Information is not enough

This blog has not been active since I set it up last summer for the purposes of an assignment for school (the Library and Information Technician program at Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada). Life, according to me, has been a series of tipping points, so I remain convinced that my very first blog post was a good introduction to all subsequent blog posts!

And now for something not-so-completely different:

Last week at the OLA Superconference in Toronto, I went to an informative and lively session called "Information is not enough: shaping the user experience". Joan Frye Williams, librarian and consultant is "an acute observer of emerging library trends, issues, and practices... [and] an internationally recognized library futurist and designer of innovative library services", as I quote from her website.

I would like to share some interesting points and tips from her lecture:

'Information vs. Ideas/Creativity'

• information is ubiquitous, no longer scarce

• the 'creative economy' now prevails, information has been commodified, shipped overseas

• users seek and prefer kind of 'personalized' delivery of their informationlibraries should align their services into ways that make more people see us as more valuable
  

'Destination Libraries'

• have a strong sense of arrival at your entrance points

• present a warm welcome to visitors

• make the library clean and comfortable, with natural light whenever possible

• create "being" spaces (see library space as venue space for users' needs, not just spaces to store the stuff that we deem important)

• encourage green buildings and practices whenever possible zone by activity
  

'Keep it simple and sensible'

• consolidate desks and service points

• create situational signage that simplifies 'way finding'

• offer virtual tours

• prepackage your tips and shortcuts

• have all staff trained to assist with basic navigation and end-user tools

'Library as Laboratory' (some examples of creative use of space in libraries)

• art studio

• media production facility

• new technology showcase

Consider this hypothetical inquiry:

"Does the library integrate easily with the rest of my busy life?"

Think of your library from the user's point of view. In the past, we have sacrificed quality for convenience, or vice versa, and perhaps that no longer has to be the norm. While reexamining and reconsidering our current procedures and services, libraries need to consistently listen to users before moving forward.

In closing, I'd like to pick two of my favourite closing statements from Joan's presentation:

1. Plan for success
2. Laugh a lot

Levity is so important in our field! (We can't take ourselves too seriously and we need to brace ourselves for outcomes we can't always control.)

Tam