We invite you to explore all of these resources and to contribute news and information from your library to the section. For Twitter users, the hashtag #libs4jobs will pull your tweets into the Workforce Resources page.

What do patrons think are the important factors in the success of your library? Funded by an LSTA grant, 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. In this What’s New @ WJIL you can learn from the results, read the Community reports and train your staff on the top 6 factors for a successful public library.

Contents: Resources | Courses and Learning | Community | What could I do with…? | What’s New RSS Feed

“What’s New” RSS Feed

Want the latest “What’s New @ WJIL” to come to you? Add the RSS feed to your blog reader.
[http://webjunctionworks.org/il/blog/index.php/category/new-wj-il/feed/]

Resources

Researching Communities to Prepare for the Future: Final Report

• The focus of this study was to find competencies which would help public libraries to be successful. This was accomplished by compiling a list of 25 important service competencies in four general categories (See Appendix A). Partner libraries were recruited (See Appendix B) from around the state, and researchers went to their communities and talked to people. The Q Method was used to ask community members to rank the competencies and emerged with three important groups of library users as well as competencies generally important to them all.
• Path: [Library Management » Customer Service & Interpersonal Skills » Researching Communities to Prepare for the Future (IL)]

Community Reports for Participating Libraries

• Completed Community Reports in PDF format for Arlington Heights, Barcley Warrensburg, Bartlett, Belleville, Bloomington, Edwardsville, Effingham, Galesburg, Mason City, Nokomis, Palatine, Pinkneyville, Rochester, Salem.
• Path: [Library Management » Customer Service & Interpersonal Skills » Researching Communities to Prepare for the Future (IL)]

Preliminary Q Data Report Researching Communities Project

• A short overview of the results from the Researching Communities. The report includes the three patron groups that developed from the survey results.
• Path: [Library Management » Customer Service & Interpersonal Skills » Researching Communities to Prepare for the Future (IL)]

Competency Cards

• In easy to print card format, these are the 25 competencies used in the Researching Communities project. They can be printed at your desk on standard business card paper.
• Path: [Library Management » Customer Service & Interpersonal Skills » Researching Communities to Prepare for the Future (IL)]

Courses and Learning

Following the completion of the study training was developed by researchers to assist other libraries with the development of the top 6 identified characteristics of a successful library. Each training module consists of an archived online session and accompanying ppt.

1. Library Staff who are Friendly and Knowledgeable

• During the study we learned that patrons and residents want a friendly, knowledgeable library staff. This training course provides ways for staff to refamiliarize themselves with building job skills, handling conflict and presenting a positive attitude. Directors and supervisors might want to use this course to guide discussion during staff development training..

2. Ease of Finding Information

• Patrons want the independence of locating and using library material on their own. This training course provides ways for staff to relook at the library to see how the library highlights its services,  Directors and supervisors might want to use this course to guide discussion during staff development training.

3. Library as a Safe Place for Kids and Teens

• Patron safety, especially for children and young adults, was an expressed concern during the study interviews. This training course provides ways for staff to familiarize themselves with both physical and cyber safety, additionally disaster planning is reviewed. Directors and supervisors might want to use this course to guide discussion during staff development training.

4. Cultural Programs and Exhibits

• Patrons want their library to be at the cultural center of the community with programs and exhibits. This training course encourages staff develop programs highlighting the cultural diversity of the community and region. Directors and supervisors might want to use this course to guide discussion during staff development training.

5. Handicapped Accessible

• Patrons of all ages are concerned their library does not offer services and programs for impaired patrons. Often, the interviewed resident didn’t know the services the library was already offering. This training course provides ways for staff to refamiliarize themselves with serving impaired patrons, and promoting the library’s services. Directors and supervisors might want to use this course to guide discussion during staff development training.

6. Web 2.0

• Residents looks to their library to be experts in all things, but especially technology. Web 2.0 was not originally a competency, but quickly became a topic in the study interviews. This training course provides ways for staff to become familiar with various technologies being used by patrons and libraries. Directors and supervisors might want to use this course to guide discussion during staff development training.

Community

Community Report Template

• Use this template for creating your own community report based on the structure and analysis of the Researching Communities project.

Discussion

• Share your thoughts and ideas about the research and training by clicking on the  Discussion tabs on each page.

What Could I do with…Researching Communities to Prepare for the Future

The research from Researching Communities to Prepare for the Future allows Illinois public libraries to determine future library services and focuses. This is the first known library study to use the Q-Method, a research technique to study the viewpoint of participants.

Prepare your library staff for the future by utilizing the training developed as a part of this research. Take the time during staff meetings to view the archived online sessions, or ask your staff to view the training on their own and then discuss as a part of a staff development day.

I talk about excellent customer service every single day, whether with staff, the membership I serve or on-line. I write the words excellent customer service maybe five times per day, every day, but what does it really mean?

A few weeks ago, I was at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign talking to library science students (something I really love doing!), and they asked me “How would you define excellent customer service?” I rambled off some oblique answer, but on the drive home, I began to really formulate the “excellent” answer.  Here goes, excellent customer service is:

1. Reliable. This is the library’s hallmark and what differentiates us from all others. Libraries are perceived as reliable, authentic, and dependable. To maintain that exalted position, every single customer interaction must be the very best.

2. Timely. In an age of instant gratification, slow service is unacceptable. Our customers want and deserve service now. If not, they will simply go somewhere else! Saying “I will get back to you tomorrow” is no longer an option. Excellent customer service is now!

3. Excellent customer service is personalized. The door is open for better communication when staff smile, and remember a customer’s name or a previous encounter. Personalized service differentiates libraries from the bank or the drivers’ license bureau!

4. Memorable. Simply ask yourself if you would recommend this service to your mom. Memorable service keeps our customers returning, and the returning customer keeps us in business. It’s that simple!
At Alliance, we have quantified excellent customer service with our Customer Service Charter.

The HR Department teaches the charter to new staff during their orientation, and we review it yearly with all staff.  Excellent customer service is reliable, timely, personalized and memorable it is an attitude, requiring our constant vigilance. We are only as good as our last customer interaction!

Library Journal’s annual Best Small Library in America Award, sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, was created in 2005 to encourage and showcase the exemplary work of libraries serving populations under 25,000. Join us for a webinar with Nancy Rosenwald, the library director of this year’s winner, the Union County Carnegie Library of South Carolina. The library was recognized for it’s transformation into an “inclusive, modern, service-oriented, community center”. Come hear how the strategies and tactics applied over the past 3 years have brought renewal to library services in this tiny community in spite of its high unemployment rate and the library’s shoestring budget. Nancy will be joined by Library Journal’s Executive Editor, Rebecca Miller who will provide an overview of the nomination process and details for next year’s award. You’ve got until November 2 to nominate your favorite U.S. small library!

Register for this webinar on L2.

There are a few secrets to this life that I am beginning to appreciate. The first one on my list of revelations is the amazing power of a simple thank you. No kidding, gratitude costs you nothing but a few minutes and the results are astounding. It will have an amazing impact on you as well as the recipient.

For you, a simple thank you will:

• Improve your spirits and simply improve your overall health…I know it sounds trite and simple….but it is true
• Break down barriers and lets your voice be heard
• Empower you to move ahead
• Reduce stress and free you to focus on actions, not negative feelings

Gratitude empowers you to search for new ways to make a difference, it empowers you find the positives and cut out the whining. Gratitude opens doors. For the recipient, a simple thank you will:

• Improve their spirits and overall health; there is nothing more invigorating than being appreciated and thanked
• Enable them to move ahead with a clearer vision of their mission

Much research has been done on the power of thank you. For example:

• A waitress who writes thank you on the bill before handing it to a customer receives, on average an 11% larger tip
• Thankers tend to exercise 10 minutes more
• Thankers tend to get 12 minutes more sleep per day

So what, why should we in the library community care? We meet hundreds of people and are constantly trying to make a difference in the lives of our customers. During these tough times we need all the good will we can muster. When was the last time you thanked a customer, blogger or board member? Have you ever thanked a customer for questioning the libraries Selection Policy?

I challenge you in the next week to make a conscious effort every day to thank two people; thank the custodian, the mailman or a peer. Then ask yourself; is my life better, am I happier, did I really make a difference in someone’s life? I am confident the answer will be yes.