A Customer Is the Most Important Visitor (Quote)

"A customer is the most important visitor on our premises. He is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He is not an interruption in our work. He is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider in our business. He is part of it. We are not doing him a favor by serving him. He is doing us a favor by giving us an opportunity to do so."

This quote is attributed to Mahatma Gandhi, but the exact source cannot be pinpointed.

Freedom of Information and Privatization of Libraries

A family friend in Idaho sent this newspaper clipping to me.  It's a super reminder of the convenient library services we have in the United States.
  

Thinking of kinds of libraries and how they are run makes me consider the privatization of libraries ... and makes me think of the beginning of libraries in the United States as the "subscription" libraries where members paid fees.  I worry that if libraries become wholly privatized that owners will curb and mold access to information (a la the controlling parties in Ukraine) as well as charge membership fees that will greatly and easily surpass the tax monies patrons currently pay.

Here is a Google Bookmarks link: https://www.google.com/bookmarks/l#!threadID=GIyRVPdy7Dpg%2FBDQoYZAoQ-ablvYsm where I've begun collecting information on Privatization of Libraries.

Customer Service: The Need for Apology, Empathy, and Explanation (A Personal Story)

10:02 p.m.

I huff and I puff and I snuff and I rush
From concourse B
to concourse D

This was after the shuttle bus drove past
the assigned pick up location on my receipt
at

3:10 p.m.
The shuttle drove past
I called the company on the phone
Who said, “Well, we can’t get another driver there for an hour”
in a WAY less than empathetic tone
So I hail a cabbie who was as nice as could be
He had another passenger already – which was lucky for me
Since the cash I was carrying wouldn’t suffice
And the Bloomsbury vendor was generous and nice
She loaned me some cash and told a great story
About her harrowing trip in
Which made this (so far) mishap boring
(She almost missed her flight after locking her keys in her car
and sat next to a long-toed passenger who was truly bizarre.)

At 5:40 p.m.
I’m at Gate D4, but nobody’s boarding
And I wasn’t sure
So I approach Delta staff to make sure that I’m right
With less than three words, she confirms it’s my flight
But neglects to inform
that the plane is delayed because of a storm
Concerned about my connecting flight
I stand in line again to make sure I’ll be alright
Another staff member (tone equally cool)
States “You’ll be fine” in a way that makes me feel like fool

At 10:00 p.m.
As I exit this first flight and see my gate
It’s “BOARDING” – If I don’t run, I’m going to be late!
I huff and I puff and I snuff and I rush
From concourse B to concourse D
“Excuse me! Excuse me!”
Of course, you know, I didn’t “make it in time”
And when I get there, I’m second in line
The unfriendly staff doesn’t bat a lash
As she ignores my sweat and my un-Olympic dash
Instead of a smile and “Sorry” and soothing explanation
She ignores my communication
What is she doing ?!
Staring at her computer screen -- apparently, she’s made me another reservation


There’s much more to tell both in detail and plot
But for a rhyming poem… I’d rather not

Let’s stop the story here and just jump to the moral:

Customer Service is communication in words and in tone –
After an inconvenience,
Apology, Empathy, and Explanation is the touchstone.

Indeed, my customer service awareness and skills during yesterday and today
Have improved 100% -- a GREAT conference take away.

Customer Service: Solve the Problem (Quote)

"Your job is to solve the problem, not to determine who is at fault."
From "Respond Confidently to Customer Complaints" in First-Rate Customer Service newsletter issue 595

Communicating with (Pessimistic) Patrons

NOTE TO SELF ... TRY THESE PHRASES:

I have noticed that ...
It seems that ...

I wish I could ...
I can ...

Even though I can't ____, I can ______

What questions do you have about ______

How would you like to see this resolved?

You did not receive good service, and I apologize for that failure on the part of our organization.

(I found these in a notebook without a citation.  They are probably from Communication Briefings: http://communicationbriefings.com/)

Eye Contact

In January of this year, a few hours before my plane was to leave from Cleveland for Chicago and the ALA Mid-Winter Conference, I stopped in at the Solon Public Library to print my boarding pass.

(I feel pleasantly secretive when I visit public libraries ... critiquing and learning from what I see and experience ... reveling in community and accessible information and stories ... proud to be a contributing member of this institution...)

So as I was thinking these glorified thoughts, the clean-cut male librarian at the information desk greeted me. Clearly and succinctly, he conveyed the information about printing policies. Approachable and professional, he consistently made eye contact throughout the exchange.

That experience flashed through my mind this last week as I signed up hundreds of children for the Summer Reading Club.

How am I coming across? It wouldn't hurt to practice some more eye contact.

Another example of how story and experience bring meaning to read information.

Conversation and Discussion Guide

I've copied the following guidelines from Harwood Institute's "Authentic Engagement" framework. Not only are they helpful during community discussions but ideal in all areas of person-to-person engagement, including interacting with youth during library programming and working with colleagues in committees.

Have a "kitchen table" conversation of no more than fifteen people so everyone can participate and no one dominates.

There are no "right answers" since we all draw on unique experiences, views, and beliefs.

Keep an open mind, and listen carefully to try and understand the views of others, especially those who are different than yours.

Keep the discussion on track by sticking to the questions and not rambling.

It is okay to disagree, but don't be disagreeable. Respond to others as you want to be responded to.

Resources for Serving Tweens (Ages 11-14)

... noted from a session at the Ohio Library Council Northeast Chapter Conference in Fall 2008:




Serving Young Teens and Tweens by Sheila B. Anderson









Not Much Just Chillin': The Hidden Lives of Middle Schoolers by Linda Perlstein









"But I'm Almost Thirteen!": An Action Plan for Raising a Responsible Adolescent by Kenneth R. Ginsburg and Martha M. Jablow



See also the Beloit College Mindset List.

Visit My Professional Wiki

I already have a private wiki that I use to back up my professional documents as I work on them. As mentioned in an earlier post, I have now decided to take this resource a step further.

After researching and playing around with some wikis other than the familiar pbworks, I've decided to stay with this provider. I have created another account under my first and last name that will be used to upload and present the final copies of my storytime handouts as well as any PowerPoint slide shows and accompanying handouts that I may use during various presentations. Among the first uploads are some of those for my "Science Through Stories" presentation for OCTELA at the end of this month.

Take a look: http://hayleymcewing.pbworks.com/

Along these same lines, in a few months I hope to explore the Ohio Ready to Read Wiki and perhaps contribute some storytime handouts there, too.

Here I Am! And Where Are My Friends?

Below are notes from the session "OCLC Reaching Consumers through Nontraditional Methods: What Can WorldCat Do for You?" which I attended at ALA Midwinter in January.

Mashable: the Social Media Guide = Mash-up integrates two sources of data

OCLC Offers:
1) A find your library feature and the ability to make lists and bibliographies
University librarian Jennifer Friedman uses these features in collection development. She can see what items are available at nearby institutions and discover topical books and publishers of niche books to fill collection gaps. She noted that the lists can be imported into Excel. Graeme Williams added that one can make notes, tag, and review list items as well as add items from others’ lists.

2) Interfaces/information that can be accessed by software or API (application program interfaces). An XML layer allows one to present that information in different ways.

3) Metadata “crosswalk” = e.g. send MARC record get back Dublin Core

4) A Developer Network

OCLC is also a partner with many groups such as Google Books, Bibliofile, and QOOP

Andrew Yu of MIT talked about popular platforms in use today, noting that mobile web access through smart phones (iPhone, Blackberry, Android) is surpassing that of laptop computer access. He mentioned that the MIT web is an open source project that is platform neutral. He also noted that the younger generation wants to share with the rest of the world. Instead of being afraid to reveal their location, they state, “Here I am! And where are my friends?”

LNOSCY First Meeting

On January 17 at the first 2010 meeting of the Liaisons with National Organizations Serving Children and Youth (LNOSCY), commitee members were asked to upload pictures to a group Flickr account. These pictures capture developmentally appropriate or developmentally inappropriate practices when working with multi-age children in a public, non-daycare setting.

Our co-chair compared a public library's children's area to a caregiver's family room at home; while public libraries do not meet toddler/preschool daycare standards, we are concerned with a developmentally appropriate environment for multi-aged children.

In our pictures, our co-chair asked us to consider the architecture of our buildings, crafts used in programs (child vs. adult products), general safety and hygiene concerns, and food and animal policies. The pictures will be used during our program at Annual 2010 where we are collaborating with a Deputy Director of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). The program will probably be on Monday, June 28 from 1-3 or 3-5.

This project led to a related discussion about the need to have written policies that support practices. For example, if the library plans developmentally appropriate programs for certain age groups and hopes to draw and keep those participants, there should be a strict age policy posted in the library and on the website. This also means that staff must be consistent in following policies while being cognizant of creating programs for all ages. Sometimes this means using the same, popular topic but adapting the program to fit different age groups' developmental needs. Programming should also appeal to all kinds of readers.

This idea led to a discussion on how to address patron's needs for meeting a child's reading level. One statistical method that was mentioned was the Fry Readability Graph. We talked about how a child's background and experiences as well as his or her emotional development were additional factors in determining what materials the child would be able to understand.

This conversation led to a concern over the perception of reading. The connotations of the phrases "independent reading" versus "reading for pleasure" were discussed.

Lastly, each member was assigned two or three national organizations to contact. I chose the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network (GLSEN) and Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America.

Most of the committee's future discussions will be done using ALAConnect which I have yet to fully explore and utilize.

Conflict Resolution and Classroom Management

Conflict Resolution with Preschoolers

1. Approach calmly, stopping any hurtful actions.

2. Acknowledge children's hurt feelings.

3. Gather information.

4. Restate the problem.

5. Ask for ideas for solutions and choose one together.

6. Be prepared to give follow up support.


From Real Science in Preschool: Here, There, and Everywhere by Polly Neill.

Classroom Management

1. Reduce a child's agitation. Acknowledge his/her feelings by:
A. Identifying it: "You sound disappointed. It can be upsetting when ..."

B. Accepting the feeling, but not the harmful action: "You are so disappointed that you are ... I can't allow that, but you can ..."

2. Open the line of communication.
A. State your expectations.

B. Describe the problem and your disapproval or reactions/feelings to it instead of accusing.

C. Point out a way the child could be helpful.

D. Instead of criticizing, point out what needs to be done: "All this poem needs now is correct spelling, and it's ready for the bulletin board!"

3. Help the child or student resolve a problem.
A. Brainstorm together. Write down all ideas without evaluating.

B. Give information.

C. Talk about consequences and how to put certain ideas into action.

D. Offer a choice.

4. Reduce desire to misbehave.
A. Look for opportunities to praise the child or put him in a situation where he can view himself differently.

B. Let the child overhear you say something positive about her.

C. Model the behavior you would like to see.

D. Remind the child of past accomplishments.


Adapted from How to Talk So Kids Can Learn: At Home and in School by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish

Customer Care Creed

The following is adapted from issue number 567 from the "First-Rate Customer Service" newsletter:

When I am here, serving people is my No. 1 concern.

I plan to be fully present while I am working and to make myself available beyond a strict 9-to-5 mentality.

I am committed to independent development. I will read, discuss, and learn on my own so that I bring value to my job and others.

I will take the initiative to help my team move in useful new directions and to rely more on foresight than hindsight.

Extra effort, extra sensitivity, and extra focus are the keys to making others' experiences satisfying.

I believe that cultivating these qualities creates a better product and leads to (positive) change.

I believe that they are marks of a leader...