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Several days ago, we announced that the first annual George and Joan Keeping It Real Tour will take place in Southern Arizona. We’re fully aware of the controversy swirling around Arizona as a destination these days, and we did a lot of soul-searching in making this selection. But we are dedicated to the idea that strengthening libraries is one key to creating wiser communities. Joan and George Congratulations to Nancy Ledeboer and her colleagues in Southern Arizona who have been selected for the First Annual Keeping It Real Tour. Come August we’ll be visiting, speaking, training, consulting, and generally trying to stir things up at public libraries in Apache Junction, Tucson, Nogales, Tombstone, Bisbee, and Sierra Vista. We look forward to seeing the sights and enjoying the food as well! Thanks to all the libraries that applied; it was a real challenge to choose just one trip from so many enticing itineraries. And just so you know, we aren’t kidding about this being the “first annual” tour – maybe we’ll be wheeling your way next year! Joan and George We’ll be participating in “Consultants Giving Back…to You,” a new project offered by PLA and coordinated by our good friend and colleague Paula Singer. We’ll be available for half-hour blocks of free consulting on just about anything you want to talk about on Saturday morning, June 26, from 9 to noon in the Independence Room of the Washington Hilton. If you want to sign up for one of our time blocks, just email us at hello@georgeandjoan.com. Joan and George It’s not too late to submit an itinerary for the First Annual George and Joan Keeping It Real Tour. Some lucky group of libraries will win a week of FREE consulting from yours truly. Proposals are due May 15. Click here for all the details. –George and Joan Periodically I catch myself using terminology that reinforces a notion that I am otherwise trying to update. Here’s the latest example: I am going to try to stop talking about “customer service” and substitute the phrase “customer experience.” OK, since I’m not so crazy about “customer,” probably “visitor experience.” This aligns somewhat with what interface designers call “user experience” – UX for short – but has implications beyond information seeking tools, technologies, or behaviors. In library parlance, customer service has come to signify all the things that staff do when they interact with the people who visit the library. In other words, it’s all about us and the transactions we mediate. Once you start to see this issue through civilian eyes, you see how limited that definition can be. Dirty bathrooms, out of order equipment, or confusing terminology are seldom discussed as part of customer service, but they certainly are a pass/fail part of the customer experience. Let’s look beyond what WE do and take responsibility for improving what THEY do – with or without us standing right there next to them. –Joan Last week at the Public Library Association conference, we announced the first annual Keeping It Real Road Trip. July 1 will mark the first anniversary of our joint venture, and we want to give back to the library community we love, so we’re offering to do a week of no-fee, expenses only consulting in July or August for a selected group of libraries. We’re asking groups that are interested in this offer to make us an interesting proposal and submit it by May 15. We’ll judge based on a combination of need, itinerary, and fun potential. We’re defining “consulting” very broadly here. We could do:
So, gather a group of congenial libraries, come up with your best ideas, and send your proposal to us by May 15 at hello@georgeandjoan.com. We look forward to hearing from you! George and Joan We speak and train in lots of different venues, and our hosts invariably distribute some kind of evaluation form, either online or in hard copy. In my estimation, one of the most revealing questions you can ask someone who’s participated in a continuing education event is “Did you discuss the ideas that were presented in this session with your co-workers, friends, or family?” If the evaluation must be completed on the same day as the event, you can ask “Do you think you will discuss…?” It doesn’t matter whether attendees LIKE a new idea; further conversation, pro or con, is still an indicator that they have taken something away from the training and begun to internalize it. –Joan I’m always on the lookout for signs that assist customers by (a) providing information at the point of need, (b) framing that information from the customer perspective, and (c) speaking to outcomes whenever possible. Here are two recent examples: The sign at a hospital driveway near my house now says Chest Pain Center instead of Cardiac Care Center. The patient no longer has to make his own diagnosis before choosing a parking spot. By that logic, would Reference be re-labeled Curiosity? Would Circulation be re-labeled Ready to Check Out? The trash cans at the California Academy of Sciences are arranged in banks of three and labeled Recycle, Compost, and Landfill. Not Trash, or Garbage – Landfill! What a great way to get people to think about the consequences of their actions. With this approach, Reference might become Assistance, or Answers, maybe even something like Information Insurance. I mentioned these ideas to a colleague at ALA Midwinter and heard that the reference librarians at her institution are fine with a sign that says Questions, but are very uncomfortable with one that says Answers. Interesting. Maybe that particular desk should be labeled No Guarantees. –Joan If you are reading this message, you are invited to attend the Blog Salon at ALA Midwinter. On Sunday, January 17, from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm in the Stone Room at the Westin Waterfront in Boston, OCLC will host its semi-annual event for bloggers (both writers AND readers), tweeters, and anyone with an interest in Web/Library 2.0 experiences. Enjoy a nosh and a cold one, while chatting with some of the most interesting people at the conference. No RSVP required, just show up. See you there! —George Several days ago, a public library director of my acquaintance asked for my opinion about the value Library Leadership Ohio. I’ve mentored seven times for these leadership institutes (Library Leadership Ohio three times, Snowbird twice, and Canada’s Northern Exposure to Leadership and California’s Eureka once each) so I’m a real advocate. Here’s what I told him: I’m delighted to (recommend Library Leadership Ohio). The goal of the program is twofold: self-awareness and an understanding Another aspect of the program is learning some basic ideas about The best candidate for these programs, in my opinion, is someone who has The worst candidate is someone who is sent (sometimes involuntarily) to The most interesting candidates are the people who are already cocky I’ve seen new leaders blossom in six days out of this program. I’ve seen The program also seems to work: If you look at the leadership of OLC Thanks for asking…as you can tell by the length of my reply, I’m —George |
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