Premium Service Level at the Local Library - Could it Work?

I had this idea, probably not original, but it might be of interest. The 
germ of the idea is my company's software sales. Although the software is 
expensive, we continually get customers to purchase a "designated support
engineer". This is a person who is responsible for having regular (weekly to 
monthly) teleconferences with the customer to go over any outstanding issues, 
and will visit the customer's site two or three times a year. They can also 
manage issues personally through our company, and they end up also being the 
first contact for interest in new software or capabilities. Companies will pay 
us quite a lot per year for 1/4 time of a person in this role. Given 
this concept, I wonder if the library could offer a "designated librarian", for 
those that perhaps would be willing to pay.

I imagine the role as follows:

The designated librarian (DL) would be assigned to manage the interface between 
this group and the library through in-depth personal service. This means that 
the DL would be available during library hours, perhaps through a library 
provided cell phone and email/twitter. The DL would take appointments to meet 
with assigned constituents at the library, for library walk-thru, to get the 
first library card or update them, to discuss research requests or information 
searches, etc. 

The DL would also spend time outside of the library, working with assigned 
groups in their home. There, the DL would research what their constituents want, 
specifically what authors/books/music/movies they would like to see more of in 
the library, what data sources, what interests they have that could be met by 
our events. We could provide a goal that a specific percentage of our puchases 
would be targeted to these media, a number of events would be targeted to their 
specific needs, etc. This woud also entail a personal delivery service, where 
constituents call to request books or media and they are delivered to the house 
at a set time. The DL would be computer literate to provide simple lessons on 
using the library website and catalog. They would also configure systems to 
enable downloadable audiobook/ebooks from the library. They would pick up book 
donations for the Friends sale. The DL would be available for appointments, but 
would also pro-actively set appointments to talk to people in their homes a 
couple of times a year.

I also see the DL providing some direct help to constituents relating to 
marketing and selling a house. If asked, I can see the library providing a 
packet of information about the village of Lisle and the area for prospective 
buyers. The DL could also be asked to work occasional open houses in conjunction with their realtor, to provide 
prospective buyers with information about the library and the area. This appears 
to fit in with our community part of the library's mission. 

I see the DL providing research and legwork to, for instance, verify the 
constituent has library access to partner libraries in other cities, where they 
work or otherwise spend time. If they are interested in downloadable 
books/audiobooks, the DL could also acquire library cards for other libraries 
that share their collections of these, such as a local big-city library. They would also verify 
access to other area libraries, such as college libraries.

If a set community were the subject of this type of service, such as a 
subdivision, the DL could schedule meetings, like homeowners group meetings, at 
the library. The subdivision might also be interested in starting their own 
neighborhood reading group, and the DL could run the reading group at patrons 
homes or in the library.

The constituents of the DL might need some level of research, for their work, or 
for their personal life. This might include scholarly research or typical 
internet-based reserach, such as finding a home value or used car availability. 
It might also include ongoing education, including language training which we 
can directly help with. The DL would be able to provide their expertise in 
searching for the constituent, with the understanding that they are not the 
expert in the field they are looking at. 


I'm sure there are many other ideas that could come to play with the designated 
librarian concept. I see this as being operated for newly annexed groups of 
residences, sort of as a one year internal TIF - the service would be provided 
for a year and paid for out of the new tax resources. After the first year, it would be a 
separately chargable service. If need be, the service might end up needing to be 
privatized if it won't work within the public structure of the library, but that 
would come after testing feasibility. 

I would think this kind of job would appeal to newly graduated library majors 
interested in working with the public outside of the physical library. 

I think this concept would provide delighted constituents, reduce demands on the 
rest of the library staff, possibly open a new revenue stream, help us see 
future constituent needs earlier, and provide a new kind of job within the 
library that could be self-sustaining.

Do you think this concept, were we to offer it, would be of interest in our 
current situation? And would it be viable coming from a governmental entity? (Probably, sort of like paying for quicker passports.)

Philanthropy and the Local Library

Our local library really hasn't made the effort to attract money from donors like many other local libraries and other local governmental agencies (I'm thinking park district here) have. And I suspect the result of not trying will most likely be not receiving these kinds of funds. But given that others are approaching giving as a desirable source of income, I think that has raised the bar for our unit of government, and that we owe it to the taxpayers in the district to seriously investigate this funding source. What is done now? Currently there is a Friends group that holds used book sales, mostly to fund programs at the library and in other locations throughout the community. The library supplies some of the used books and storage and the sale location. There are also two foundations, but neither have been very active in fundraising or in funding -- I don't believe either have been done in the past five years or so.

So where should we go? Ideas, as always, are welcome. The simple first step is to let our patrons and our possible patrons to know that supporting the library in this way is welcomed. This requires, in this day, at least a mention on the library website, as well as additional notification in other media, including the newsletter. Our neighboring library has a website that specifically mentions large donors and has stories about them. For legacy donations, this could be a motivation. Given the success that other government and private institutions have had in approaching private and corporate donors, these source of funds should be investigated and pursued if there is a likelihood of benefit to the district, especially if the benefit can lower the burden, even if temporary, of our other funders, our taxpayers. Our village of approximately 40,000 is home to two Fortune 500 company HQs. They have not been approached for this kind of giving, to the best of my knowledge. This seems like an opportunity.

Marketing the Library - 1

Seems some subdivisions in our local library district have discovered that they can disconnect from the district. The focus -- immediate cost savings on property taxes. Some households have been long-time library patrons. How can the library deal with this domino effect as groups of homeowners decide to back away from the community? There is no perfect solution to this situation. But what I believe can help is to tell the story of how the library provides value to residents and patrons. Can you tell the story with statistics, like how many books have been checked out, or how many patrons have walked through the door? Not really. People need to know that there are people being helped, they need to know the stories.

The blog posting in the next paragraph speaks to this way of marketing. I think this is one of the best ways to showcase the value of the library. Our library has had patrons tell the director or the board or the librarian on check-out duty stories of what the library has meant to them, or what it has done. We've seen letters from authors whose work was researched in conjunction with our research staff. We've had people attend board meetings and reading notes of appreciation about their favorite librarians. We've had graduates of our award winning literacy program tell us how they appreciate learning to speak English. We know of people that have found jobs using the job club we hosted and using our computers to write resumes. But we don't really keep track of these success stories, these "value stories". It's time we did.

The 'M' Word - Marketing Libraries: Speaking up about libraries: "Whenever libraries are under attack, there is always a huge cry for librarians to speak up. As a marketer, I want to concentrate on the ways..."

I think the library should start collecting these stories and making sure people know about them. The library is a builder of community. Letting patrons know about how the library is providing real value to people in their community may be the only way to show the opposite side of the case - why the community, and its library, should continue to be funded.

For my part, I will ask the library to start collecting these stories and the rights to republish them, in newsletters, the web, newpapers, etc. I will also ask the library to showcase these on a regular basis. On the web, perhaps a blog by the director/board would be a start.

Library Investment in Functionality for Tech Savvy Patrons

Our local library is a bit of an oasis now. We are in a suburb where the library is a district library, receiving funding predominately from local property taxes. Because we receive very little funding from our state, which is threatened, we do not have the money issues of other local libraries. And our tax base has been supportive. The library has operated well on the funding, but in my opinion has not investigated many new ways of investing in our patron's needs. Our patrons are spread across all economic levels, and we have programs and offerings for all, but in my sense our technologically advanced patrons are being underserved. How is this? The library has a web site that offers basic information about the library, with some static links that are rarely updated pointing to news sources. There are links to the databases that patrons can access funded by the library, and this is a good thing. There is also a link to our subscription to Overdrive for downloadable audiobooks and reader ebooks. Our selection is limited, and does not support the Kindle, the most popular reader currently. The library does host some programs that can be said to be aimed at technically astute patrons, but truly not many. The kids have library programs for those who know their way around a Wii, but there haven't been any adult programs for those that know their way around Facebook.

What are the kinds of questions tech-savvy patrons have for our library? In talking to neighbors and talking to patrons at the library, I've heard a number of topics being raised. To these I add topics that I have seen in reviewing library websites:
1. How do you use downloadable audiobooks and ebooks? What are the best players/readers?
2. Are there tricks to better using the online catalog?
3. I found a book I liked online, at Amazon or Goodreads or another book site. How can I quickly see if I can check out the book from the library, or put it on reserve?
4. How can I access the library website, purchased databases, or online catalog from my ipad or phone?
5. Do you have any programs aimed at people like me, interested in technology and related issues?
6. I'm on Facebook, how do I sign up for programs online?
7. How can I get book due dates to show up on my Outlook/Notes/Google/Blackberry calendar? How about program notices?
8. Do I have to visit the library to take part in programs or meetings, or can you make these available through the internet, like webcasting and audio?
9. Are there other sources of information the library can make available to us through the internet? How about a shared Netflix account, is that possible?
10. There are hobbies I have where shared space is important, or hobbies that require tools that may be too expensive for individuals to use, but which may make sense in groups, all while still meeting the local library's stated mission. For instance, "makerspaces", which are open community labs for patrons to build projects on computers, technology and art, could be a use of a public library. Also, some libraries have sound or video studios for patrons interesting in recording voice and/or music. Can the library support these kinds of community resources?

And there are more questions and concerns.

Should the library meet these concerns? I believe they should be considered. Obviously, meeting every stated need of every patron is difficult and costly, but can we find a way to meet some of these needs? I suggest assigning a technology czar - an employee that can investigate the needs of the patrons as well as the state of technology and can begin to create or collect new functionality to meet these needs. The "Library Tech Czar", or LTC, would be a person who is not afraid of new technologies and who is expert in social media -- who is in fact social. I can also see a tech advisory committee with at least some members with a similar mindset -- perhaps this is a way to involve younger patrons.

As our library district is also home to a residential university as well as a couple of commuter universities and a branch office for the local community college, I believe we have the kinds of technical resources available to create, collect, and maintain new functionality that could be available, say as summer interns, at a reasonable rate while keeping salaries in the community. I see the creation of new quick training videos could be a quick win for our patrons to answer some of their common questions.

For investments in hardware or space, I would suggest that new sources of funding be explored:
- Would Amazon or B&N loan us a reader for user review?
- Would the local cellular company fund development of a mobile catalog component?
- Would the local engineering company fund a makerspace for future engineers?
- Can the library partner with these companies to invest in new functionality for patrons?

This is just a start. I would love to capture additional questions/concerns/requirements. Let me know if you run across any.