Us and Them: shaping a customer service culture in

librariesMaxine Melling, Director of Learning and

Information Services, Liverpool John Moores University

Case Study

Working Together Project, Vancouver Public Libraries – “a community development approach to putting library skills at the service of the community by working with them to link library services to community understanding of its needs”

http://www.librariesincommunities.ca/

How do we demonstrate our values?

Messages

Language

In the trenches: military images Crime and punishment: the

delinquent borrower OPACs, authentication and class.

numbers Incompetence v. Presumed

intelligence

Space

Accessibility Self evident and customer-owned Interactive not controlling Way-finding rather than dependent

on staff help Consolidated help desk – roving/on-

call staff help The role of security barriers

RULES AND REGULATIONS

Strategy & policy

“library & information managers need to ensure that their policies and strategies reflect a culture of real customer service. The key to achieving this is to build customer perspectives into your planning process” A McDonald, Vancouver Public Library

“Customer service is as much about purpose and culture as it is about services and delivery. We need strategic management that brings together corporate values, planning and organisational responsibilities” Sheila Corral, Sheffield University

Identification of needs, VPL

Traditional model

DataStatisticsUser surveysComments cardsDemographic trends

Community-based model

Meet people where they are

most comfortableConnect-consultCollaborateBuild relationships

basedon trust and respect

Service planning, VPL

Traditional model

Senior staff develop service

proposals to addressidentified prioritiesStaff are consultedReference toliterature/

conferences etc.

Community-based model

Library and community act

as partners in planning

Community involved in

stock/services selection

Work collaboratively to

develop policyrecommendations

Evaluation & measurement

Discussions Narrative based – allow people to

use their own language Perceptions based (e.g. LibQual) Qualitative –what else? Focus groups etc. Non-use Segmentation

Staff Critical thinking & self-

awareness Humility Contextual listening Empathy

“we’re going to try to help staff understand that when we say we use our values to inform our work we’re talking about the library’s values”

Diana Guinn, Supervisor VPL

“Barriers are pervasive…sometimes they are the

result of institutional goals at…management level,

while at other times they emerge from the personal

beliefs of staff at the public service level”.

Randy Gatley, Community Development Librarian,

Vancouver Public Library