As our profession contemplates the future of libraries, a recurring theme surfaces: that the public trust and faith in the institution is not so much about information retrieval or document management as it is about the intangibles—the relationships, the place, the environment for learning. It is top-notch customer service that will sustain and grow libraries. In this edition of “What’s New @ WJIL” you’ll find the tools that can help you build a top-notch reputation for customer service in your library.
Contents: Resources | Courses and Learning | Community | What could I do with…? | What’s New RSS Feed 
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Resources
Pierce County Library System’s “Skills & Qualities”
- This document defines the core skills and qualities every employee needs to be successful through a short, universal list of personal skills or qualities (some call them “behavioral competencies”). This list of skills and qualities serve as the foundation for how Pierce County Library System in Tacoma, Washington handles hiring, evaluation, and staff training.
- Path: [Library Management » Customer Service & Interpersonal Skills]
Customer Service Models for the Special Library
- The author explores three customer service models for the special library – one hour dry cleaners, the grocery store, and the fast food restaurant.Technology Vision Statements
- Path: [Library Management » Customer Service & Interpersonal Skills]
Walking the Talk – Diversity Workshops
- As part of their continuing committment to celebrating the diversity of library users, staff and community, the Lincoln Trail Libraries System encourage library staff to take advantage of the “Walking the Talk” workshops conducted by Susan O’Halloran. These session are reproduced in streaming video format for broad access. Please visit the Library Diversity website for versions in QuickTime and for additional resources.
- Path: [Library Management » Customer Service & Interpersonal Skills » Diversity]
Difficult Patron Behavior: Success Stories from the WebJunction Community
- From policy to principles, and from chicken soup and comic relief: how WebJunction members handle difficult patron situations.
- Path: [Library Management » Customer Service & Interpersonal Skills » Difficult Patrons]
- The New Employee Buddy Program is a program at the library where each new employee is paired up with an experienced employee for the first 30-days of employment.
- [Library Management » Customer Service & Interpersonal Skills » Coworker Relations]
Courses and Learning
You’ll find a great selection of customer service courses in the WJIL Course Catalog under the Customer Service & Interpersonal Skills category—courses such as the following.
- Customers, Confrontation and Conflict
- Identifying Your Customer’s Expectations
- Managing Difficult Patrons with Confidence
- Providing Excellent Customer Service in a Multi-Cultural Environment
All courses listed above are free to eligible and registered users of WJIL.
Community
Researching Communities to Prepare for the Future
- The Researching Communities to Prepare for the Future study interviewed over 140 residents in 15 communities across Illinois, to discover what communities want from their libraries in the future. Final project reports, resources, templates and methodology are included.
- [Library Management » Customer Service & Interpersonal Skills » Researching
What Could I do with…the PCLS “Skills and Qualities”?
The Pierce County Library System in Tacoma, Washington has developed a list of core Skills and Qualities that every library employee needs to be successful. Based on such things as “Customer Focus,” “Teamwork” and “Professional Integrity” they have defined what these skills do and don’t look like in the work place in order to better be able to assess potential and current staff. You may want to use this helpful resource as a starting point in your library to improve customer service and co-worker relationships.