Other sessions from LMCC 2017

Space Study: 

Akron University Library survey's the in building users simple coded paper survey, delivered by library student employees who they pretrained to deliver the survey. Surveys were returned to a drop box near the exit doors.

Results    





Used the survey to change things, refreshed study rooms, added comfy bean bag chairs, udpated charging stations, scientific calculators for checkout, mobile whiteboards. Also updated signage on quiet floor.

Human Centered Design for Building Signage





Library Lingo is not User Friendly Single service point titled "Central Services Desk" changed to
"Main Desk"

"Design is the silent ambassador of your brand" - Paul Rand Comprehensive design applied to signage at the Fondren Library: The building in color identified sectors


Elevator wrap with wayfinding floor map

Color scheme applies to study rooms in specific buildings

Front door vinyl

On color wall

Used Hexagon to match floor and desks More wayfinding

More signage used across buildings

Handouts to match signage

Walk through the building to find out how your signage works. Another wayfinding

A comprehensive directory near the entrance

Always do a print test of font size and color
Less words = more likely to be read/used

Resources 
Useful, Usable, Desirable by Aaron Schmidt and Amanda Etches
Service Innovation Handbook by Lucy Kimball
UX for the Masses website
Usability.gov 
Guerilla UX Research Methods by Russ Unger and Todd Zaki Warfel
Don't Make Me Think by Steve Krug
Rocket Surgery Made Easy by Steve Krug

Marketing Keynote by Gina Millsap - LMCC 2017

Gina Millsap is the chief executive officer of the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library. 

Began with great funny library promo video from the Topeka and Shawnee CPL:  https://youtu.be/IfNfnL64rOQ

 More of marketing materials based on this video are found https://tscpl.org/books-movies-music/checkitout

Notes:

Your Brand is what people say about you when you're not in the room. -- Bezos

This library hired an outside firm and nine months later fired them.

They broke many of the rules of creating a plan.

Created core values including:

• Excellence 
• Accountability 
• Literacy 
• Freedom 
• Teamwork 
• Curiosity 

Brand is what people feel about the library not what the library has

 

Their new brand is Stay Curious

 Additionally they created Project forms/tickets Web based event registration

Notes from the Marketing Plan Track - LMCC2017

My favorite slide from the conference:



Indeed


Random thoughts:
Try content marketing (the stories of your library, services)

Define both your users and non users

Use surveys to learn about them

"We have something for everyone" is too broad Ask what they want, it allows you to tell them you already have it.

Define the competition

 Create partnerships

Choose actions with measurable goals

Promote products/services then assess, get feedback

Policies/procedures for events

Treat the media as a separate target market

How do you want communications

Multiple choice answer surveys

Focus groups with prizes or gift cards

 Talk benefits not products

 Don't overlook internal marketing/communications

   




Be sure the Triangle is aligned in values:
Customers (patrons)  Providers (employees) Organization (management)

 

Keynote: Libraries, Crises, and Social Media - LMCC2017

Keynote Speech by Shel Holtz of www.holtz.com

Shel Holtz is principal of Holtz Communication + Technology, a consultancy that helps organizations integrate the Internet into their strategic communication efforts.

Nobody expects their library to end up at the center of a firestorm, but it happens. How you handle it can affect everything from the public’s perception of your library to the budget allocated to it. In today’s social-media-connected and mobile-dominant media environment—where local engagement rules—the rules of crisis communication are changing.

My takeaways:

Preparation for a crisis, aka how to avoid them
1. Discuss possible issues and risks
2. Engage in communication before it becomes a crisis
3. There is no such thing as a pr crisis, it is an operational crisis
4. Characteristics of a crisis
   a. Lack of policy
   b. Lack of training

Respond when you find yourself in crisis
1. Respond quickly, accurately, and professionally
2. Be honest
3. Acknowledge mistakes and errors
4. Perceptions should be treated as facts
5. Stay out of public confrontations

Pay attention and respond with your values.

Be Human, Be Visible

Change the focus of the conversation

Crisis Example

Example of an entertaining and engaging crisis http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-29656674

Donor signage ideas from the Dallas Zoo

I like how they honor everyone who donates to the zoo!  And it is a fabulous zoo.

 A giraffe:






Another sign

 





The Hippo exhibit walkway







On the way to the Family section http://www.dallaszoo.com/exhibits-experiences/lacerte-family-childrens-zoo/





And another section





All very cool ideas.  - Jenny

Print Marketing

Notes from a workshop

Creating Print Content

Define your audience
i.e. college bound students

Define their information gathering needs
* majors, social life, financial aid...

Match print materials in look/style to the website

Print should supplement what is online

Print is expensive.  What is the most valuable thing for the student to know in their decision making process

Let students know what the next 4-5 years look like

Tone & Voice should be conversational.  Avoid institutional speak/jargon

Build belief in the brand/message

Be real

Clear, concise 'what do you want them to do next'
'what should they do next'

Share profiles not just the top but the interesting

Students & Parents are different audiences especially where images/photographs are concerned.

Students like
hand on
drone shots
study groups
residence halls 

Students do not like
fake lecture
stylized
too many shiny happy people
over representing diversity if it does not exist in the population

Donor signage ideas from the Perot Museum, Dallas

Donor wall



Donor wall 2



The bigger the gift...

Evaluation Season

It's that time of year when performance evaluations are written. I don't know about anyone else but I sometimes struggle with writing both my own self-evaluation and the evaluations for my staff. I'm always looking for better ways, different words/phrases, to create these documents.

 I think this is a useful article on how to write one for someone you supervise: Writing a Good Performance Review at Business News Daily

 Here's a useful article for writing your own: How to Write Your Own Performance Review from the American Management Association.

Or try this one:
Six steps to completing a great self-appraisal at TalentSpace.

And best of all, here's a list of useful phrases!  100 Useful Phrases for Performance Reviews at TinyPulse

 And remember, when in doubt Google it. Of course there are lots of books on these topics and I have found that when I'm really stuck I go upstairs and browse the Manager/Supervisor section HF for inspiration.