Facing Inward, But Looking Outward

It's never a bad idea to take advantage of the back side of standing acrylic signage, especially at a public service counter or desk.  On the back side of our "Summer Hours" sign at Circulation,  a set of 8 simple Work Guidelines have been posted to remind our summer workers of their various duties and responsibilities.  Proactive reminders such as these reduce questions, empower workers, enhance departmental workflow, and improve customer interactions.

Return to Shelver - X Marks the Spot

An important yet easy way to bring visual systems to your library is to consider your library’s re-shelving location(s).

Offering places for patrons to lay used but unwanted items is important to reduce:

• the amount of time spent locating items
• “missing” item occurrences because of shelving errors
• money and time wasted re-ordering “lost” items

Maintaining re-shelving item locations also helps libraries track statistics. The items collected and marked “used” before re-shelving gives libraries an idea of what patrons are interested in. This is especially important for items that cannot leave the building, like reference books.

These use statistics are consulted when removing (a.k.a. deaccessioning or weeding) inactive titles and ordering new ones. Statistics also tell librarians and stakeholders which collections are being used and how heavily. Both are important when creating collection budgets and making the case for library funding (to department heads, college administrators, library boards, etc.).

Each academic, public, and commercial institution I have worked for offered re-shelving locations – some more successfully than others. Does your library have a place for your patrons to place unwanted items for staff to re-shelve? How consistently are your re-shelving locations used?

If your library’s re-shelving locations are under-utilized, have you stopped to consider why? Do you need a map to find a re-shelving spot, tucked out of sight? Is it in plain sight, but in a poorly trafficked local? Must you stand with your nose to the sign to read it? 

Room for improvement:  Low contrast "Please Do Not Reshelve Materials" sign is hard to read and fails to tell patrons where to go with unwanted materials.  Martin Library of the Sciences, F & M College.

Pink Shelves signal re-shelving location to library patrons. The space can be improved with a larger sign / larger font size with fewer words.  Shadek-Fackenthal Library, F & M College.

Never fear! The 5S of Visual Order and the 4 types of Visual Devices are here to help! Here is a short list of visual solutions to improve patron re-shelving location usage (now that’s quite a mouthful)…

• Sort & Set in order: clear and designate a location(s) for re-shelving.

• Identify the main arteries of traffic at your library (like, the path from the stacks to the circulation desk and restrooms) and place your re-shelving spot(s) at visible points along this path. Working within your patron’s natural flow boosts their adoption of new service points.
• Include well-marked, legible signs with concise wording to grab attention and quickly tell patrons what to do at a glance.
• Limit re-shelving locations to “re-shelving only” to cut confusion.
• Keep re-shelving tables and shelves between hip and eye level (consider coffee tables for re-shelving in the lounge or children’s areas)

Success!  This children's room re-shelving spot is found by patrons leaving the kid's room, heading towards circulation and is clearly marked by large and clever "Reshelve Spot" signage. It must be cleared several times daily.   Manheim Townhip Public Library.

Manehim Township Public Library echoed the success of their children's room in the adult collection:  repeating the same color scheme & circular "return spot" motif. Vertical stands for adult signs would help visibility.

• Shine & Standardize:  keeping it clean and consistent

• Use the same signage throughout the building.
• Maintain "fresh" & visible signage (not crumpled or hidden).
• Check & clear re-shelving spots at scheduled intervals according to your library’s needs: for example, 3x/day for the children's area and 2x/day in the adult's area (consider keeping a log of this for staff to initial).

• Success:  rinse and repeat

• Keep up the good work! Ensure re-shelving areas are clearly designated and regularly cleared.
• Observe outcomes & reconsider: Are there ways to improve? Locations or wording that would work better?

I'd love to see what your library's visual re-shelving locations look like and to hear your thoughts on how wonderful your re-shelving spots are or what you'd like to improve. I, for one, am looking forward to updating the re-shelving areas at the Martin Library of the Sciences this fall. I'll keep you posted!

~Jessica M. Gutacker
Franklin & Marshall College Library
Manheim Township Public Library

What grade does your media collection get?

How many times has a patron handed in an audiobook and informed circulation that one out of the 30 discs didn’t play – but, sorry, they don’t recall which disc was the problem? Or have you taken items out of the library yourself, only to be disappointed by the frequent skipping and freezing… or worse, total silence?

A visual solution, like a library media report card, can significantly improve patron library experience by:

• giving patrons an outlet to report any problems they’ve encountered
• increasing chances of reporting by placing “report cards” with the media (at the point of need)
• saving library staff & volunteers time identifying problem items at check in
• improving collection quality by repairing, replacing, or withdrawing items (thanks to patron review and reporting)

The idea for a media report card came to me one dark and frustrating night. My mother, sister, and I had planned a lady’s night in and I had checked out a period piece – that, miraculously, none of us had already seen – for the occasion.
 

It was a bumpy start.

The film froze several times in the first fifteen minutes, so we changed rooms and DVD players and eventually managed to skip past the bumpy beginnings. Soon my mother, sister, and I found ourselves lost in the story. We were enthralled and eagerly anticipating our sugar coated ending when, in the final ten minutes, the DVD froze. Noooo!!!

Desperately, we tried all the tricks:  fast forwarding over it, skipping ahead a chapter then rewinding, turning the DVD player off and on again, switching DVD players, gently cleaning the DVD, etc. Nothing helped. After an hour of trying we called it quits.
 

Having talked up the library to my family sometime beforehand (because none of my family are library users) I was incredibly embarrassed and disappointed. How many times had our library patron’s “relaxing” evenings come to a similarly scratchy halt? How could I keep recommending library media if this was the quality of the items going out? This wasn’t the first scratched DVD / CD I had checked out, but this was the first time it happened in company.

I wished we had some system to report problem DVDs the moment patrons encountered problems, so that the library and patrons could pro-actively improve our media collection and the user experience. The media report card was born.

My first report card asked:

“How do I play?

• great
• skips / freezes
• wouldn't play

Which disc?  ___

After some trial and error, we removed the “great” option (as it was starting to waste paper), but we were thrilled with the positive patron feedback to our new DVD cleaning program. I was even more pleased to see other neighboring libraries pick up the system for their media collections.

Manheim Township Public Library of Lancaster Pennsylvania is the latest to adopt the system – putting their own stamp on it - and I am thrilled!

DVDs awaiting resurfacing thanks to the new media report cards

My only suggestions for visual improvement would be to increase the point size of the font and check boxes to report scratched or frozen discs and cut some words below – so that the patron’s eye can identify the paper’s purpose and use quickly.

What do you think? How has your library improved the quality of their media user experience? What grade would your library media collections receive?   

~Jessica Gutacker 
Franklin & Marshall College Library
Manheim Township Public Library

Architecture Available!

Using a library's existing architecture for more than one purpose is a key principle of smart placement. If a column is already serving its primary purpose of holding up the lobby ceiling, why not take advantage, and use it as a sign post?  This approach of "doubling up" the utility of your existing architecture can save both space and money.  You don't need to buy a free-standing sign support if you can simply use an existing column.  Many aspects of library architecture are ripe for "doubling up," including book stack ends, drop-ceiling soffits, entrance architecture, interior walls, and of course, columns!

For an innovative use of existing architecture, see the following Library Journal feature on Vancouver Community Library's five-story floating staircase -
https://www.libraryjournal.com/?detailStory=the-way-upward-design4impact

Try To Be More Negative (Space That Is)

 

One of the key principles of smart placement is to "store things, not air."  We can see a nice example of this in the main Circulation Desk pictured above.  From the patron side, it appears to be a clean, square corner of the desk (in this case, our stapling center.)  But from the staff side, the library has utilized the hollow cavity of the desk, and turned it into a book truck storage space.  As books and reserves are returned by patrons, the cart is right at hand to fill for reshelving.  Turning this type of negative space into positive work space takes a bit of practice.  It requires a form of reverse thinking - seeing what is not there, in order to identify an opportunity.

Co-Locating Like Items

Where we choose to locate and store items in our work environment matters a great deal. Storing like items together can accelerate workflow and alleviate stress. Storing paper and toner together is an obvious consideration. But centralizing that storage next to the point of need (the printers!) takes the notion a step further. The storage closet pictured above is right off the main reference (read printing) area in the library. In addition, every variety of cartridge is stored neatly in the same closet, so no matter which printer runs out, there's only one place to go!

(Note the metal scissors which are left in the closet to facilitate unpacking of paper and toner boxes. Another point of need solution!)