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Creating the Customer-Driven Academic Library
In this book, the author attacks these and other pressing issues facing today's academic librarians. Her trailbrazing strategies centre on keeping the customer's point of view in focus at all times to help you to integrate technology to meet today's student and faculty needs.
194 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
3 people are currently reading
42 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 10, 2011
Considering that this book actually does have some great suggestions for making your space look and feel more welcoming, better-designed, etc., the cover is truly a tragedy. I never would have picked this up given the bad photo and out-of-date cover graphics but it was recommended to me.
Right now, the copy I have is filled with post-it notes marking little ideas that I want to put into practice in our library. The idea that because bookstores make their decisions based on their bottom line they are very focused and have a unified strategy -- well, libraries don't necessarily have a financial bottom line but we can have a philosophical bottom line: a good experience for the library user. Idea: be sure you are measuring useful statistics -- not just counting the same 20 people who come to storytime every week and being glad you had more than 1,000 attendees; try to find out how many "unique" visits you are getting to gauge the depth of your reach into the community. Idea: don't set up the schedule for the convenience of the staff, but for the patrons.
Some of the ideas (like the last one above) are kind of tricky or uncomfortable, but they also sound like they could achieve a lot of the things I want for us. It's also written so that I could immediately see potential applications in my own library -- not just as theory or ideas that read well on paper but then you can't figure out what to do with them.
I borrowed this book through interlibrary loan but I'm considering buying a copy as one of my trustees wants to read it and I can imagine referring back to it from time to time. If you are a librarian and have read this book, I'd love to hear your reaction!
Right now, the copy I have is filled with post-it notes marking little ideas that I want to put into practice in our library. The idea that because bookstores make their decisions based on their bottom line they are very focused and have a unified strategy -- well, libraries don't necessarily have a financial bottom line but we can have a philosophical bottom line: a good experience for the library user. Idea: be sure you are measuring useful statistics -- not just counting the same 20 people who come to storytime every week and being glad you had more than 1,000 attendees; try to find out how many "unique" visits you are getting to gauge the depth of your reach into the community. Idea: don't set up the schedule for the convenience of the staff, but for the patrons.
Some of the ideas (like the last one above) are kind of tricky or uncomfortable, but they also sound like they could achieve a lot of the things I want for us. It's also written so that I could immediately see potential applications in my own library -- not just as theory or ideas that read well on paper but then you can't figure out what to do with them.
I borrowed this book through interlibrary loan but I'm considering buying a copy as one of my trustees wants to read it and I can imagine referring back to it from time to time. If you are a librarian and have read this book, I'd love to hear your reaction!
Currently reading
November 30, 2010I'm just beginning to read this book (why it was written, what the author hopes to achieve). Ch. 1 "Reinventing the Academic Library" has me by the throat. I must look at Scott Carlson's 2001 landmark article "The Deserted Library", which appeared in the Chronicle of Higher Education. (November 16, 2001, A 35: http://chronicle.com/free/v48/i12/12a....) Also of interest: Charles R. Martell's "The Ubiquitous User: A reexamination of Carlson's Deserted Library," portal: Libraries and the Academy 5.4 (October 2005):441.
Some interesting characteristics of contemporary academic libraries requiring consideration:
ignoring customer convenience, the evolution of reference, wasted space, examining the customer experience,customers as individuals, the library staff and library renewal, radical trust, and constraints on the library.
Since I'm very interested in social media and Library 2.0, I was relieved to read:
"At the center of all three developments [Library 2.0, Web 2.0 and Business 2.0]is the belief that information professionals must partner with their users to be successful in the future. In other words, the most effective way to improve library or other services is to let customers participate in their development. We must stop making assumptions about what customers need and let them design their own services. Because its basic tenets originated in the IT community, Library 2.0 is especially concerned with improving the customer's online experience. However, it is also possible to apply Library 2.0 to the customer's experience in a real-world, brick-and-mortar academic library. [italics mine](p. 10)
Another, point of interest was that concerning library staff and meeting the demands of 21st century user needs. The author bemoans, "Judging from the way we hire, train, and supervise our most visible public service staff, the members of the circulation department, we have a long, long way to go. Creating a customer-driven library will require a complete reassessment of library priorities, and achieving these priorities will, in turn, require a complete reassessment of staff resources." (p. 12)
Finally, the author's insights into "Radical Trust". "The term refers to the willingness of library decision makers to trust their customers to help them redefine and redesign the library." Woodward believes that "If we can bring our two worlds together [that of the user and that of the information professional], we may come up with some very revolutionary ideas about library service. Radical trust means acting on those revolutionary ideas event if they contradict what we think we know about libraries." (p. 13)
Some interesting characteristics of contemporary academic libraries requiring consideration:
ignoring customer convenience, the evolution of reference, wasted space, examining the customer experience,customers as individuals, the library staff and library renewal, radical trust, and constraints on the library.
Since I'm very interested in social media and Library 2.0, I was relieved to read:
"At the center of all three developments [Library 2.0, Web 2.0 and Business 2.0]is the belief that information professionals must partner with their users to be successful in the future. In other words, the most effective way to improve library or other services is to let customers participate in their development. We must stop making assumptions about what customers need and let them design their own services. Because its basic tenets originated in the IT community, Library 2.0 is especially concerned with improving the customer's online experience. However, it is also possible to apply Library 2.0 to the customer's experience in a real-world, brick-and-mortar academic library. [italics mine](p. 10)
Another, point of interest was that concerning library staff and meeting the demands of 21st century user needs. The author bemoans, "Judging from the way we hire, train, and supervise our most visible public service staff, the members of the circulation department, we have a long, long way to go. Creating a customer-driven library will require a complete reassessment of library priorities, and achieving these priorities will, in turn, require a complete reassessment of staff resources." (p. 12)
Finally, the author's insights into "Radical Trust". "The term refers to the willingness of library decision makers to trust their customers to help them redefine and redesign the library." Woodward believes that "If we can bring our two worlds together [that of the user and that of the information professional], we may come up with some very revolutionary ideas about library service. Radical trust means acting on those revolutionary ideas event if they contradict what we think we know about libraries." (p. 13)
May 23, 2008
The thesis of the book is centered around the idea that libraries can learn a multitude of practices based on the success of the chain bookstore. Woodward writes a compelling story, as she reviews the bookstore's emphasis on customer service, hours built around customer needs, the inviting physical space that bookstores offer. A worthwhile read for any librarian looking to improve the marketing efforts of their organizations.
July 28, 2011
While this book contains some extremely interesting and helpful suggestions for displays, decor, and ambiance, it also slavishly adopts the corporate model without ever questioning if business principals are appropriate to apply to a non-profit public library. There is a creepy grovelly tone to it, like corporate bookstores are all good because they makes money with no real consideration for the power of community education, organization, and outreach.
July 20, 2008
A great book that points out lots of different ways that you can update your library and make it more appealing to customers. If describes lots of tactics used in the bookstore industry to give librarians a good idea of simple improvements to help spruce up the library.
June 29, 2013
Interesting concepts of creating a "bookstore" mentality in the library. Using attractive displays, being customer driven, and lots of marketing to draw people to the library and continue to use the library.
August 1, 2007
It's possible I had to request this one from the Main UH campus.
Anyhow, here is my note on it:
[http://gypsylibrarian.blogspot.com/20...]
Anyhow, here is my note on it:
[http://gypsylibrarian.blogspot.com/20...]
November 12, 2012
My book review got WAY too long, sorry. I ended up putting it in my blog: http://www.sheldon-hess.org/coral/201...
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews