This article is more than 5 years old.

Thanks to those who responded to the querry I posed within my first NCLA post. I look forward to discussing your answers with each of you. I hope others as you get a chance will consider responding as well. Thursday morning of NCLA featured several of our LAMS sponsored programs. Beginning with Dr. Larry White, Assistant Professor at the School of Library and Information Science at East Carolina University presenting an overview of challenges facing libraries as they implement “Assessment Planning.” According to White, little is found in the literature on assessment planning for the whole organization and that most libraries don’t build their strategic plans around data collected from assessment efforts. Traditional models of assessment look at efficiency rates, effectiveness, return on investment and educational outcomes. White then suggest a revised approach where we look at our stakeholders, our intangibles, our resources and our knowledge experiences. Libraries need to align their major library services with those associated closest to our stakeholders. Assessment should connect your community to what you are doing, therefore it is so important to involve your customers in every facet. Don’t just let him see you asking for data, or counting only numbers, turn around and show the customer what those numbers mean. Broadcast and share these numbers to your community. Showcase them in a way that conveys the value of the services rendered.

Our second session was a preview of the NCLA 2010 Leadership Institute. Institute facilitators shared the guiding principles, outlined expectations of the four day retreat as well as the application and selection process. Much of this information was shared in my fist NCLA posting earlier in the week. The 2010 institute will be held in November in Asheboro, NC.

The LAMS luncheon featured Waffle House owner of seventeen stores, Gary Fly. I don’t believe he owns any of the Winston Salem stores. He spoke frequently of the Greensboro, High Point, Hickory and Mt. Airy locations. Fly encouraged attendees to view their libraries as he does, through the eyes of the customer. Waffle House mission for their stores include: delivering a unique experience to each customer, providing a welcoming environment, great food, reasonable prices and friendly attentive services. Most of their business comes from repeat customers. How does a store like this compete when the landscape of fast food, just like libraries, has changed so drastically over the last decade? First he took the time to study the landscape and he’s well aware of what these changes are. His approach, is deliberate. It is a “cheers without the alcohol.” Employees seek to offer a unique fun filled experience. The keys to each Waffle House are buried in the parking lot on opening day as a symbol that they are always there for you. The busiest day of the year is Christmas Day. Staff are encouraged to learn the customers names, call them out as they enter the building, remember what their favorites are and give them what they want in a 22 minute turn around time. They use other customers in creating this unique experience.

As a customer of the Library, Fly would like to see libraries offer a Barnes and Noble approach, comfortable furniture, good signage and a warm friendly environment. Amazon like service with customer reviews of books read and suggested reading lists. A Netflix model – here are the titles you pre-selected as those of interest; just send them back and your next ones will arrive via campus mail. Below are ten steps Fly offers to help libraries on their way to success:

1. Employ friendly greeters – encourage them to smile.

2. Communicate frequently your service priorities.

3. Does your staff appear attentive?

4. Is their order and structure in place?

5. Communicate the mission statement!

6. Build strong, lasting relationships.

7. Promote your brand.

8. Hire the best and brightest folk- with a unified system of training in place!

9. Know what your value is.

10. Work really hard to deliver what your customers expect.

“The Library Diversity Committee: Serving Knowledge, Serving You,” was a very well organized and thought provoking session . Representatives from UNC-G, NC State, UNC- C and ECU shared strategies for the library based diversity committees. Each representative shared details surrounding their individual successes. Most had a recurring theme of acquiring the right personnel, offering the right type programming and building greater collections of available resources. The general consensus of the group was not to label programs offered as “diversity.” Something about the word made folk think someone was trying to shove something down their throat. Choosing other topics that not only focused on race but other areas of discrimination also boosted interest. I plan to look at the representative websites for their goals and objectives, it could be that the timing may be right for WFU. I was particularly interested in the film series that some of the schools offered. Perhaps if we loose the word diversity in the committees name, we might find a happy medium for this type strategically planned programming here at ZSR.

My final workshop of the conference was entitled “Library Workforce Challenges in North Carolina.” This session reviewed findings from a comprehensive study of career patterns on graduates (1964 onward) from the 4 NC LIS programs and also the Central Piedmont Certification program. The WILS study was conducted via a survey. I have listed just a few of the highlights discussed in the session, but for a clearer and more detailed presentation and summary look here – http://www.wilis.unc.edu.

Survey responses were about 2627 or 35%. 82% were female with an average age of 50. 11% were non white. The average salary was 51,952. 33% work in school libraries, 20 % in public, 31% in academic and 16% in special.

How many are likely to leave the profession in five years or 2013?- 49%

How many of them are likely to have left already? – 12 % of the workforce.

How many are likely to leave the workforce in ten years or 2018? – 63%

Salary, career progression, support for continuing education, mentorship, recognition and a more flexible work schedule were each attributed as keys to retaining and motivating librarians and library workers.

A panel of representatives from across the state then spoke on how these findings might impact our course of action with regard to workforce relations in North Carolina Libraries. Susan Nutter shared the NCSU story. Hire the best and pay them well. Her fellows are paid well and given top responsibilities right up front. Sometimes libraries fail with new graduates because they watch and teach them to death. As young graduates many are eager and full of passion. Don’t treat them to be so cautious. Are you the employer of choice?

This was a great discussion and a great note to end the conference workshops on. The closing session featured Barbara Armstrong White, management consultant from UCAN Educational Services of Fayetteville NC who shared “Service Strategies that transform and Move us Forward.” White reminded the audience that from economic and other disasters humanity is brought to the forefront. Train yourself to think of the other personsjourney of life has been. We owe our communities our attention!