RFID- there will be complaints!!!…….
Recently, I have been working with library services both in the academic and public
sectors that are implementing RFID technologies (cutely pronounced ‘riffid’). It’s all
very interesting stuff, especially since it has, in my opinion now gone beyond the
‘bleeding edge’ and is now quite a bit more accessible both financially and
technologically for some services. The most exciting thing for me is the way it can (and
should) be a catalyst for changing the way we do business.
There is an awful lot of myth and speculation surrounding this and other technologies.
Many of the concerns surround its dependability (remember the awful old self-service
machines … that didn’t work too well?). Some surround privacy concerns, especially
sensitive to colleagues in certain countries but not particularly in the UK, New Zealand
nor Australia.
From a retail point of view, RFID is used to control inventory, from manufacture right
through to the retail shop floor. However, that’s where the life of the RFID tag tends to
end. In libraries it is a bit different with our lending collections coming back to us as
check-ins. Hence the concern from some areas that the RFID tags may be able to contain
personal information about the user in a Big Brother type of way and store information
about usage patterns.
I do tend to encourage clients not to think of RFID as merely a ‘self-service’ technology
(I prefer Norfolk UK’s name of Express Choice anyway). It’s a tool that can be used for
much more. My personal passion is collection management and library transformation
and it can be an absolute boon there.
Don’t sweat the small stuff
In my work with Embervision, we talk about the 80/20 rule. As librarians, we tend to tie
ourselves up in knots about the slight chance that something may go wrong with some
great innovation we are bout to embark on. Either a trumped-up health and safety
announcement comes out (“Warning – this door opens”, “In the interests of safety, our
toilet is locked” etc) or someone is scared of a complaint by a member of its community.
When dealing with RFID, or any other innovation, we must ask ourselves whether the
benefit outweighs the risk, and if indeed there are risks associated – can we conduct an
audit to contain them? Too often we become so risk-averse that we lose the opportunity
of an innovation. Recently ago the UK Health and Safety Executive criticised local
authorities for being so risk averse that it was affecting service. As reported on the BBC1,
Jonathan Rees, HSE deputy chief executive, said the aim of the campaign was to "cut red
tape and make a real difference to people's lives".
1
http://www.hse.gov.uk/risk/index.htm
"These principles... will hopefully drum home the message that health and safety is not
about long forms, back-covering or stifling initiative.
"It's about recognising real risks, tackling them in a balanced way and watching out for
each other. It's about keeping people safe, not stopping their lives."
Big Picture Outcomes
If we keep our eye on the big-picture – the outcome our business has for our community
we can keep these issues in perspective and make better decisions. Can the innovation
reduce stress for the customer and team? Can the innovation delight the customer and
give them a choice? Will it allow us to improve the value of the business? If it ticks the
boxes then we can assess the innovation for risk and put in place any necessary
contingency measures.
Getting the right messages out
In the case of RFID, there are mechanisms we can use that keep personal data safe. Our
professional ethics ensure that we do this. We must ensure our team understand this and
have the key messages ready for the customers when they ask.
When introducing any new innovation it is best to start with our internal people first
whether it be the team, elected members or executives. Firstly ensure they understand the
benefits of the changes. Then listen and respond to concerns.
Gladys and Pollyanna
I apologise to those of you with these names. I use them in my work with libraries to
explain the inevitability of complainers and huggers. Let me explain. In any community
there are likely to be people at each end of the spectrum; those who just love your new
innovation to bit - Pollyannas and……. the ‘pit-dwellers’ - Gladyses. These people will
never come on board no matter how much you explain the benefit to them or cajole them.
They are not going to like it and will complain – bitterly. They only account for a
minority of the community (or your team!) so just thank them for their comment and
carry on regardless. Others in your community will be understandably cynical, especially
if you tried the less efficient self-check machines beforehand. Some of these will want to
read all the reports, visit other libraries to check on technology and bring all kinds of
reasons not to go ahead. As long as you have a well prepared plan and have managed the
risk you will be able to convince many of these people.
A client of ours thanked me recently for introducing my Gladys principle as it does give
the team prior warning of likely surly comments and complaints and allows them to
respond positively and more importantly, determinedly. How often do we get a flurry of
complaints and feel that this is good enough to stop a project?
Risk taking means mistake making
As Scots poet Rabbie Burns said, the best laid plans o’ mice and men can aften gang
aglae (go wrong). Sometimes when innovating we have ‘doosies’ of mistakes happening.
We don’t know all the answers and that is fine. Let people know that. Don’t set
yourselves up as oracles of all knowledge. This will ensure that any project can have a
little bit of fluidity and dynamism within the overall plan. The bravest and most
wonderful librarians with whom I have worked have been ‘out there’ and willing to have
egg on their face at some point in their career. Look at their achievements though and you
will see that it’s worth it.
If you always do, what you’ve always done
You’ll always get what you always got.
New Roles
With the advent of this new technology we also face a very different role for the team on
the ‘shop floor’. When I design a new library, it is important to redesign the processes
that happen through simple streamlining. Then roles statements can be redesigned
accordingly. Then the library layout can be addressed, with the largest changes being the
removal of desks and large workrooms. I often say to team that the new way of doing
business such as floor walking and getting rid of the tedious tasks is a little like ‘you can
run but you can’t hide” – referring to workroom size and how busy you will be!
The main issue facing anyone implementing RFID is team acceptance of the new way of
working. Communication and engagement are the key.
Here are a few pointers about ‘floor walking’
What it is…..
High-value work
 Looking after customers who are looking for help
 Looking after the displays
 Looking after stock
 Being seen – security
 Take pressure off counters
What it isn’t
 Jumping on people as they walk in
 Glib and patronising ‘have a nice day’ scripts
 Being so busy with work that customers feel awkward approaching
Advantages
 Simple customer queries can be dealt with more directly ( 50% are directional)
 Customers love the team – they like seeing them more
 Stock can be displayed faster – giving perception of more new stock
 Stock can be weeded and cared for more regularly – by all the team
 Anti-social behaviour decreases
 Security gate alarms can be dealt with
What you need to do to make this work
 Discuss with team appropriate and inappropriate body language and behaviour
when you are working the floor – set the Standard and monitor this by supervisors.
Talk about badges, where to wear them. Talk about body language. Give lots of
feedback.
 Talk about what a customer looks like when they are looking for help – and what
they do when they want to be left alone.
 Supervisors to walk the floor each morning with team members to identify
priorities
 Work out what tasks can be cut down or out (labelling of books, maintenance,
checking of records, filing) – any workroom tasks – think of new ways to release
the team.
 Look at the roster – three/four hour sessions may be more practical – hour-long
ones cause too much changeover time.
 Look at the lunch hours – can you have lunches 11.30-12.30, 12.30- 1.30 and 1.30
to 2.30 – check this is acceptable – some people love the earlier or later lunches.
Do the same with other breaks – stagger them especially on busy days. This will
let you cover the rushes better.
 Be pragmatic about who is on the shop floor – give more shifts to people who
love being out there helping with reader advisory or information work. Those
people who do not have the social ability or skills – keep away from that role.
 Some team members may be unclear about what information queries are beyond
them- go through the reference questioning model of
1. Ask open ended questions as you see appropriate ( - can include - When do
you need this by? What is the information for? Where have you looked
already?)
2. Check by asking closed questions ( So what you are looking for is a book on
building budgie cages rather than just a general book on budgies? Is that
right?)
3. Once you have dealt with the query – ask them what else you can do.

Clarify the expectations you have of what happens during a floorwalking shift –
tidying the front door step of litter, straightening power displays, re-stocking to
80-90% full of IMPULSE material.
Overall, it is an exciting time for libraries. If you aren’t one of the lucky ones to be
implementing RFID, there are still many aspects of the floor walking and process reengineering you can go ahead with. Many of you have been doing so for some time.
In these times of budget cuts, it is all too easy to chop a little off the collection budget or
opening hours but this is death by a thousand cuts for our library services. By clever
efficiencies and diverting our greatest (and costliest) resource – our people into high
value work we can make a huge difference. I have seen it – it works. It takes strong and
determined leadership.
Thanks to Martin Palmer and the team from Essex and also to the teams at Wiltshire and
Lancashire public library services.
Fi Emberton is a library and retail consultant. She works internationally with businesses
including farm shops, garden centres and other retailers. Normally a resident of
Queensland, Fi will be spending several months working in the UK in between her
international tour. You can keep in touch with her through her at www.linkedin.com or
email her on fiona@embervision.cc