Some of the world's great business leaders in retail and hospitality fields--particularly those whose face isn't terribly well known--make it a practice to drop in at their own establishments to see how regular customers are actually treated.

Libraries aren't for-profit businesses, but this may be one business practice that could benefit libraries.

Added February 2010: A discussion of user-centric library practices--although, unfortunately, it's a discussion that frequently calls them "customers."

Work Like A Patron Day: The Beginning

By Brian Herzog. Excerpted and adapted from "'Work Like a Patron' day," posted October 7, 2008 at Swiss Army Librarian. Used by permission.

Last week, a library volunteer and I were working on a project together. We each needed to work on a computer, but be close enough together to talk. The only arrangement like this in the library are the public workstations, so we worked out there.

In addition to getting the work done, I learned a few things:

• Some of the keys of the keyboard didn’t work very well
• The monitor had streaks and fingerprints on it
• It was hard to concentrate with people walking and talking around us
• Both of us forgot to bring a flash drive to save our work

This experience reminded me of a post I read elsewhere mentioning how important it was to put ourselves in our patrons’ shoes, so we can see the library as they see it.

Work Like a Patron Day

That’s why I’m proposing “Work Like A Patron Day” on October 15th. In honor of the day, I think library staff should (when possible):

• Enter and leave the library through the public entrance (not the staff doors)
• Use the public restrooms
• Use the public computers to do your work
• Reserve public meeting rooms for meetings
• Follow all library policies

Obviously, exceptions must be made. But, much like a sheriff spending a week in his own jail, this gives library staff a different perspective on the library. Experiencing the library in this way ensures that the library isn’t just the place we work, it’s where our patrons work. And play.

I picked October 15th because it is six months after Library Appreciation Week, which was April 13th-17th. Not that working like a patron is the opposite of appreciating the library, but it seemed to fit. Or maybe the week surrounding Oct. 15th should be “Library Patron Appreciation Week,” of which “Work Like A Patron Day” is just one day.

Other Resources

There's now a Work Like A Patron day page in the staff training section of the Library Success wiki for general information and reports and a flickr group to share photos of the day.

[Editor's note:' There was, of course, some snark and pushback on the whole idea--but some people also gave it a try (although pre-October 15 posts far outnumber post-October 15 reports). Excerpts from two reports and one discussion of the concept follow.

Herzog's Own Experience

By Brian Herzog. Excerpted and adapted from "Work like a patron recap," posted October 16, 2008 at Swiss Army librarian. Used by permission.

I didn’t get to spend as much time as I had hoped, but I did notice a few things:

• We need more scrap paper at the workstations
• We need to clean up the litter and leaves and sticks and other debris around the front steps
• We should rename our wireless network from “CPL-g” to something an uninitiated patron will recognize and feel safe with
• It turns out that staff congregating and chatting at service desks is every bit as distracting as patrons on cell phones

The Little Things

What struck me the most wasn’t what I noticed, but what kinds of things I noticed. I already know that the patron catalog interface needs improvement and that not everyone understands how to log on to a computer or where the photocopier is.

Everything I noticed yesterday were little things. Even though I’m among the public computers every day and we replenish them with scrap paper when we see them empty, if you’re a patron sitting there and there is no paper, it doesn’t help that staff put some there that morning. It’s not there now. And the junk around the front door is easy to miss when you’ve got on the blinders of familiarity--it’s always there, so I stopped noticing it. But when you do notice it, it looks kind of bad.

Paying Attention

So in addition to the original list, I’m also going to make a point of looking for the subtle things, like:

• Is there a glare on computers by the windows at certain parts of the day?
• Is it too hot/cold in here?
• Does it stink in here?
• How easy is the phone menu system to navigate?

Even if I can’t change them, staff being aware of them is a good thing, because I’m sure our patrons are.

Which Patrons?

Two contributors to Pop Goes the Library discussed the suggestion and raised some issues. Paraphrasing:

• It's certainly worthwhile to view your library through the eyes of the public--but it's too easy to second-guess other librarians.
• Which patrons? Libraries can't be all things for all persons at all times--and behavior that some see as interfering with concentration may be positive involvement with the library to others.
• Observations gleaned from this "day" shouldn't automatically generate new rules, but should be used to "open a conversation between library and community about what is expected, and what is possible, given the library's budget, staffing, hours, and space."
• But observations could certainly be used to "implement small changes that would improve the overall atmosphere of the library. After working for a day at stations where keyboards aren't functioning properly and screens are all smudged up, I bet the in-charge-of-computer library staff would add "clean computer screens" to their daily routine and would ask the IT folks to fix or replace the keyboard..."

This comment sums it up nicely and is probably in keeping with Herzog's intent (since it seems pretty clear he isn't out to point fingers):

I think what Brian Herzog is getting at in his original post is that libraries are never done. Our policies are (or should be) always evolving, because the communities we exist to serve are changing, too. We're not going to please all of the people, all of the time, and that's hard to swallow, because as a profession, we like to meet our communities' needs. But by speaking honestly and working collaboratively with our community members, we can serve most of the people really well nearly all of the time. And that's what we should really be shooting for.

Jeff Scott's Commentary

By Jeff Scott, excerpted and adapted from "Work like a patron day redux," posted November 8, 2008 on Gather No Dust. Used by permission. Here's what Scott found at the City of Casa Grande Public Library:

I have written before that good staff will always be aware of issues by either using it themselves (many times, they have no choice), or by complaints from patrons. I routinely walk through the front entrance, use the public access computers, or use other services just to test them out. You can't help people if you don't know how the service relates. You can instruct people on the service if you haven't experienced it yourself. The general idea is very basic (and here's what I found):

Enter and Leave Through the Public Entrance

I routinely walk through the front entrance. Patrons and staff alike would agree that there have been problems in the past. Specifically, trash on the front walk-way, coke and other stains on the concrete, and a general run-down look of the front entrance.

The Underground Trash Can

Trash is a problem. People would leave their trash all throughout the front entrance and on the lawn. We put a trashcan outside, and it was routinely dumped or it overflowed because it wasn't emptied regularly. It eventually attracted bees.

In order to provide a trash can that wouldn't overflow easily and couldn't be dumped over, we used a new type of trashcan that is actually embedded underground. It's typically used in dog parks because it composts underneath. The idea behind this solution is that people could have a trash can they couldn't knock over, was on the front walkway, somewhat attractive, and didn't have to be emptied for at least two weeks.

Immediately after installing the trash can, the trash was reduced. This didn't completely solve our problem, as some patrons are slobs and just don't care about how things look, but it reduced it significantly. It cost $1,400.

Stop Spilling Your Drinks On Me

The front walkway has many stains as a result of people spilling their Coke and dropping their gum. I would have to use acid to actually scrape the crud off the front walkway. Instead, I had someone epoxy the front. This creates a sort of rubber coating that is slip proof.

Anytime anyone would stain something, I can wash it off with a powerwash and bleach. However, in order to keep it clean I would have to spray it off daily. I made an arrangement with the Parks crew to do it weekly. It's a lot better, but I wish people would stop making a mess.

Paint the Whole Thing Red

The entire library really needs to be repainted. I don't have the funding for it. Luckily, we will be able to renovate the library in about a year thanks to a bond package. We can repaint and recarpet the whole library.

In the meantime, I decided to focus some small funding towards painting the front poles. The front area looked dingy and it encouraged people to hang out and make bigger messes. I hired a local contractor to repaint our front columns white and some of the front poles red. It's helped clean up the front.

It hasn't helped people from loitering. In Arizona, you are forbidden to smoke less than 20 steps from a building entrance. People simply ignore that rule.

Use the Public Restrooms

The restrooms are a problem. It seems like we can't get the system right. We contract out for our services and sometimes it's good, sometimes it's not.

The bathrooms need to be cleaner. The main problem is that patrons trash the bathroom so badly that it takes the janitor longer than usual to clean it. We used to lock the bathrooms for this reason.

Use the Public Computers to Do Your Work

That's easy enough. I can use a flash drive, use Microsoft Office suite, have a fairly quick Internet connection, and I can print in black and white or color. (I have access to a color printer at work, but not a networked color printer. I would have to use the public access computers to do that.)

Reserve Public Meeting Rooms for Meetings

That's another easy one. We just switched to E-Vanced solutions. I just go to the library homepage, click on room reservation, fill out the information and wait for confirmation. It should show up on the public page once it's confirmed.

Follow All Library Policies

Who doesn't? There are always those who keep the items a bit too long and have staff access to renew, but it isn't abused.

The philosophy is that we have policies that make sense. If staff are reluctant to enforce anything, we talk to them about why that is. Is the policy unfair, should we be more flexible, is this a ridiculous requirement?

For instance, we used to always require a library card to check-out. We upgraded our library patron cards so that there is a key fob so the library card is always on the keys. We still had a consistent problem about remembering the library card. Instead of being harsh, we decided that we would allow the patron one checkout without the card (we keep track in the card record in case it's a problem). People leave pretty happy.

The Experience

I want our public to have a good experience. I want them to get what they need whether it is a book, information or recreation.

I can make many changes, but I can't change people's behavior. I can constrict policies and closely monitor services, but I can't stop someone from being an inconsiderate jerk. If someone is too loud on the computers, we can warn them and boot them off. I can ask people not to be a slob, but they will still do that. I can't prevent that. The source of that problem is no respect, for the library or for themselves. I can't change that. It's sad that people have so little consideration, but that's what so many librarians have to deal with every day. It's very frustrating, but it's something that we have to constantly tweak so that we are providing a good experience, yet not so far where we become authoritarian Nazis.

Users or Customers: Internal and External

By Michael Casey. Originally appeared in slightly different form on November 6, 2007 at LibraryCrunch.

Ryan Deschamps over on The Other Librarian says:

This only goes to show that a user-centric library may have to also be fairly librarian-centric in the end. If we want to change our brand to something positive, we will have to invest our time and energy in attracting positive non-jerk librarians in the end. For a lot of countries (and the U.S. is an exception to this) that are going to be looking at labor shortages in the next couple of years, this is going to be more and more difficult. In other words, it goes to show that going on a manifesto of user-centricity is not going to be enough to satisfy the needs of our users in the end. We have to consider the whole package. We can’t be user-centric, if our employees are jerks.

I think many have been saying this for a long time--the idea of creating internal customer service expectations that demand the same level of performance and attention as that given external customer service is key to our success. Business 2.0, Learning 2.0, and pretty much every 2.0 customer service approach has included internal service with the external, fully acknowledging that the way we treat our employees (and the way they treat each other) has a very direct and measurable impact on our external customer service. The "manifesto" you reference (and all of my writing) includes internal customers (staff) in the larger equation of user-centricity or customer-driven services.

One way we get better employees (and better employee morale) is to simply communicate with them. Finding ways for staff to communicate has always been a goal. In "Living Out Loud" (Library Journal, 6/1/07), Michael Stephens and I write:

Corporate blogs and wikis—-and any other tools that create transparency in the organization—-foster the concept of vertical teams, where front-line staff have the ability to communicate and cooperate with top-level administrators. This internal openness is as important as external transparency. Building morale within the organization—-and sharing the big-picture ideas with everyone who will listen—-creates a stronger and more motivated work force, one willing to participate and share new ideas. Such internal openness will translate into external transparency, which is vital to the library's future.

Back in March of 2006 I wrote about using blogs as a way to communicate internally, so that both vertical and horizontal discussions could take place in an open and productive manner. Before that, in November of 2005, writing in "3 degrees of separation: libraries, technology, and administration", the idea of using new tools to foster internal communications is discussed:

But how do we offer these tools to an administration that does not even want to hear such words as “blog” and “wiki” and “IM”? I do not believe I am exaggerating here–-I have heard first-person accounts from fellow librarians about administrators saying such things as “I don’t ever want to hear the word blog.” This despite numerous trusted sources such as Harvard Business Review (2/2005 issue) and Business Week proclaiming the necessity, the requirement, for any company to have and use an internal (behind-the-firewall) blog and, in many circumstances, an external customer-focused blog.

In "Going to the Field" (Library Journal 9/15/07), Michael Stephens and I write:

So how do you get administrators and support staffers to understand the daily operations of the real library? How do you get them to recognize that you deal not only with their guidelines and expectations but also with those of many other departments as well, all on top of your local duties?

Bring them out.

Bring out the maintenance administration and let them see just how dark that corner area is—-perhaps sending out staff to replace lighting once a month simply doesn't work. And get those accountants out there to see how you have to count the money amidst screaming kids and a full book-drop and do it all on a tiny table without a proper chair.

Get collections staff out to see your full rows of boring fiction and your empty shelves devoid of graphic novels. Use these visits as a means to start conversations about what the users want.

Rotate administrative and support staff through the branches or various departments. Have them go through the same training that all of the front-line staffers go through. Write policies and guidelines so that staff can easily understand and comply with them.

By following this simple rule-—bring them out—-you'll develop a big-picture understanding of library services among your staff, and you'll see dividends immediately.

Staff morale and the "culture of no" was discussed in "Turning 'No' Into 'Yes'" (Library Journal 5/1/07), where we argued that staff with ideas must be listened to and that libraries must cultivate ideas without setting up insurmountable roadblocks to staff initiatives.

Often times, it's born at the desk. Staff members think of a new idea, and they want to share it with the decision-makers. They put together a presentation or proposal at the suggestion of their immediate supervisor and take it up to administration. But they receive a cold reception. Not only are they told, “No,” but they were “talked to” by the department head: “How could anyone think such an idea would work? Didn't they realize that their idea had been tried five years earlier?”

Good employees who were once open to change and receptive to new ideas become entrenched in their positions and somewhere along the way become closed, curmudgeonly, and unreceptive to new ideas.

But it goes farther than this. Getting staff out into the field so that they understand front-line concerns is but one step in eliminating, as Ryan calls it, the "jerks" of the library. Ask any IT staffer in my department and they will tell you that the past year has been spent listening to our customers--branch staff and external users--and responding to their needs and ideas. IT exists for one reason, the customers--both internal and external--and if we don't listen to their needs, if we fail to ask them questions and find out what is working and what is not working, then we have failed. I will not have "jerks" on my team, and I don't.

But "jerks" can only become "jerks" when other library staff--supervisors and administrators -- allow them to continue to exist. Whether it's the passive aggressive "jerk" who stymies your every effort at change by creating barriers to innovation, or the outspoken yet anonymous "jerk" who sits at her (or his) computer on the reference desk each day turning out vitriolic diatribes against fellow librarians and library customers (presumably while ignoring those real customers in front of her), the supervisors bear the burden of responsibility. Evaluations exist for a reason, and there are plenty of other good people out there who would happily replace those "jerks".

I don't think we've ever avoided talking about the internal problems libraries and library staff face. In fact, given the record, I think we (the collective professional blogging/writing librarian "we") have always identified internal staff morale and behavior to be fundamental to excellent external customer service.

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• Service and Policy - A range of library-related notes on service and policy.