All posts by Editor

The Missing Piece: Outreach to College/University Staff Members

Essay, , , , , ,

Jennifer (Castaldo) Hill
Distance Education Librarian and Electronic Resources Manager
Johns Hopkins University

Abstract

Many academic library mission statements include the phrase, “students, faculty, and staff” when referencing the populations that they serve, but how active are we really at reaching out to non-library staff members at our colleges and universities?  Libraries typically spend time and energy marketing to students and faculty, but the staff component of our missions can often be overlooked.  During the 2012 school year, the Excelsior College librarians implemented three methods to increase staff awareness and use of the library’s resources and services. Through our Community Forum, on-site reference hours in the cafeteria, and virtual brown bags targeting specific staff groups, we are making inroads to actively engage staff members.

Keywords:  Academic Libraries, Marketing, Distance Education, Universities & Colleges

Continue reading The Missing Piece: Outreach to College/University Staff Members →

The Library Concierge Project at Stanford University

Peer-Reviewed Article, , , , , , ,

Author: Chris Bourg [i]
Assistant University Librarian for Public Services
Stanford University Libraries

Abstract

To meet the challenge of ensuring that library staff and scholars/patrons are aware of the full range of resources and services offered through the library, the Stanford University Libraries initiated a Library Concierge Project in November of 2011. This article describes the program and provides an assessment of how well the Library Concierge Project has met its goals of promoting a service-focused culture and educating staff.  A description of the concierge concept in action is also provided, along with anecdotal evidence of the impact of the project on supported scholars.

Continue reading The Library Concierge Project at Stanford University →

Developing Hybrid Models for Library Customer Service Standards

Peer-Reviewed Article, , , ,

Author: Cherry-Ann Smart
Special Collections Librarian
University of the West Indies, Mona Campus

Abstract

Purpose – This paper explores issues surrounding customer service in libraries.  It encourages the development of hybrid models for customer service standards based on institutional and local culture, technology, and the involvement of staff and stakeholders.

Design/methodology/approach – Posits that technology in library operations emphasizes the human element which is important for service delivery and good customer relations.  Suggests if clear parameters about policies are not established and communicated to both parties prior to administration of service polls, library staff may become disenfranchised by negative results.  Further suggests that if this baseline is not first established survey responses may be flawed and caution should be applied when benchmarking.  By reviewing the literature and polling professional and para-professional staff of one academic library in Jamaica, the author recommends the creation of hybrid models of customer service standards, especially for developing countries.

Findings – The paper supports libraries’ development of their own hybrid models to improve the customer service encounter.

Research limitations/implications – The paper demonstrates that imbalance in the manager-patron-staff triage as a result of historical, socio-economical, and cultural factors may be a possible barrier to excellent customer service in academic libraries and needs to be further explored.

Practical implications – The paper provides a practical guide for libraries interested in developing hybrid customer service standards.

Originality/value – This conceptual paper reviews customer service delivery from a developing country viewpoint and deliberates the implications of importing alien practices, while ignoring existing constructive practices which may be integrated to offer more effective service.

Continue reading Developing Hybrid Models for Library Customer Service Standards →

Introducing the editors: Marie Kennedy

From the editors, ,

Who are you? 

One reason I’m an electronic resources librarian is because e-formats and the role of the  librarian to manage those formats are not yet figured out; there’s no “right” way to do any of this stuff. The non-standardization of this type of job leaves a lot of room for creativity, for partnerships and collaborations, and for invention. It is this entrepreneurial spirit that gets me up in the morning, ready to figure out new ways to engage our patrons with e-content.

Why are you involved in this new journal?

In addition to an MSIS I have an MFA in photography (my CV), and I find a lot of similarities in the processes of librarianship and art-making; there are a few required steps that are followed in a pattern, and there are nods to those who have come before us, but then it’s up to us to design the future of the field. Carving out a space in the literature for sky’s-the-limit thinking  about libraries makes sense to me. 

What would you like to accomplish as an editor? 

I want to shine a spotlight on ideas that dare, that cajole, and that expand our thinking on topics.

The Library as Visual Workplace

Essay

Christopher Raab
Archives & Special Collections Librarian
Franklin & Marshall College

Visual solutions offer the simplicity library employees (and patrons) need.

Have you ever worked at the information desk and found yourself answering the same directional question again and again? Or gone to the closet to retrieve a new toner cartridge only to discover the supply exhausted? Have you ever spent twenty minutes looking for an extra book truck, only to find five tucked away in the gift processing area? Well, if you have, chances are you’re not alone. So how do librarians avoid these frustratingly repetitive tasks and breakdowns in communication? The solution is to transform the academic library into a Visual Workplace, where the answers to vital questions and supply chains are literally installed into the work environment, as close to the point of need as possible.

Continue reading The Library as Visual Workplace →