This was presented for PLA by myself and Gwyn Stupar on May 1, 2012 as a webinar. Enjoy!

1. ebooks and customer service
Gwyneth Stupar
Leah L. White

2. me
 Leah L. White
 Reader Services Librarian
 Northbrook Public Library
 @leahlibrarian
 yolaleah.tumblr.com
 facebook.com/yolaleah

3. the plan
Leah will talk about:
 why staff training is very important
 tips for staff training
 programming and outreach ideas

4. and me!
 Gwyneth Stupar
 Web Services and
Reference Librarian
 Northbrook Public Library
 @gwynonite

5. the plan
Gwyn will talk about:
 web presence in relation to eBook services
 examples of awesome library websites

6. your website and
your eBook service
http://bit.ly/yxRhqU

7. “Consumers elect to avail
themselves of self-service
technologies for a number of
reasons which are specific to them
and not to the company that
provides the service.”
-Self-Service in the Internet Age: Expectations and Experiences
By Dave Oliver, Celia Romm-Livermore, Fay Sudweeks

8. in other words…
 ease of use
 avoidance of service personnel
 saving time
 availability of the service when and where the consumer
requires it
 saving money
- Self-Service in the Internet Age: Expectations and Experiences
Dave Oliver, Celia Romm-Livermore, Fay Sudweeks

9. helping mom
 “why do I need to wait for an electronic book?”
 “I don’t know how to transfer my book to my Kindle and I
can’t find anywhere that shows me how.”
 “this is the most difficult (service) I’ve ever had to
navigate.”
 “can I go to the library to download it?”

10. where do library websites fit in?
PAGE
ACTUAL EBOOK ON PATRON
SERVICE YOUR SUPPORT
WEBSITE
EXTREM IM
ELY PORTANT:
PAGE ON
PATRON
YOUR
SUPPORT
WEBSITE

11. what patrons need to know
get help
 in the Library
 on the Website
 through the Service
 login for more titles (Advantage Program)
 that librarians are advocates for patrons in the digital
landscape

12. our story: Northbrook Public Library
 2007: a link to our Overdrive Consortium, MyMediaMall,
from our homepage
 2010: website redesign. page is on multimedia section
with links from the “Books” tab and “Teens” tabs
 2012: downloads page front and center on main
navigation menu

13. downloads
 still not quite there yet
 usability?

14. “When you are face to face
with difficulty, you are up
against a discovery.”
-Lord Kelvin (William Thomas)

19. Wilmette Public Library

21. Park Ridge Public Library

23. be consistent in wording
but still build gateways
 downloads
 eBooks
 eContent
 eAudiobooks
 eCollection
 downloadables
 eStuff
 digital materials

24. eBooks must be in
your online catalog
Encyclopedia of Food and Culture

28. usability testing
“W im ovem pl ans m st ar t wit h a
eb pr ent ust
com it m t o cust om ser vice.”
m ent er
-Candi Har r ison, f or m Depar t m W M
er ent eb anager
at t he U.S. Depar t m of Housing and Ur ban Devel opm
ent ent

29. starting over

30. staff training

31. staff training = best. customer service. ever.

32. THE BEST W TO SERVE PATRONS IS TO TRAIN YOUR STAFF
AY
ht t p://goo.gl /yX5uQ
ht t p://goo.gl /7McQQ ht t p://goo.gl /m B
Tul

33. remove the fear
 empower your staff
 create a sense of pride and accomplishment
 this enthusiasm is contagious!
 avoid cringe-worthy patron interactions
 you know what i’m talking about

34. simplify service points
“ebooks aren’t part of my job. go over there.” *points*
ht t p://bit .l y/KiJOhU

35. ebooks are a part of our job
 don’t forget: ebooks are
still books
 every service point
should know basic info
 you need more than
one person or one
department

36. staff training tips

37. INVEST IN EREADERS FOR TRAINING PURPOSES
ht t p://goo.gl /UEwwC
ht t p://goo.gl /uIJmr ht t p://goo.gl /vkWTs

38. investment is worth it
 staff time saved = money saved
 we are not pushing people to find support at for-profits, like
best buy
 speaking of best buy...
 ahem, just train your staff

39. what should you buy?
 what do you get questions about?
 think about ereader types
 think about your community
 if you can, buy for each department
 if not, create a check out system

40. okay...now what?

41. create your team
 leaders and mentors
 selection is important
 positive and dedicated
 patience
ht t p://goo.gl /PnXj t

42. create a plan
write a mission statement
example: This training program is designed to provide an
overall level of comfort for all public service staff who
received an ipad2.
create a timeline
create a strategy

43. strategy?

44. all hail the workbook!
exercises and step by step explanations

45. workbook tips
 each device needs it’s own workbook
 start very basic and then move towards the more
complicated tasks
 must work for all technical levels
 write while you use the device
 the screenshot issue

46. before launch
pilot the program
ht t p://goo.gl /Iy2x0

47. ready to launch!
 create a series of classes
 optional
 “meet the ereader”
 open lab style for questions
 continually evaluate, update, and tweak

48. customer service tips
inside the library, programs, outreach
ht t p://bit .l y/IvQ24d

49. on the spot assistance
 don’t force everyone
into appointments
 communicate to
patrons that assistance
takes time
 have handouts or
something patrons can
walk away with
ht t p://goo.gl /my7zw

50. speaking of appointments...
 some people really need
individual attention
 get more in-depth
 have a system
 who teaches? What
days?
 keep a schedule
 google calendar

51. speaking of handouts...
 keep them current
 keep them handy
 keep them on your
website

52. CLASSES, POP-UP PETTING ZOOS, LOBBY TABLES
ht t p://bit .l y/KiLd8q ht t p://bit .l y/KiLo3j

53. get out of the library!
reach out to the people who don’t realize they can’t check
out eBooks for free!
ht t p://bit .l y/KiM y
3l ht t p://bit .l y/KiMRXm

54. all things considered
 the website needs to be customer friendly because the
product is not
 staff training is extremely important
 give people varied options for learning

55. any questions?
 follow us!
 @leahlibrarian
 @gwynonite
ht t p://goo.gl /RyNqV