Comments on: Giving the user what they don’t want http://connectinglibrarian.com/2008/05/24/giving-the-user-what-they-dont-want/ Connecting new ideas and technologies with library service Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:22:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: harps http://connectinglibrarian.com/2008/05/24/giving-the-user-what-they-dont-want/#comment-357 harps Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:00:19 +0000 http://connectinglibrarian.com/?p=181#comment-357 The self serve holds is an interesting one. One of our branches has had it as an ongoing trial for quite a while, yet when we refurbished our other branch, management didn't opt to design it in. From what I hear, there's been a lot of trouble, with things being nicked and put out of order. I can see that when we introduce an online or Wii games room that we'll have the protectors of libraries past complaining that "there's young people in there having fun." The thing is, if we only do what we used to do, as a customer suggested to a collegue just last week, we'll go back in the card catalogue days. We shouldn't change for bad reasons (and sometimes you can only suck it and see) but we can't let the whingers and the old school "sushers" who want to go back to 1935 get thier way either, because they're not the future customer. The self serve holds is an interesting one. One of our branches has had it as an ongoing trial for quite a while, yet when we refurbished our other branch, management didn’t opt to design it in. From what I hear, there’s been a lot of trouble, with things being nicked and put out of order.

I can see that when we introduce an online or Wii games room that we’ll have the protectors of libraries past complaining that “there’s young people in there having fun.”

The thing is, if we only do what we used to do, as a customer suggested to a collegue just last week, we’ll go back in the card catalogue days. We shouldn’t change for bad reasons (and sometimes you can only suck it and see) but we can’t let the whingers and the old school “sushers” who want to go back to 1935 get thier way either, because they’re not the future customer.

]]> By: Tania http://connectinglibrarian.com/2008/05/24/giving-the-user-what-they-dont-want/#comment-349 Tania Thu, 19 Jun 2008 11:43:24 +0000 http://connectinglibrarian.com/?p=181#comment-349 Hi Michelle Do we really give users what they don't want? Or do we try to find things they will want but that they haven't thought about? :) We introduced self serve holds well over 12 months ago, in an effort to actually have better customer service. Having users get their own holds means that other users are not waiting while we get them and it makes people wait even less than they did. Complaints? Yes - from some staff who, believe it or not, think it is bad customer service for a patron to get their own holds. I look at it this way - they also get their own books, do they not? We don't escort them around the library getting books off the shelf for them, do we? If we see a user having trouble with the system, or we think they won't be able to find the hold, we always go and help, as the reservations are close to the desk. I am all for at least trialling what users don't want :) Hi Michelle

Do we really give users what they don’t want? Or do we try to find things they will want but that they haven’t thought about? :)

We introduced self serve holds well over 12 months ago, in an effort to actually have better customer service. Having users get their own holds means that other users are not waiting while we get them and it makes people wait even less than they did. Complaints? Yes - from some staff who, believe it or not, think it is bad customer service for a patron to get their own holds. I look at it this way - they also get their own books, do they not? We don’t escort them around the library getting books off the shelf for them, do we? If we see a user having trouble with the system, or we think they won’t be able to find the hold, we always go and help, as the reservations are close to the desk.

I am all for at least trialling what users don’t want :)

]]> By: Meredith http://connectinglibrarian.com/2008/05/24/giving-the-user-what-they-dont-want/#comment-337 Meredith Sun, 25 May 2008 12:35:16 +0000 http://connectinglibrarian.com/?p=181#comment-337 Great questions to ask! One I really think about is how many people do you need to hear from before you create a new service? I think I heard from 20 distance learners (out of 1800, so a little over 1% of the population) that ILL was too slow before we changed the way we did it, which was significant work for us. While it's benefited people and it is a great service, I just find it funny that we make decisions based on so little feedback. We may have one group of teens tell us they'd love to have gaming and then assume that gaming is something the population is clamoring for. I think often we base decisions on whether to start/stop a service on not enough research. So essentially, the loudest voices dictate what we do. At least that's how it is where I am. Great questions to ask! One I really think about is how many people do you need to hear from before you create a new service? I think I heard from 20 distance learners (out of 1800, so a little over 1% of the population) that ILL was too slow before we changed the way we did it, which was significant work for us. While it’s benefited people and it is a great service, I just find it funny that we make decisions based on so little feedback. We may have one group of teens tell us they’d love to have gaming and then assume that gaming is something the population is clamoring for. I think often we base decisions on whether to start/stop a service on not enough research. So essentially, the loudest voices dictate what we do. At least that’s how it is where I am.

]]> By: Anne Holmes http://connectinglibrarian.com/2008/05/24/giving-the-user-what-they-dont-want/#comment-336 Anne Holmes Sun, 25 May 2008 01:22:04 +0000 http://connectinglibrarian.com/?p=181#comment-336 Hi Michelle Library users just like many other people don't like change. that became incredibly clear to me during the 1990s local government amalgamations. When we introduced dockets, we had a stamp at the desk for a while so that people could stamp their own items but after a while they just stopped and it was only a few of them anyway. Most borrowers liked the idea of having a list of items they could stick on the fridge as a checklist. At Boroondara we have had self serve reserves for about ten years. It makes life a lot easier for everyone - users don't have to stand in queues to get their holds and library staff don't have to store them behind the desk. I think it's a win-win. Of course, since we stopped charging for reserves in July our reserves have doubled and space is getting to be an issue :>( But we want our resources to be borrowed and they are being borrowed more than ever. Hi Michelle
Library users just like many other people don’t like change. that became incredibly clear to me during the 1990s local government amalgamations.

When we introduced dockets, we had a stamp at the desk for a while so that people could stamp their own items but after a while they just stopped and it was only a few of them anyway. Most borrowers liked the idea of having a list of items they could stick on the fridge as a checklist.

At Boroondara we have had self serve reserves for about ten years. It makes life a lot easier for everyone - users don’t have to stand in queues to get their holds and library staff don’t have to store them behind the desk. I think it’s a win-win. Of course, since we stopped charging for reserves in July our reserves have doubled and space is getting to be an issue :>( But we want our resources to be borrowed and they are being borrowed more than ever.

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