ebooks and customer serviceGwyneth Stupar

Leah L. White

me

Leah L. White

Reader Services Librarian

Northbrook Public Library

@leahlibrarian

yolaleah.tumblr.com

facebook.com/yolaleah

the plan

Leah will talk about:

why staff training is very important

tips for staff training

programming and outreach ideas

and me!

Gwyneth Stupar

Web Services and Reference Librarian

Northbrook Public Library

@gwynonite

the plan

Gwyn will talk about:

web presence in relation to eBook services

examples of awesome library websites

your website and your eBook service

http://bit.ly/yxRhqU

“Consumers elect to avail themselves of self-service technologies for a number of reasons which are specific to them and not to the company that provides the service.”-Self-Service in the Internet Age: Expectations and ExperiencesBy Dave Oliver, Celia Romm-Livermore, Fay Sudweeks

ease of use

avoidance of service personnel

saving time

availability of the service when and where the consumer requires it

saving money

in other words…

-Self-Service in the Internet Age: Expectations and Experiences Dave Oliver, Celia Romm-Livermore, Fay Sudweeks

helping mom

“why do I need to wait for an electronic book?”

“I don’t know how to transfer my book to my Kindle and I can’t find anywhere that shows me how.”

“this is the most difficult (service) I’ve ever had to navigate.”

“can I go to the library to download it?”

where do library websites fit in?

ACTUAL ACTUAL EBOOK EBOOK

SERVICESERVICE

PAGE ON PAGE ON YOUR YOUR

WEBSITEWEBSITE

PAGE ON PAGE ON YOUR YOUR

WEBSITEWEBSITE

PATRON PATRON SUPPORTSUPPORT

PAGE ON PAGE ON YOUR YOUR

WEBSITEWEBSITE

PAGE ON PAGE ON YOUR YOUR

WEBSITEWEBSITE

PATRON PATRON SUPPORTSUPPORT

EXTREMELY IMPORTANT:

what patrons need to know

get help

in the Libraryon the Website through the Service

login for more titles (Advantage Program)

that librarians are advocates for patrons in the digital landscape

our story: Northbrook Public Library

2007: a link to our Overdrive Consortium, MyMediaMall, from our homepage

2010: website redesign. page is on multimedia section with links from the “Books” tab and “Teens” tabs

2012: downloads page front and center on main navigation menu

downloads

still not quite there yet

usability?

“When you are face to face with difficulty, you are up

against a discovery.”-Lord Kelvin (William Thomas)

Wilmette Public Library

Park Ridge Public Library

be consistent in wordingbut still build gateways

downloads eBooks eContent eAudiobooks eCollection downloadables eStuff digital materials

eBooks must be in your online catalog

Encyclopedia of Food and Culture

usability testing

-Candi Harrison, former Department Web Manager at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

“Web improvement plans must start with a commitment to customer service.”

starting over

staff training

staff training = best. customer service. ever.

THE BEST WAY TO SERVE PATRONS IS TO TRAIN YOUR STAFF

http://goo.gl/mTulBhttp://goo.gl/7McQQhttp://goo.gl/yX5uQ

remove the fear

empower your staff

create a sense of pride and accomplishment

this enthusiasm is contagious!

avoid cringe-worthy patron interactions

you know what i’m talking about

simplify service points“ebooks aren’t part of my job. go over there.” *points*

http://bit.ly/KiJOhU

ebooks are a part of our job

don’t forget: ebooks are still books

every service point should know basic info

you need more than one person or one department

staff training tips

INVEST IN EREADERS FOR TRAINING PURPOSES

http://goo.gl/uIJmr http://goo.gl/vkWTshttp://goo.gl/UEwwC

investment is worth it

staff time saved = money saved

we are not pushing people to find support at for-profits, like best buy

speaking of best buy...

ahem, just train your staff

what should you buy?

what do you get questions about?

think about ereader types

think about your community

if you can, buy for each department

if not, create a check out system

okay...now what?

create your team

leaders and mentors

selection is important

positive and dedicated

patience

http://goo.gl/PnXjt

create a plan

write a mission statement

example: This training program is designed to provide an overall level of comfort for all public service staff who received an ipad2.

create a timeline

create a strategy

strategy?

all hail the workbook!exercises and step by step explanations

workbook tips

each device needs it’s own workbook

start very basic and then move towards the more complicated tasks

must work for all technical levels

write while you use the device

the screenshot issue

before launchpilot the program

http://goo.gl/Iy2x0

ready to launch!

create a series of classes

optional

“meet the ereader”

open lab style for questions

continually evaluate, update, and tweak

customer service tipsinside the library, programs, outreach

http://bit.ly/IvQ24d

on the spot assistance

don’t force everyone into appointments

communicate to patrons that assistance takes time

have handouts or something patrons can walk away with

http://goo.gl/my7zw

speaking of appointments...

some people really need individual attention

get more in-depth

have a system

who teaches? What days?

keep a schedule

google calendar

speaking of handouts...

keep them current

keep them handy

keep them on your website

CLASSES, POP-UP PETTING ZOOS, LOBBY TABLES

http://bit.ly/KiLd8q http://bit.ly/KiLo3j

get out of the library!reach out to the people who don’t realize they can’t check

out eBooks for free!http://bit.ly/KiM3ly http://bit.ly/KiMRXm

all things considered

the website needs to be customer friendly because the product is not

staff training is extremely important

give people varied options for learning

any questions?

follow us!

@leahlibrarian

@gwynonite

http://goo.gl/RyNqV