3 Strategies for better Customer Service during Tax Season

I know most everyone will think I need my head examined for saying this, but I love tax time at the library. Without fail, I can usually convert a non-library user to library supporter, while helping hand out tax forms. I consider it my big opportunity to sell library service to everyone, especially the elusive non-library user. This is a glorious opportunity to engage patrons on so many levels.  Best of all, you don't need an insane amount of time and resources to look sharp and sell the library. Here are three simple strategies to get more out of tax season so you make the library look good and help patrons.

1.  Presentation is Everything!
Organize your forms and set up for tax time.  Don't use too much signage as it usually doesn't work anyway. Make sure that the forms are located close enough inside the building that patrons are at least forced to come inside and see what is going on.  (Think about the supermarket: milk and bread are always deep inside forcing customers to pass by other things to buy) When people ask where the tax forms are located, be ready with cheerful help. A big mistake I have seen in more than a few libraries is a certain attitude that shuts down any further communication.  I have even seen huge signs that say "Don't ask for Tax Help".  Although professional librarians and attorneys know what this means, everyday patrons now feel that they can't even ask a follow up question.

2.  Arm yourself for basic reference.
I use the most current Publication 17 for individuals. Most of the time by using the index you can help folks navigate most common questions. In my experience, most questions posed by patrons can be found using Publication 17. Create a quick referral guide for local tax services in your area.  Your local senior center, accounting society might have access to free tax preparation assistance. Don't forget to include any city or state referrals as your area dictates. Don't simply refer patrons to IRS.gov as it is cumbersome.  Remember, patrons asking tax questions at the library are probably uncomfortable with technology or are afraid of contacting the IRS. Senior citizens, especially, will want help from live people whenever possible.  Create a mantra of how you speak about taxes using phrases like "each tax situation is unique". Treat tax questions as you would medical or other sensitive reference and avoid blanket statements.

3. Engage!
Start that conversation about taxes. Offer to make copies or print out information as much as possible. Share that common burden about paperwork.  The more harried the person, offer up something fun like DVD suggestion or a trashy novel to take the edge off tax time. Help your patron see beyond the burden of taxes. I often talk about how my father goes to the post office before midnight on April 15 because he doesn't want the government to get his money one minute before it is necessary.

Much of our frustration about taxes is not really the patron's fault.  My gripe is that the government (regardless of my order) will send only instructions and then maybe three weeks later, the forms. Or how the state of Michigan doesn't send forms to the libraries until the last minute so they can encourage people to e-file. Yes, my job is to be the bearer of bad news and one more frustration that is now piling up on the average patron. Remember the patron in front of you hasn't heard the explanation you have given a hundred times in the last hour.  So take a deep breath and go get yourself a library supporter.

Mary

Click here for IRS information about free tax preparation.
Consumer Reports link on Tax Help
AARP Tax Assistance

Pondering Fiction Ideas

My rut is still with me these days, but less bothersome than before. A few items have popped up on Twittter and my Google reader that have provoked some actual thought and distracted me from my pity party of winter blues. So join me as I ponder the library universe.

My Genre Issues with Fiction
Both Holly and I have been working on assembling titles for lists on read-a-likes as well as trying to stay ahead in order to speak intelligently about new titles. This always sparks our long standing discussion on genres. How do we as librarians decide what is and is not a particular genre? The next part of that discussion is what does the PUBLIC use as a definition of a particular genre? I am sometimes frustrated by the genre labels. Do the labels we assign hinder or help patrons?  (Yes, I have had a well-meaning patron come up to me and say: "Library X has this John Grisham book in the mystery section and here it is in the general fiction section.  Is this a mistake?")
In my perfect library, I am not sure I would have books separated by genre at all. Of course in my perfect library there would be enough librarians to provide perfect library reader advisory so no patron would feel the least bit frustrated.  My takeaway from this discussion (and I never tire of it especially with other librarians) is understanding what our first impressions do for us as reader.  Think about this when looking at everything from where something is shelved to what the cover art indicates.

Fiction Deal Breakers
One of my new favorite sites, Book Riot (@bookriot on Twitter), just posted an article on the Friday Forum: What Won't You Believe. This article just resonated with me and I started thinking about all the times I put down a book because they said something that didn't match up, make sense or simply got some easily checked facts wrong. I am remembering a particular piece of fiction that had a character in New York call her brother in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  No big deal. Except that the author went on about her inconvenience at him being on Central Standard Time. (Grand Rapids is on Eastern time, same as New York). This tirade went on for about two paragraphs. I was cringing the whole time and could get beyond this mistake. I might have been able to pull through if the narrative or characters had been compelling, but I couldn't manage. (Note to authors: just check on all the little details.  Call the city you are writing about and get those details.  On my reference desk I will happily verify pronunciations/spellings, discuss the cities and local culture.)

It isn't just the fiction writers either.  Reference librarians from Metro Detroit would have happily explained to Steve Perry and Journey about the geographic faux pas about "South Detroit" in Don't Stop Believing.

So, what are your reading "deal breakers"?

Mary

Getting out of a rut

One of the problems in my career is staying fresh about library service.  Often you get into ruts, feel unloved and probably underpaid and under-appreciated.  I am lucky enough to have people in my life who have no problem saying "snap out of it" and then hand me some candy. Since not everyone has this available, here are some of my tried and true strategies for getting out of a rut and getting back to what you love. One of the first posts I drafted for Practical Librarian was about staying fresh by getting out there in library land. (Click here to read that post.) Today, I would like to suggest some strategies for those bad days when everything and everyone seems stupid.

Mental/Physical Health
Consider your energy level and ask yourself if you could be in the throws of burnout or depression.  You might need a health checkup. Consider some days off or a serious break to help you get back on track. Taking charge of your health can be a mood boost by itself. Walk outside for a few minutes and grab some fresh air.  Even in the coldest weather, I have been known to walk outside and "check" the parking lot or building to get a break and some fresh air.

Weed Something
Grant it, this works for the weeding type people more than those "resistant".  Cleaning up the collection and doing routine maintenance can give you a mental boost knowing that you have organized even a small section.  Out with the old and moldy can seem oddly refreshing.

Collect Content
Create a reading list, a read-a-like list, a pathfinder, list of websites etc.  My webmaster is always wanting more stuff for our Facebook or Twitter feed. Consider some favorites that are light in nature and fun for everyone. Maybe you aren't the only one who can use a mood boost.  Remember collection development is not just flipping through a Booklist. Think of articles on the web, funny videos, quizzes and contests and start sharing.

Shelf Read
This also works with certain library types.  You can organize and straighten up shelves as well as walk around the library.  Good for the stacks, good for security and good for patrons.  You will also feel accomplished.

These are my strategies and they might not necessarily work for you but it is important to return to your personal list of freshness strategies.  They don't have to be big plans but sometimes just taking 10 minutes to walk, think or breathe can do wonders for your attitude.

Mary

Good Manager/Bad Manager

There have been lots of transitions going on with many of my associates and friends both in library land and those in "regular" jobs. The rough economy tends to reveal the best in managers and the worst. It is easy to have great performance with healthy budgets and motivated people. However, add a depressed economy, reduced resources and both the best and worst will be revealed. I have been privileged to work with some exceptional managers (and some horrible ones) over my long career both in and out of libraries. From my first job in detasseling corn to my current position as a librarian, good managers share traits regardless of the industry or economic situation.

Expectations
I know what the the manager wants as well as how it fits with what the organization needs. These managers have a clear set of priorities both for me individually and for the organization.

Trust My Judgement
In a world working with people, if I make a call on how to deal with a particular issue my boss will back me up. This is particularly important in public library service.  Often crazy patrons, unexpected problems present unique situations. In situations where immediate action is required, I want to know that my boss has my back. Monday morning quarterbacking or 20/20 hindsight is not helpful.

Expects Feedback
The best managers ask for my opinion, consider it and then make the decision. Notice I said "expects".  Silence or dodging an issue is usually not an option. Discussion and dissenting opinions are encouraged so that ultimately the best decision will be made.

Always Thinking about the Future
The best managers are thinking ahead--the next millage, the next person to hire, the next project.  Even if there is little hope, no money they are always generating ideas. They also collect people.  Regardless of the size of the organization or industry, my favorite managers are always collecting names of people for the "someday" jobs or assembling "dream teams".

So are you working with one of the good ones? For job seekers and employees you can help yourself by understanding what the boss wants or needs.  More importantly, try and understand who you are and be honest.  Understand your own personality, hot button issues and skills. Self awareness is key in dealing with the employer/employee relationship. Ultimately you will need to find where you belong and that as an employee you will have to conform to the organization more so than the organization conforming to you. It is a challenge and it takes work to make a career.

So the take away from this is to know thyself and especially thyself as a worker.  Take charge of your own career development by reading, reaching out to other librarians and focusing on the core of what you love about librarianship.

Mary

I have mentioned before that my personal favorite manager/employee blog is Evil HR Lady.  If you are in job flux, you should be reading her work regularly.  Someone needs to book her for a library conference.  We all would benefit.

Circulation: Measure of Library Performance or Just Another Number?

Most of what I talk about at conferences is related to collection management and the use of statistics, benchmarks. I like that numbers really don't really lie. Collection metrics really can help us get rid of some of the emotional aspects of decision making, and focus on the true picture. Of course, everyone looks to circulation numbers as the first indicator of popularity or interest. Yes, I do think circulation numbers are interesting, but they are not the whole story and they certainly cannot be considered without a time factor or within a benchmark.

So just what is a "circulation" number?

Truth be told, circ numbers bother me. Maybe because many librarians put so much faith in them and use them a bit too liberally in describing library functions. Depending on your ILS, a circulation indicates that a particular item has been "checked out" by a patron. Does it count browsing or use within the library? (Think of a traditional reference collection). What about in cooperative situations where Library A loans the book to Library B's patron.  How do those numbers figure into the picture?  Taking this one step further, how does your ILS count a particular "circulation"? Does it count in-houses use differently? How about ILLs? How about renewals?

Having 10,000 circulations a week or month doesn't really tell us much. How many different patrons were served? How many utilize self checkout or need staff assistance? Do loan periods affect the circulation rates?  How about when we compare to other libraries?  Is a circ number at one library the same at another? Inquiring minds want to know!

On an individual item level, a circ number can indicate how times an item has been checked out. Again, this is only helpful with some context. How many times an item has been checked out is only helpful if you know when those checkouts occurred. If the item has 100 total checkouts, but hasn't been touched in five years, maybe its time for weeding.

Yes, circulation numbers are one indicator of a library's function, the danger is assuming that circulation numbers indicate a general level of performance. As electronic information now a big aspect of library services, where do these items fall in the statistical picture?  Although the public might think we just "check out" books to people, library service is much more.  What we need is a comprehensive discussion of library performance standards and some metrics to match!

Mary

MLA Recap

Holly Hibner and I just returned from Kalamazoo, Michigan after attending the Michigan Library Association Annual Conference.   Highlights included an opening address from Sarah Houghton, the Librarian in Black. and the closing address was by Jessamyn West from Librarian.net.  I urge you to visit the web links for some cool information and inspiring words.

Programming is one of my weaker skills. Coming up with a cool idea regardless of the target group is a frustration that dogs me constantly.  I was so pleased to attend Kathryn Bergeron's wonderful program on reaching out to Young Professionals. Kathryn is the Systems Librarian at Baldwin Public Library in Birmingham, MI and has successfully implemented some programs and collections specifically targeting this elusive demographic. Without me trying to duplicate her work here, go to her website and click on her presentation notes.

Another highlight of my conference experience was a tour of the Kalamazoo Public Library.  The beautiful interior was inspiring and I also appreciated a look behind the scenes. Librarians, if you can't make it to conferences, one of the best things you can do to keep you fresh, is tour other libraries. Ideas, displays and chatting with staff can be an easy alternative to a conference.

I also reconnected with many librarians I hadn't talked to in a long while.  It was great to catch up.  I find it refreshing to nerd out and talk to other librarians that are just as excited about the profession.(Reminder: you don't always need a conference to make this happen either)  When you are struggling with budgets, boards, and direction in your career, a good chat with fellow librarians who have also "been there and done that" can help you get back on track to success.

Although I still have "issues" with conferences now and then (spotty wi-fi service, long lines at a bathroom, course descriptions that have nothing to do with the presentation) I am always able to find someone who will share ideas and talk about library service.  So count me in for next year in Dearborn.

Mary

Blogging for Beginners

This has been a fun Fall practicing with some new people on program ideas. (Thanks Marj, Holly H and Holly T for the ideas!)  Today we are going to talk about Blogging and Websites with some of our patrons.There are a couple ideas that I want to make sure I am communicating to those people new to blogging.

Write in your authentic voice.  I still think of blogging as a a personal conversation that the entire world can participate.  Be true to yourself.

Understand what your blog is about.  Mine is about librarianship with a big emphasis on work life, collection development and quality and reference service.  My other blog is about Awful Library Books and other than a few detours, I keep that stuff on that blog.

Write often. I wish I was better at taking my own advice so do as I say not as I do! Time gets away from me and I don't post as often as I should.  I often suggest to people that you carry around a notebook (or something!) that will allow you to jot down ideas for blog posts.

Be sure to understand your company's policy on social media.  Many careers have been ruined by comments, blog posts, Twitter remarks, Facebook posts that employers did not appreciate. Be sensitive to who is reading your blog.

Think about design, I am terrible at the artistic stuff, but I can recognize when a website or blog is "too busy" or overloaded with bells and whistles.  Add things to your site as you need them and make them easy to understand or find.

Don't be long winded. Blog posts should be short and sweet.  You can always write a part two or three in a separate post.  In the world of blogging, less is more.

Above all don't be mean spirited in your blog.  Be passionate, be strong, have an opinion, but keep anger in check.  When you write angrily, no one will see the reason, just the anger.  Besides that kind of stuff makes you look crazy and ultimately no one will take you seriously.  If you think you might be dangerously close to being "too" angry, have someone read your post before you publish.

Happy Blogging everyone!
Mary