CAL2005: Wake Up Call: What Our Customers Are Trying to Tell Us if We'd Only Listen

Gwendolyn Crenshaw, Cori Jackmore, Susan Kotarba, & Pilar Castro-Reino (Denver Public Library)

• Handout: Sources Consulted
• Handout: Denver Public Library: Focus Group Findings – Executive Summary from Corona Research)
• Top five findings (paraphrased)
• focus group participants understood the need to change library service models in response to demographic changes
• differentiated service models would have a greater appeal to infrequent non-users
• preference of branch models matched the predictions of DPL staff
• current users reported that they already drive to their preferred library and indicated they would continue to do so if the neighborhood library changed
• increased usage would occur if DPL addresses physical and customer service barriers
• Maternalistic attitude – librarians know what's best for their patrons – no good any more
• New directions why?
• changing population
• changes in customer demands and usage
• emerging styles of customer use
• opportunity to more effectively target resources to emerging needs
• Key points for the library
• Denver's two largest groups are Hispanic families and Anglos without children
• Anglos are less than 50%
• Hispanic 35%
• Blacks 10%
• 50% are single or unmarried groups
• 80% of white households have no children
• 50% of Hispanic households have children
• Hispanics are the fastest growing population in Denver and the most children in Denver are Hispanic
• Foreign born population tripled form 1990 to 2000
• 50% of children born in Denver are Hispanic
• highest concentration of children are in the poorest neighborhoods
• many people in Denver are experiencing financial challenges
• New directions (DPL trends)
• Traditional
• book & text centered collections
• children's collections and programs
• adult reference
• English language collections and services
• new demand...
• popular materials and a/v
• children's/family services
• adult learning classes
• specialized reference and hard-to-find items
• combinations of English and Spanish language collections
• Web services
• Computing (zero to 468 public computers in ten years)
• Basic/traditional/core services (at all branches)
• customer service and care
• children's services, storytime, and summer reading
• collections for all ages
• circulation and delivery of requested materials
• computer access
• referrals to all the services DPL offers
• Six Service Designs
• central library
• western history
• book collection
• business and non-profit resources
• experts
• children's library
• computing center
• cultural programs
• contemporary library
• stacks of new books & a/v
• comfortable seating
• WiFi
• express check-out
• coffee
• learning and language library
• intergenerational environment
• bilingual staff
• Spanish and English collections
• English and Spanish classes
• GED computer instruction
• after hour computer labs (option being considered)
• family library
• children's books
• popular adult titles
• family video & DVDs
• homework help
• fun family programs
• books for babies and toddlers
• storytime
• children's library
• children's materials
• self-directed children's activities
• arts and crafts
• after school programs
• community outreach
• DPL online
• Access from home, school or work
• 24/7 availability
• research and homework resources
• downloadable books and music
• Process
• Since Jan 2004
• One size fits all no longer working
• It's been “an adventure”
• Started with city demographics
• There were a lot of surprises in those numbers
• Looked long and hard at usage patterns
• “targeted audience” branches
• Which branches were which was decided by the managers (yet they still get along)
• Some branches were already perfect examples
• “orphans” didn't fit exactly one category or another
• took geography into consideration
• one of each type in each quadrant of the city (worked out pretty well)
• reach each type within a three mile drive
• Managers self-selected their own clusters
• Senior librarians (on-site supervisors) were asked to self-select
• first and second choices
• most got first choices
• Most stayed where they were
• Once everyone in place then the hard part began
• what would each cluster look like
• template used to design the ideal
• “interesting experience”
• brought them together as a design team
• “collaborative”
• “What does the cluster want to offer?”
• took the ideal and then faced reality – how well are we doing to match that?
• Gap analysis
• Some clusters have further to go than others
• implementation plans
• it's an evolution, not a revolution
• There were concerns but overall the idea was liked
• Corona research (see above)
• Final report still needs to go before the library commission
• Experiments
• IMPORTANT: Children's services are still, and will always be, offered at all libraries
• Outreach to preschools
• felt very important
• had read-a-loud program
• volunteers to preschools to read
• book giveaways
• parent workshops
• what would happen if they went into every classroom in the city
• have added 20 sites in the past year
• goal to add another ten in 2006
• now do less to upper grades
• realigned staff to implement this experiment
• Additional after-school programs
• reinvigorated existing programs
• formal programs
• build environment where children just walk in and find activities to do intuitively
• minimal staff guidance and involvement
• Additional family programming
• private money from Mervyn's
• that company is leaving the area
• avg attendance = 40 people on a Saturday
• families love it
• more bilingual staff & staff with language skills
• concurrent programming
• adult/children programming (at the same time)
• Bookstore displays
• VERY successful and popular
• failed at the newest branch – dual purpose library (public & black history)
• Lessons Learned
• Should not have put the central branch development after developing the branches
• Communication is key (include staff more)
• Talked about the new stuff, but forgot to talk about the core services
• Didn't clarify the use of demographics and geography (not everyone understood the placement at first glance)
• This is a long and intense process (The Time Lesson) – should have spread it out to a longer time period at first