
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Counting Opinions: Service 2011
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
Library Collection
Online Tools
ILLO
General Satisfaction
Ease of Service Use
Wait Times
Collection
Kids Programs
Fines
Rerserves
Positive Negative
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Collections
Teen books should be organized better, they need more space. Also, I would enjoy if you had more magazines, and if you displayed the movies better and the CDs better.
“
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New Releases are limited.More DVDs please!
“”
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Collections
My frustration with the facilities is tempered by the on-line services. I can browse at home and then try to visit during slower times to ensure I can find parking.
“
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Love the e-books and look forward to watching the
collection grow.
“”
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Collections
Staff member X does a terrific job every month bringing in book club sets for us.
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Some items have a long waiting list e.g. literary prize contestants, best sellers.
“”
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Reorganization of Physical Space• Weeding, Weeding, Weeding• Emphasize popular collections• Adding display shelves in stacks• CKI Room & dedicated staff =
efficient turnaround• Intra & ILLO Items
Response
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Auto release plan
• Saves time!• Get items faster• Allows staff to focus on more
important tasks
Response
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Collection Standards• Not a repository for dusty old books• Every item must earn its keep• PCIN Catalogue & ILLO complement
holdings• More $$ shifted to high demand
collections• Written standards coming in 2017
We Responded: How
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Brain & Person Power $ 0
CollectionRearrangement $ 0
ARP $ 0
$ 0
FINAL PRICE
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Access, Public Service & Programming
We liked disliked• Easy wins (eg. Book Clubs)• Flexibility in Schedules• Standards• Outcomes captured & shared• Time shifting webinars• ARPs
• Staff led workgroups(without manager present)
• OPLA Readers Advisory Group Core Competencies & Toolkit
Impact & outcomes
Was it worth it?
108
Customer service satisfaction scores….
2015 over 2012
It’s working!
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Positive Press!
110
Foot Traffic going up!
120,000
140,000
160,000
180,000
2014 2015 2016
19%Increase!
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Web usage is up!
24%
12%
48.6%
webpage visits over 2014
website visits over 2014
individual users over 2014
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Children’s Program attendance
increase in 2015 over 2014
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Circulation…
Experiment is working!
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Thank you!
stratford.library.on.ca @splibrary #StratfordPLSlides: goo.gl/c8rzhh
Julia MerrittCEO
jmerritt@stratfordcanada.ca
Wendy HicksDeputy Director
whicks@stratfordcanada.ca
Krista RobinsonSystems Librarian
krobinson@stratfordcanada.ca