The customer-focused library : re-inventing the library from the outside-in

A top library consultant offers specific recommendations for helping libraries adapt to their changing role in the community.

What is the future of the public library? How can libraries embrace the forces of change and provide the resources--and the resource-gathering environment--today's patrons want? The Customer-Focused Library: Re-Inventing the Library From the Outside-In answers these questions by proposing a transformative alternative, a reimagined library in which the collections, the services--even the building itself--are designed and built from the customer's perspective.

Written by one of the country's foremost library consultants, The Customer-Focused Library shows how perceived threats to the traditional library model are in fact exciting opportunities for change. The book lays out the steps by which professionals and patrons together can help invent a new generation of libraries, with discussions of hiring guidelines, merchandizing, the library website, even the building plan itself. It is a proactive, consumer-based approach aimed at helping librarians focus on underexamined ideas, underexploited trends, underused assets, and the as-yet unvoiced needs of library consumers.

• Acknowledgments p. vii
• Introduction p. ix
• Chapter 1 Traditional Library Thinking p. 1
• Notes p. 5
• Chapter 2 The Constraints of Tradition p. 7
• Notes p. 10
• Chapter 3 It's All About the Customer p. 11
• What's in a Name? p. 11
• Who Is Your Customer? p. 12
• Benefit Segmentation p. 14
• Adding Value p. 19
• Challenge p. 20
• Action Plan p. 23
• Conclusion p. 24
• Notes p. 24
• Chapter 4 Library as Place p. 27
• Full-service Branch Libraries p. 28
• Unique or Narrowly Focused Libraries p. 30
• Community Children's Library p. 31
• Adult Community Library p. 31
• Shopping Mall Library p. 31
• The Experience Library p. 31
• Idea Stores p. 32
• DOK p. 32
• Convergence p. 33
• Adding Unique Functions/Activities in a Library p. 34
• A Teen Library p. 34
• Less Is More p. 35
• Prototype Library p. 35
• An MDM p. 35
• Amenities p. 36
• Wayfinding p. 36
• Conclusion p. 37
• Notes p. 38
• Chapter 5 The Library Collection p. 39
• Merchandising p. 40
• Organizing the Displays p. 42
• Results of Merchandising p. 44
• Obstacles to Merchandising p. 45
• Implications of Merchandising p. 45
• The Collection p. 45
• The Online Catalog p. 46
• The Staffing Mix p. 46
• Space and Furnishings p. 46
• Jargon and Tradition p. 47
• Conclusion p. 47
• Notes p. 47
• Chapter 6 Library Services p. 49
• Visibility p. 49
• Engagement p. 49
• Positive Feelings and Perceptions p. 50
• Wayfinding p. 51
• The New Customer p. 52
• The Words We Use p. 52
• Dress Code p. 53
• Hours p. 53
• Conclusion p. 53
• Notes p. 54
• Chapter 7 Information Technology p. 55
• The New Library Catalog p. 55
• The Library Web Site p. 58
• Digital Content p. 61
• IT Architecture p. 61
• Notes p. 62
• Chapter 8 Library Staffing p. 63
• Recruiting Staff p. 63
• Developing Staff p. 64
• Energizing Staff p. 66
• Recognizing Staff p. 67
• Resistance to Change p. 67
• Uniforms p. 68
• Customer Service p. 68
• Conclusion p. 71
• Notes p. 72
• Chapter 9 Removing the Shackles of Tradition p. 73
• Walk the Walk! p. 75
• Where to Start p. 76
• Mission/Vision p. 78
• Embrace Innovation p. 79
• The Importance of Design p. 82
• The Key p. 86
• Conclusion p. 87
• Notes p. 89
• Index p. 91