Where is the Hospitality in Your Library? (expanded presentation for Farmington Community Library Staff Day 2012)

Abstract

Presentation given for the Staff Day at the Farmington Community Library on Friday June 8, 2012 (Farmington Hills, Michigan) by Corey Seeman. This is an expanded version of the presentation given elsewhere. In an increasing self-service environment, we will explore the Kresge Business Administration Library at the University of Michigan has used methods from the hospitality and service industries to reinvigorate the way that we connect with our community. We have established a service ethos to ensure that we are not only meeting the information needs of our patrons, but also being available to assist them whenever it is needed. In this presentation, we will discuss the role of public service in the library and how the lessons on the hospitality and service industries can improve our interaction with the patrons. In addition to discussing hospitality, I am also using this to introduce the concept of Patron-Driven Services, a adaptation of Patron-Driven Acquisitions (or Collections) which has been very popular in academic circles.