Library Revolution

Read this blog post about the “Death of the Library.”

Can’t say that I agree… but it’s always good to read opposing viewpoints, especially when they may reflect what a good portion of the “non-library” population is thinking.

How can libraries use the knowledge that these arguments are floating around and becoming widespread among our potential users in a constructive way?

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A wonderful colleague of mine said something very interesting (and very true!) over lunch a few weeks ago: “Librarians like to provide services for the people that they know.” She said this with a sigh, going on to point out that this is all fine and good, but that sometimes it leads us to neglect services for other segments of the population we serve just because they’re not already coming in the door.

Please read David Lee King’s excellent post about the dilemma this puts us in.

In one sentence: “Stop ignoring your library’s rapidly-growing digital community.”

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Wow, I wish I could have gone to this!!!

Reading the summary (thanks, Laura for posting it!), I was really struck by just how much I could identify with the comments of the panelists. I can’t even tell you how easily they could have come from my own family and friends… and some of them even from myself! My husband and I are really the only active library users among our immediate family members and in our social circle. And it’s not always easy to find incentives to stay active library users.

Yes, I am a librarian. But I’m also a busy working mother, and I do not work in a library. A lot of the time using the library is something I have to really make a conscious effort to do. And it’s often something that takes a pretty signifigant amount of effort, based on library hours (limited on the weekend), distance from my house (it’s FAR! and in completely in the wrong direction!), and program schedules (why, oh, why are there no weekend toddler programs??).

Of course, I do make an effort to use the library. But it’s not always easy to get what I need. Even as a fellow librarian, I often have a hard time figuring out the cryptic rules and regulations most public libraries (at least in this area) like to enact. You know: You can take out three dvds for seven days, unless they are new - that’s three days. Plus the fine rate for a late return on those is higher. Except for the foreign films. Take as many of those as you want. And that dvd owned by another library… that one is a 10-day loan but you can’t renew it and the fine is half as much as ours. Have a nice day!

The panelists in the session I linked to above also mentioned the issue of being intimidated by the library. I think that crazy confusing rules play a big part in creating a sense of intimidation, at least for me. For others less familiar with public library practices, I can only imagine that being confronted with a two-page handout outlining the rules for registering for children’s programs would make one’s head spin even more. Why do we wonder why folks find libraries intimidating when we make things so hard???

Another thing that makes using the library less than convenient for me is the utter lack of information about the library and it’s offerings that reaches many patrons. I’ve said it before. I’ll say it again. The three public library newsletters that clutter up my mailbox go directly into the trash can with the rest of the junk mail. It’s jsut so much noise competing for my attention. And it loses every time. I’m not alone - I asked my neighbor the other day if she reads the library newsletter. She couldn’t really remember off hand if they even get one. When I told her that we get three on our street, she was confused… if she did pay attention and read it, which one would she read?

What’s really too bad is that so many public libraries depend entirely on a newsletter, a bulletin board in the library and Web site (I also do not go to the library Web site) to communicate their offerings to their patrons. But for many of us, this misses the mark entirely. The panelists suggested reaching out through the local pizza place… now that’s an idea. No matter how busy and distracted I am, there’s always time for pizza. Or the supermarket. Or Starbucks. That’s where I am. That’s where you’ll reach me. (Don’t make me come to you!!)

Librarians are always complaining about image problems faced by the library, and I’m not going to say there is a simple solution to this. But I really think that the problem lies less with the message the library tries to communicate with the community and more with the way that they try to deliver the message. You can have the coolest, hippest library with the greatest services in the world. But if whole segments of your community toss your primary mode of communication directly into the trash without even looking, what good does it do?

OMG! Am I talking about marketing?!?!?!?

For me, the bottom line is convenience. I’ve got 24 hours in my day, and if I take the whole “librarian” aspect of my life out of the equation, going to the library really falls into the “errands I have to do” category — like picking up the dry cleaning, going grocery shopping, and getting the dog groomed. So, for library services to fit into my lifestlye, they need to be fast. Easy. Convenient.

I shouldn’t have to put a lot of effort into informing myself as to what the library has to offer. Because I won’t.

I shouldn’t need a MLS to be able to find something on the shelf when I get there. Because I’d rather sit on my butt and have Amazon or Netflix deliver to my door.

I shouldn’t have to deal with a labyrinth of rules and regulations to sign my kid up for a 30-minute program. “Hi, Gymboree? We’ll be there on Saturday at 10.”

Free is not enough.

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OK, here’s another one I had read, nodded at in agreement, then forgotten about until Bloglines randomly spit it back out at me again.

It’s a post from Library Nation discussing the way the image of the library fits (or doesn’t fit) with our own self image. It references Seth Godin’s post on the way self image and being able to identify with a business or product heavily impacts on buying decisions. I love Seth Godin’s work, so I was really excited to see his comments discussed so nicely in a library-related blog!

Here’s the deal, folks. Libraries have a pretty big image problem. I think we all realize that. But I don’t think many librarians have a good sense of how deeply that image problem may be impacting the amount of “business” we’re getting from our customers.

It’s not just that the patrons coming in the door need to be better informed of what services we have to offer. It’s also that the community as a whole need to be presented with a better image of what the library is and how that can fit with who they are. That’s a much taller order.

Let me put it this way. Most of my friends and family are not library users. Why not? As a group, they are educated, intelligent people who read, watch movies, need and use information, enjoy educational and social activities, and don’t like spending a whole lot of their hard earned cash on these things. So why don’t we see them at the library?

Because libraries are for the poor, the old, and children.

At least, that’s the gut feeling a lot of the people I know, and it doesn’t fit with their own sense of personal identity.

Now before anyone jumps all over me for this, of course I don’t really think this is who libraries are for. And when the people I’m talking about actually think about it, they don’t really believe that either. But it’s the gut impression that many people get when libraries are mentioned – the impression some folks get when they are not thinking real hard about it. It’s an asset to the community as a whole, but not for me. They don’t envision themselves as library users, so they never get so far as to walk in the door and see what the place is really all about.

So what are we doing about it???

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I saw this post the other day, written by Steve Bertrand, Assistant Director of the Kankakee Public Library. Check it out - it’s from a library blog I really love: She Said/He Said:Kankakee Public Library Blog. I always read what Steve and Director Cindy Fuerst have to say. It’s a great example of a library blog where the contributors talk about real library issues in n open, honest, and interesting way. 

This articular post is one I can definitely identify with.  Steve talks about how he isn’t really much of a reader… and neither am I. Sure, I like to read, but I really don’t love it. At least not in the way that a lot of librarians seem to. I mean, so many librarians are really book obsessed! And there isn’t anything wrong with that at all. In fact, it’s a trait I admire and sometimes wish I had more of. And maybe if I had more time, I’d read more voraciously. But probably not.

In using about his similar feeling towards books and reading, Steve poses an interesting question: how do libraries handle dealing with parts of their community who are really not readers? What kinds of services do we offer non-readers, and what are our strategies for reaching out to this segment of our population. (Sorry for the paraphrase, Steve!) He says:

“For centuries, most Libraries’ only strategy for confronting the non-reader was to devise ways to seduce them to start reading. Those who refused were marked up as “lost souls” and ignored… Libraries must understand that non-readers are a tax paying part of our service group who deserve some kind return on their dollar, without having librarians look down there nose at them. As scary as it may sound, people do have a right NOT to read.”

Great comments!  This is a question really worth considering!

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I have no time to deal with your programs.

Sure, I have lots of interests that may or may not be covered by library programming. But I don’t know about them because I live in a zip code that gets blanketed with the newsletters of three libraries - only one of which I can go to for programs. So they all go into the trash with the rest of the junk mail as soon as they get to my house. And since that seems to be the only way to find out about programs, I have no idea they’re going on.

Sure, I have a son who would love to go to something at the library. But it’s way easier for me to pay for him to go to music classes run by a private company. Using them, I can find class schedules months in advance, sign up online, pay online, reschedule makeup classes online, and (most important of all) schedule classes on Saturdays when I don’t have to work.

Sure, I work with libraries all the time and should support them. But I have no time to deal with coming in in person for signups (or calling– but only after a certain hour on a particular day. WTF.), figuring out cryptic rules about what I can and cannot sign myself or my son up for (what do you mean I can’t sign him up for the toddler program if he’s already signed up for that particular storytime? Wha??), or battling other community members for precious openings in the popular programs.

I have no interest in participating in such a mess. Who has the time?

Tell you what. Have some programs I’m interested in. Have them at a time that I can come. Find new, effective ways to let me know about them. Dump all of the stupid rules. Make signing up and attending easier (put it all online!!!!!). And once you get me there, make me want to come back. It’s that simple. And don’t worry so much about the cost of doing this. If it’s worth it, I totally don’t mind paying.

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No, I do not always return my library materials on time. And I don’t even care.

If I have to pay a couple of bucks in fines now and then… so what? It’s worth it for me to be able to live my life on my schedule. I don’t want to revolve any part of my life around when something is due back to the library. It’s just not that important. I’ve got stuff to do.

So hold your horses, library - you’ll get your stuff back. But it will be when I’m good and ready to bring it back.

At 5 cents/day, 10 cents/day,  even $1/day, who cares? The library is still the best deal in town.

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Here’s a Techdirt article talking about the role experience may be playing in the decline of the movie industry. Mike makes a great point, and there are several sentences where I could easily replace the word “movie” with “library.” Can you guess which ones?

I think that the library experience is something worth a lot of thought these days. With online retail spending increasing at a phenomenal rate, many brick-and-mortar stores are focusing on improving their customer’s experience. It’s not just about merchandise - I can get merchandise without leaving my couch.

But while I can order a teddy bear online, I can’t get the experience and fun of building a bear with my son without actually going down to Build-A-Bear Workshop. I can order a new iPod, but a trip to the Apple store with all its bells and whistles and hip factor is worth it for the experience. Whole Foods and Starbucks have made food shopping and coffee drinking fun forms of entertainment rather than stops on the endless errand-train.

These are companies that have really put a lot of effort into appealing to the value a customer places on the experience of purchasing something, not just the product that is being purchased. And more companies are following suit, making efforts to improve face-to-face customer transactions, jazzing up the retail environment, and offering customers perks both tangible and intangible) for coming into the store.

So to get back to movies… and to libraries…

If I can have almost any movie I want at my fingertips quickly, cheaply, and with a minimum of effort (think On Demand, Netflix, even Red Box), why bother going to the movies? Mark Cuban and Todd Wagner are coming up with ways to enhance the moviegoing experience, hoping to shake up the movie house business model a little - and make a fortune doing it.

In a world of easily accessible information, media, books, etc. through online providers (including us!) that make access cheap, easy, and convenient, what can libraries do to enhance the library experience? How can we make a trip to the library worthwhile?

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Laura Solomon posted today about Convenience, asking the interesting question, “How convenient is the public library?”

My reply to her is not very.

She’s right - people (including me!) are ready to pay for convenience, and where libraries and information are concerned, part of that payment is in sacrificing some of the quality content. the fact that the library is free and that it can provide users with high quality information services doesn’t matter if it’s not convenient. That means easy to access, use, and interpret.

Life is short, and we’re all trying very hard to squeeze in as much as we can. So I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that I don’t mind sacrificing a little quality or paying a little to make sure that my needs are filled with a minimum of effort.  Sorry, library, but sometimes you just don’t measure up when it comes to fitting into my life. If Laura is right and “Convenience is King,” the I say long live the king!

I’m really not a pessimist, though. I think that many libraries are already headed in the right direction and there is a lot we can do to make library services more convenient for our users.

I’d love to hear what libraries are doing to reach out to their customers and make library use easier and more convenient… what are you doing at your library? What could you do? What could we all do?

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So the baby is sick today, out for the count with an ear infection. Plus it’s pouring rain and just gross out. So I was delighted to realize that there was a local pharmacy with a drive through window where I could get my son’s prescription filled.

No need to get my cranky, sick, finally sleeping baby out of his carseat, wrestle him from the car into the store, wait 20 minutes trying to keep him from destroying the place, balance him on one hip (squirming and screaming) while I signed the pharmacy paperwork, then schlep him back out through the rain, and wrestle him back into the carseat. I drove up and handed the nice lady the prescription. My son slept while I drove over to the drive-through Starbucks for a cup of coffee. By the time I drove back to the pharmacy, the prescription was ready. I paid, signed, and we went home. And little Robbie got a good nap in. If you have to have a sick baby, this is definietly the way to go!

It made me think how nice it would be if my library had a drive-through window for the hold shelf. I’m definitely a “Drive-by” patron — I do my research online, request the books I want myself, and generally go to the library just to pick stuff up from the hold shelf and drop off the stuff I picked up last time. Browsing rarely factors in, and I’m just not a reference user or program attender (that’s a whole other blog post, let me tell you!). So I’d love anything that would make my drop off/pickup transaction quicker and more efficient.

As much as I like the idea of self checks, I never use the one at my library because they do not have a self serve hold shelf. (Another thing I would LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE.) So I have to trek into the building, stand in line, etc. waiting for someone to help me every single time. That wasn’t such a big deal pre-baby. But now that I have to deal with the aforementioned wrestle in and out of the carseat, the stroller, the toddler ready to wreak havoc, and so on, it is a big deal. Actually, now that I think of it, it really became a big deal when I was pregnant and hated dragging my elephantine ass out off the car and into the building at all. What a difference a drive through would have made then… and what a difference now!!

I can’t imagine that  I’m the only one that would appreciate something like this. Busy parents, the elderly, and people with physical limitations might all take advantage of a service like this, I think. Am I just being lazy? maybe. But I’d like to think I’m also being practical. I lead a busy life, and time is at a premium. So is my sanity, which would be saved a little if I didn’t have to deal with getting in and out of the car to do what is for me a weekly errand along the lines of dropping off dry cleaning (don’t some dry cleaners have drive-throughs?) or doing banking (they definitely have a drive through!). Anything that helps me do errands is welcome because it makes my life easier. And if library pick ups got easier, perhaps I would do it more… that’s good news for the library, right???

OK, OK… so maybe it’s not 100% practical for all libraries. Maybe you don;t have the space or a good building layout to accommodate a drive through. Who knows, maybe there are insurance issues with bringing cars right up to a public building with lots of pedestrians involved. I don’t know - I didn’t really research it. But the point is that we need to think about different ways to make library services easier to use.

As librarians, the library might be the center of our universe, but we really need to remember that for the rest of the population, it’s just another errand among many tasks and duties crowding our lives. Is there a way to make this particular task easier, faster, more efficient? If so, let’s do it! Then let’s make sure people know about it! I think we would all be surprised at the results!!

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