The Big Picture
Retooling The Library While
The Engine Is Still Running
San José and Its Library
ƒ Population Served: 1,007,000, 10th largest city
ƒ Circulation per capita: 15.4, 5.3M Visitors
ƒ Materials expenditure per capita: $4.25
ƒ Languages in collections: 50+
ƒ Main Library joint use with San Jose State U
ƒ 17 branches, building 6 more
ƒ 80% Circulation at Branches
About Our System
Large Branches
Medium Branches
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20K+ sf
ƒ over 1M circ / yr
ƒ open 6-7 days / wk
ƒ 15 FTE
600-800K circ / yr
ƒ open 6 days / wk
ƒ 12 FTE
Lowest Circ
Branches
ƒ250-400K circ / yr
ƒ7 FTE
Circ has tripled in 10 yrs, staff has increased by 20%
The Typical Library Service Model
‹©2007
San José Public Library All Rights Reserved
The San José Way
A Quick Look at the Situation
ƒ Unprecedented demand for services
ƒ Traditional service model is out-of-sync with
customer expectations
ƒ Can’t bridge the gap between demand and
resources utilizing incremental change
“Don't be afraid to take a big step if it is indicated. You can't
cross a chasm in two small jumps.”
-David Lloyd George
The San José Community
uses libraries heavily
SJPL’s circulation is one of the highest
per capita among large cities
‹©2007
San José Public Library All Rights Reserved
Why change to a new model now?
19
94
/95
19
97
/9
19 8
98
/99
19
99
/0
20 0
00
/01
20
01
/02
20
02
/03
20
03
/04
20
04
/0
20
05 5
/20
06
15,000,000
14,000,000
13,000,000
12,000,000
11,000,000
10,000,000
9,000,000
8,000,000
7,000,000
6,000,000
5,000,000
4,000,000
3,000,000
2,000,000
1,000,000
0
1000
900
800
700
600
500
Staffing
Circulation
San José Public Library Circulation and Staffing
17 Branches & Main Library – 1997 to 2006
400
300
200
Staffing
Circulation
Why Our Circulation Has Increased
ƒ Implemented a centralized selection model
ƒ A strong customer-centered collection planning
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process implemented several years ago
Multiple copies of popular items including media
Collections are meeting the needs of children and
families
Strong merchandising and collection promotion
Easy access for reserving items through eBranch
The San José Community
is well educated and computer literate
Over 80% of
residents in
San José have
access to the
Internet at
home, work, or
school.
The San José Community
is diverse culturally and economically
Many users are immigrants from countries without a
public library tradition who need individual assistance to
use our resources effectively.
The San José Community
values higher level library service
The San José Community
expects retail-type services and hours
21st Century Customer
ƒ Is the expert and expects to be in the drivers seat
ƒ Sees self service as a positive not a negative
ƒ Expects flexibility and customization
ƒ Will NOT adapt to us
Customers Want:
ƒ Longer / more hours
ƒ Additional storytimes and programs for families, adults,
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and children
Plentiful access to technology and training to use it
Exciting bookstore look with food, drink, comfortable
seating
More personalized assistance and service
Popular collections of books, ebooks, DVDs, CDs
Quick, easy, and convenient to use
Customer friendly staff with little or no referral
The traditional library model
no longer meets customer needs
ƒ Staff are behind service desks
ƒ Checking out and in requires staff assistance
ƒ Staff skills are not aligned to customer needs
ƒ Library is too collection-centered
ƒ Staff is in the backroom
ƒ Process not people
ƒ Customers will NOT adapt to us
How do we get there now?
ƒ Ask for more resources
ƒ Reduce services
ƒ “Leap the chasm!”
Strategy 1: Customer First
ƒ Listen to our customers
ƒ All decisions customer driven
ƒ Adopt an entrepreneurial mindset
Strategy 2:
Help our customers help themselves
ƒ Self-service is expected by today’s customer
ƒ Implement self-checkout
ƒ Design spaces that are easy to use
ƒ Merchandise the collection
ƒ Everyone is a teacher
Implementing Self-Checkout Machines:
The “Before” Picture
Implementing Self-Checkout Machines:
The “Transition” Picture
Implementing self-checkout machines:
The “San José Way”
Creating a Win-Win Scenario
ƒ 90+% success system-wide
ƒ Making policy and procedural changes to insure
self-checkout success
ƒ Building customer expectations
ƒ New staff roles
ƒ Training staff and customers
Thinking Out of the Box
©2007 San José Public Library All Rights Reserved
Strategy 3:
Use staff more effectively
ƒ Self-Service realizes staff savings
ƒ Streamline the Collection Management process
ƒ Reduce back room work and materials handling
ƒ Branch Team approach to operations
ƒ Train staff for new skills and roles
ƒ Emphasize public service when hiring staff
Customer Service Principles
ƒ Redefining customer service
¾ direct public service a priority
ƒ Everyone serves youth
¾ daily storytimes
ƒ Everyone is a teacher
¾ breaking the cycle of codependency
ƒ Developing the flexible cross-trained team
Strategy 4:
Reinvent library environments and incorporate
retail and business practices
ƒWe know who our
competitors are!
ƒCreate exciting,
delightful & fun
destinations
ƒAdopt retail
strategies
ƒFood and drink
Merchandising the Collection
ƒ Customers expect it
ƒ Promotes the use of the collection
ƒ Supports self-service
ƒ Visual impact at the front door: “The Marketplace”
ƒ Easy to navigate layout and organization
ƒ Customer-centered collections
ƒ Bountiful collection displays
‹©2007
San José Public Library All Rights Reserved
‹©2007
San José Public Library All Rights Reserved
‹©2007
San José Public Library All Rights Reserved
‹©2007
San José Public Library All Rights Reserved
Comfort and Choice
The missing pieces at SJPL
ƒ The new facilities: marketplace, family place,
teen space, internet café, living room, group
and quiet study
ƒ The experience of the weekly visitor
ƒ The 80/20 rule
ƒ Zoning
Single Service Point
ƒ Reduces customer confusion
ƒ Main service point for queuing lines
ƒ Alleviates staffing shortages
ƒ Maximizes staff effectiveness
ƒ Improves cross training
What We’ve Done Since 2000
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Over 90% self checkout & renewal
26% fines paid online
Customer Holds pick up
Cross trained staff delivering seamless customer service
Moved to 1 service point
Reduced backroom tasks for increased direct customer
service staffing
Fast track re-shelving of hot items
Marketplace of “hot” new items in prime entry space
Coffee vendor partnerships at 5 new branches
Evaluating the model:
LSTA Grant findings
ƒ Customers love it
ƒ Customers and staff have different perceptions of what
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is good service
Convenience is great customer service
Customers want to be self-sufficient but also want staff
to recognize when they need help
Customers appreciate being acknowledged by staff
Staff need training and support including change
management to deliver service
SJ City Resident Survey Shows:
ƒ 72% rated “Excellent” or “Good” for Library
services, highest over any other City Dept. for
last 5 years
ƒ Big jump in perception of overall effectiveness
of Library Dept. shows 13% increase over last 5
years, more than any other City Dept.
Organizational Readiness
ƒ Customer-centered organization
ƒ Continuous improvement
ƒ Change is expected as a way of life
ƒ Business models as the approach to problem
solving
ƒ We have competition
ƒ Clarity about our mission and services
Points to Consider:
ƒ Customer expectations have changed
ƒ Time to rethink library service delivery
ƒ Incremental change won’t address fundamental
issues
ƒ Can’t afford to wait until you have all the
answers
ƒ Can’t afford to wait until everyone is on the
same page
ƒ Staff are resistant but resilient
For Further Information:
sanjoseway@sjlibrary.org
www.sjlibrary.org