Reference Renaissance Notes from Stephanie Petruso (AACPL)

Stephanie Petruso of AACPL was kind enough to share her RefRen notes with us:

Day 1

Opening Session

Disruptive Innovation Theory
I. When innovation happens, some companies survive by adapting and others die.
a. Disk drives for computers is a good example of this.
II. There is a point where improvement no longer makes a difference. You have to find a whole new tack.
III. Students have abandoned the library in droves. Libraries are a centralized inconvenient location requiring specialized knowledge to use.
IV. We need to rethink “users need to come to us.”
V. The only way to really innovate is to isolate a part of the business and really protect it.

ChaCha
I. Started as a guided search
II. Mobile answers. People text questions and receive a text reply from a “guide”
III. Services like this could threaten us down the line.

Gift Economy
I. We’re moving towards a “gift economy” where many of people’s information needs can be satisfied for free.
II. We need to learn what people will pay for:
a. Immediacy
b. Personalization
c. Embodiment
d. Trust
e. Authenticity
f. Accessibility
g. Patronage
h. Findability

Questions To Ponder
I. What happens if information skills become a mass amateur activity?
a. Libraries would be well advised to go more upmarket, focus on sophisticated users with hard questions, become specialists-not generalists
II. Can we survive with one foot in the world of proprietary content and one foot in the web?

The term “Free for All” is not literal. It just means chaos.

Staff Training in the 21st Century
I. Online Training Programs that May be Useful
a. dimdim is a free product for conducting online meetings (up to 2 hours)
b. Presenter turns Powerpoint into a Flash movie with audio
c. Captivate is another tool
II. Training both new and old employees at Brigham Young Uni
a. 3 subject matter experts develop online courses for staff
b. The biggest challenge has been getting off desk time for staff
c. Created mini (audio-free) courses on the library’s databases
d. A staff wiki is being developed to discuss database tips, tricks, and problems
e. Public service staff have IM widgets to quickly and quietly talk to managers. Can send an SOS without patrons knowing. Use “Groupwise” IM client.
f. Subscription to Lynda.com allows staff access to short snippets of training in key areas.

Reference Customer Service or Retail Reference
I. Experience Economy
a. Education: providing professional development opportunities
b. Entertainment
c. Esthetics: beauty, art, an attractive, recently updated, website
d. Escapism
II. Nordstrom Model
a. Empower employees to take ownership and sell the customer/store relationship
b. Provide the customer with choices
c. Inviting place
d. Nice, motivated people
III. Fish Model
a. Have fun, be silly
b. Happy employees=happy customers
IV. Leadervalue
a. Envision: Vision for the future
b. Enable: Give them the tools
c. Empower: Give employees the power to make decisions
d. Energize

You Bought It, Now Sell It! Creating a Reference Renaissance in the Public Library by Merchandising Collections and Services
I. Some libraries are putting a value calculator on the front page of their library website so that the public can see where/how their money is invested.
II. New Ideas of Service
a. Lending cake pans-hugely popular
b. Lending flip cameras
c. Having a car show in parking lot
d. Offering free passes to state parks, museums
III. Emmy winning PSA from Douglas County Libraries
IV. Libraries should sell themselves as facilitating networking
a. Reader’s Social Nights
i. Invite avid readers (personal invitations to favorite patrons) to an evening to socialize and discuss books
ii. Outside library hours
iii. Use word “Networking”
iv. Have giveaways
v. Show off databases
V. Offer a relocation resources page. It will become essential to anyone moving to your community and introduce them to the library.

Day 2

Theoretical Perspectives of Reference

I. Relaxed people ask better (more thorough) questions
II. Information is usually based around a problem
III. Leisure is a pleasurable experience undertaken in free time
a. Types of Leisure at the Library
i. Site
ii. Resources
IV. Hobbies capture a big part of the imagination
a. Crafts and hobby activities are big library market
b. Serious enthusiasts usually buy their books (master cook, car repair)

Now You’ve Built It, Will They Come? Marketing Reference

I. Successful MTV commercial made for surprisingly little money. QandANJ commercial shown during MTV Music Awards.
II. Dickinson College has gotten rid of its Reference Desk altogether.
a. Patrons no longer confused by multiple service desks.
b. 80% of questions do not require an MLS to answer. MLS Staff were wasting time at desk.
c. Librarians each have own offices and support staff can page them if an information question is brought to the desk.
d. Students can make appointments.
e. Go to great lengths to let students know who librarian is for their area of study.
f. Librarians have IM at desks; students can IM them directly. We should no longer expect them to come to us. We need to reach them where they already are: IM and Texting.
i. IM client at public pc’s to allow patrons to contact staff without getting up?

Plenary Session Panel
I. David Lankes: Libraries should facilitate creating knowledge, not only consuming it
II. Jamie LaRue: Our most important skill is communication. We need to touch our patrons (literally-light touches on the shoulder or back are an easy way to personalize an interaction).
a. There should be a clearinghouse for calls, so librarians are only handling Reference Inquiries
b. The desk is a distraction
c. Self-check and RFID are already handling some of the tasks that used to monopolize our time.
d. The new role of the Reference Librarian is Leadership

Reference Renaissance conference August 4-5, 2008

Highlights of notes from the conference Reference Renaissance: current and future trends held in Denver Colorado August 4-5, 2008
Compiled by Debra B Mattingly

For more details see my complete notes of the sessions I attended

OPENING SESSION
Reference in the Age of Wikipedia or Not
David W Lewis, Dean of the University Library, Indiana University Purdue University, Indianapolis
dlewis@iupui.edu

Today we are not in Renaissance, we are in something new.
New technology makes new things possible.
Wikipedia is a process not a product.

Video - Free! Why $0.00 Is the Future of Business By Chris Anderson

www.wired.com/wired/issue/16-03/

4 questions to think about:
1) What happens if info skills become a mass amateur activity?
Focus on high quality; teach info skills

2) Can we survive with one foot in the world of proprietary content and one foot in open web?
Not well and not for long

3) What is role of institutional level services in world of network level tools?
Create local content that can be used by network level

4) Do we focus on our support of users as if they are consumers or as info creators?
Peter Senge: World's knowledge belongs to the world.

Conclusion: Create tools for open scholarship

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Session 1B

One OLIVE or Two: Shaking (or Stirring) Up Library Service with Videoconferencing: New Approaches to Reference Instruction

Presenters: Julie Ventura and Kathy Sanchez, Orange County Library System, Florida

OLIVE = Orange County Library Interactive Virtual Experience
OLIVE uses video teleconferencing software to answer patrons’ questions remotely. OLIVE has co-browse feature. There are OLIVE stations in several of the branches and even in the main branch where OLIVE is staffed.

It is a self service island.

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Reference Librarians Sharing Space with Information Technology:
Five ways to ensure success
Presenter: Susan Lieberthal, Stony Brook University Libraries, NY

5 planning elements for collaborative projects between reference librarians and information technology

1. Technology
2. Architecture
3. Workflow
4. Policies
5. Personnel

Territorial issues

3 projects – see full notes to see details

Be there or be square!!

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Virtual services librarian: Bridge between the public Desk and IT
Presenter: Laurie Van Court, Douglas County Libraries, Castle Rock, Colorado

"1st in a new job position being made up as we go along"

Future of reference librarian in public service
Now reference librarians are virtual services librarians or digital services librarians
Wanted better way to judge success of the products we purchase
Have ability to craft or purchase products to help patrons - in addition to regular databases

"Didn’t have to promote Rosetta Stone because of their advertising; don't have to promote Ancestry.com; but other vendors don't advertise like these do……

Create and maintain online subject guides

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Session 2E – Everyone is One: Customer Service or Retail Reference?
Diana D Shonrock, Iowa State University

Public service should be fun and patrons should see that

The longest lines in the library at Iowa State are at the Bookends Café.

4 E's of the experience economy - Harvard businessmen wrote this
EDUCATION - provide training, professional development opportunities
ESTHETICS - beauty/art; a new web page -- look at ALA's libraries.com which is for users, not librarians
ENTERTAINMENT - plan a program or seminar
ESCAPISM - allow customer to act a role; escape

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ENVISION - focus on the future
ENABLE - tools to make the vision reality
EMPOWER - involve others in a common goal
ENERGIZE

Maybe the new things will be the carrot to bring new patrons into the library whether in body or virtually

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Session 3C – You Bought it, now sell it! Creating a Reference Renaissance in the Public Library by Merchandising Collections and Services (Panel)

You bought it, now sell it
Merchandising reference Services
Karen Long, Adult Services librarian
Farmington Public Library, NM

Branding your reference services - logos
Put your logo in places where it can be seen by patrons and staff
Make it memorable, short
On the Reference Desk
On the web page
On the JUST ASK web page
Promote internally

Once staff is on board, promote to the patrons
Show the functionality of the service and how it is relevant
Demonstrate the service rather than just telling about it
Provide incentives to use library services
Reinforce / revisit your promotion

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Bernadine Goldman and Lizzie Eastwood
Los Alamos County Public library system, NM

Merchandising reference collections

Goal to make sure that all users are aware of all resources available and are introduced to them all in one place
To integrate the different types of reference material formats by placing signs and lists of online resources next to the books

Future of public library reference collection is content rich, format free.

How we rearranged the Reference Collection

Didn't abandon Dewey
Put subject signs up on end of shelves

Brought subjects together
- aging
- health
- weapons
- environment
- culture
- jobs

Made a one page sheet to tell staff what they did and where things are now - for circ and info
Made subject signs for end of shelves
Did Reference book displays
Designed new brochure with RUSA best reference websites.
Patrons get 10 pages copied for free from any reference book - sign made to say this
Keep arrangement at least a year to see what happens

Still a 'work in progress' at Los Alamos PL
Bernadine.goldman@lacnm.us
Ej.eastwood@lacnm.us
Library.losalamosnm.us

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Session 4B – Sculpting Services: Models for Creative Change

Studying Services Models for Creative Change
Susan Beatty and Helen Clarke, University of Calgary, Canada

Reference statistics falling in academic libraries in Canadian academic libraries but off campus use of e-resources rising

My assertions for reference collections I need to build to meet needs of new users:
Digital is better [bar is higher for print than for digital in terms of purchasing]
Don't replicate print ref collection in digital - not necessary
We should focus on what is hard to find/use but of high value

Discoverability issue is huge -- how to help users FIND these resources

Focus is on the USER

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Meeting Users' needs through new reference service models
Kay Ann Cassell, Rutgers University

New Models of Reference

¨ Roving

¨ Reconfiguring ref desk - maybe no ref desk
¨ No reference desk
¨ Consolidating service points
¨ Tiered Reference - been around a long time ; still used some
¨ Outreach Reference - coming back
¨ Virtual Reference
¨ Use of Technology
¨ Use of the Web

Future:

Libraries need to keep up with user needs
Best news is we are trying new models
Best models are tailored to individual library and its patrons
Librarians must be more visible and marketing is essential

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The Medium is NOT the Message:
A model of networked reference for the 21st century
Bruce Brigell, Skokie Public Library

Networked reference

QuestionPoint - good example

New media alters the environment; environments are not passive wrappings but active processes; it affects our experience but does not determine it

iPhone has email, text, web browser. There is no debate about integration of a new media. It is here today.

It's about the SERVICE not the intake medium

Maintain professional standards & values

Play to our strengths

Use the network to better collaborate with our users

Good reference is networked reference - it isn't digital or virtual - its reference

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Session 5B – Loving Library 2.0

Wikis, Blogs and Add-ons: taking advantage of online Tools
Todd Quinn, Northern State University

6 different FREE web tools

Googledocs - wiki

Wiki's used in classroom and librarian could see student's research and suggest new / other sources

Googledocs - share documents internally with staff

Zoho.com

Add on to Firefox - iMacros - automates repetitive things

Can program it to search several databases, search engines, sites, etc. at one time

RSS

Really Simple Syndication

One reader: Pageflakes - the one presenter uses

Delicious

Yahoo pipes

http://ipipes.yahoo.com/pipes

creates one RSS feed from several RSS feeds

Then puts this one 'pipe' feed in your reader like pageflakes

Can create feeds for different faculty

http://grazr.com

Take any feed or multiple feeds and create a widget

Then you can publish the widget into any page - it gives you the code to paste into the body of a web page

Handout will be on the conference site

Also on: research.northern.edu

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Becoming Ambient: finding reference services and Me
(or How I learned to stop worrying and love Library 2.0)
Lance J Heidig, Cornell University

Using a library guide online live
http://guides.library.cornell.edu/refren

Web 2.0 are giving us opportunities to interact with our patrons in new ways

Findability - we will have the ability to find anyone or anything from anywhere at anytime - in the future

Ambient librarianship - The ability to find human mediated assistance from anywhere at anytime www.ambientlibrarian.org

Librarian can be found:

Emailing
Chatting
Blogging
Wiki-ing
Podcasting
link to Facebook

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Reference & information services for library customers you may never meet
Christine Clifford, Hennepin county Library System, Minnetonka, MN

Web sites are now possibly the only library our customers will see

Subject guides in 2005; Librarian blog for each subject heading page - 40 staff are selectors for these sites and is part of their job duties; have web tools for them to put content into

There are guides and procedures and forms for staff to use to be consistent.

Add widget of library catalog search to anyone's MySpace page at their request

Comments on titles in the catalog are 'biggest' thing - they are checked before posted by a staff person; blogs are not blocked at first but can be deleted if not wanted

Put the askalibrarian link everywhere they can on all the web pages

Try to do consistent branding

Go buy domain names - i.e. bookspace.org

cclifford@hclib.org Christine Clifford

Extreme Customer Service: Becoming a customer activist

Originally posted at Julie's strangelibrarian blog; reposted at BCPL Staff Out and About blog. You can also listen to a recording of Julie speaking about this session at BCPL's Administrative Council.
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The gap between Expectations and Reality is where emotions form and problems happen.

Become a Customer Activist- An advocate for customers

• Passionate, fanatically, committed, progressive, protective about their cause
• Closes gap between expectations and reality
• you need a hat
• you need a creed

Nordstrom customer service: The Tire (and possibly the best customer service story of all time.

• Interact with customers so that they want to come back
• Customer Radar- Look at the library through the customers eyes
• Look through the eyes of who is in your community
• Look at how policies and procedures affect them
• Need to have a radar

Remove the barriers

• don’t make excuses
• don’t blame
• just find solutions.

You must become an Environmentalist

• What kind of environment do we want to have?
• Think about your favorite places. What do they look like/feel/sound/smell like?
• How do you create the same type of environment?

Exceed expectations

• need to know what people expect before you can exceed it.
• how do you find out what they expect? You have to ASK them.

All co-workers are partners. Not rivals

• Libraries are extremely hierarchical

Shift your focus

• Shift from being library focused to being customer focused
• what is good for librarians versus what is good for customers- we *always* need to be thinking about what *they* think is good for them. NOT making them conform to us.
• Expectations are influenced by “others…” (other industries… like google (faster, and “good enough”))

Stoplight Rules

• Red rules- things NOBODY can override
• Green rules- rules that can be bent (this is where staff can get confused as to what they can do)
• Yellow rules- when staff is not sure what to do
• It’s important to know the INTENT of the rules and for staff to be empowered to follow them as they see fit. (empowerment story: @Rtiz Carlton, any employee can comp a customer up to $2k without talking to management first.)
• Some rules seem reasonable but when they come into practice, they are ridiculous

Empowerment

• See it
• Own it
• Solve it
• Do it

Words that say “no” set a tone

• Say things in a welcoming way
• instead of “no cell phones” try “courteous cell phone use, please” or “you are welcome to use your cell phone in our lobby.” & don’t forget the signs as you’re leaving the building that say, “don’t forget to turn your cell phone back on!”

Think about the terms we use

• Calling them patrons allows us to patronize them (Stephen Abrams)
• Circulation/OCLC/ILL/Periodicals/Call Number/Reference/Page. No one should have to understand these terms. Use better things. Not “reference” but “questions.”
• Purpose of signage is to help people move through something easily and quickly.

Be Emotional Intelligence Activists

• Empathy (not feeling sorry for, but being in their shoes)
• No more Golden Rule. Try the Platinum Rule-Treat them like they want to be treated
• The only way we know what people want is to ask them. otherwise we’re treating them on OUR OWN assumptions
• Attitude
• When you say I can’t, you here “i won’t”
• Be open-minded. All the time.
• TTWWADI (“That’s the Way We’ve always done it”) must die
• Need to be genuine

Environmentalist plus CIA = Customer Activist

QuestionPoint Update. (Full text searching becoming a reality)

There are exciting things afoot with QuestionPoint. Here's the update from the QP Users Council meeting today:

- As mentioned at last month's meeting, full text search is going to become a reality.
This function "should be in the next install" which is currently being looked at for Fall 2008. This feature will give you capability to search your current database of transcripts (within 90 days) as well as your Service History (all other transcipts). They're looking at having it be a full text + patron name & email fields search. More to come as they look into it.

- Seperate queues within BME's are available for purchase. These can be individual instution queues or mini-groups within the larger group. This is the current functionality QP is offering for institutions who want to monitor for their own customers, in their own queue. Please see Julie for additional information.

- There will be a UK training session on July 30th from 1-2.30pm.
If you are interested in attending, please fill out OCLC's registration form. If you have more than one person per location interested, please only sign up once- you can gather around a screen or projection and put the call on speaker. If you are interested but unable to attend, the call will be recorded.

In other news:
- Weekly quality tips are always available at QuestionPoint's blog

- If you are interested in scheduling a Listening Tour, please contact Julie

Customer Love #4

I don't say nearly enough how much you guys rock! But I think these comments do-

• Thank you so much for providing this invaluable service!
  
• This was so helpful. Thanks very much! Saved me a lot of trouble.
  
• Very courtious, very patient. you know they really wanted to help you
  
• Thank you very much and I will very much use this source forever in my middle, high school, and even college years, and thank you whoever thought of this fantastic site where struggling kids can get the best information.
  
• Beth was the best person I have met on here. She helped me with a lot of things. She never gave up and that made me feel good. Now that I know hw nice she and others are, I will always come back!
  
• Irene (my librarian I had) was the best in the world!! She understood what I was asking and why! She gave me information I would have never found before. :) I will tell many of my friends to visit this site. I think what you have is a very good site!!
  
• person went above and beyond trying to find information that was impossible to retrieve.
  
• Calvert Library has the most efficient and straight foward librarians out of all the libraries I have attempted.
  
• This is a wonderful service and so very much appreciated. Joe was very quick to answer my question and assisted in locating the particular book in my local area. (Before I could even respond)!
  
• Like many people I find that the library engenders a special love. I have felt that love today. Thanks
  
• this is an amazing service and it has helped me get through so many of my all nighters trying to get projects done when I can't find something or just want someone else to look for me. The 24-7 thing is AWESOME! thank you so much for everything you do!
  
• "...What I really am is grateful for your extraordinary service and courteous attention. I was in a car accident in which my car was totalled, I received painful but not life-threatening injuries and a library book on tape was ruined by the crash and subsequent exposure to rainwater and rough handling during rescue operations. When I wrote to ask what I could do to make it up to you, within a brief time I received a gracious response from Debra advising me that the book was removed from my record and marked discarded. There were no charges to my account.I have been focusing on healing, so I have waited to respond appropriately to [the librarian's] thoughfulness. She was most gracious and understanding and I deeply appreciate her thoughtfulness and the sympathy of my nameless initial correspondent. The library's personal response lifted my spirits during a difficult time."