Approachable You

It might be best if we just get rid of the computers entirely, buy a humongous wood card catalog (or have some avid reader of MAKE craft one for us); and then stare at those when we aren’t making the eye contact with patrons. Mr. Manley, I’m sure you might even remember particular swirls in the wood of your card catalog. The cranky old man thing is a bit old. Cheers to those (most?) librarians who are rather stretched and don’t have the luxury of plenty of off desk time for librarian development via the web. You all need applauded for using your time as wisely as possible. Bad web! BAD!

I find at my library that even while talking to technical support on the wireless phone (granted with a headset) patrons ask me questions ALL the time. Even while counting money at the coin/bill acceptor, or updating computers, revising the website etc. At our library, one must leave the building to have a five minute span of time to focus on any issue. I try to smile and suggest they ask the desk person who is standing idly two feet away how to post their dog in a wedding dress photo on Facebook as I am trying to reestablish connection to the server via technical support on the phone. “See this big black headset I’m wearing and the wireless telephone in my pocket and that I am furiously typing to keep up with the support staff to get this self-check back online?” As the lone technical person at my library I find no one ceases to ask for help even when I believe it is obvious I’m a) helping someone else, b) updating the computers, c) troubleshooting a serious problem with equipment, or d) most definitely on the phone with someone in Syracuse, NY, or e) counting money because the coin/bill acceptor has just given all its change to someone who could not put their money in fast enough. So, yes I am nice, I will smile, but I literally cannot afford to have “desk” time without covering or repairing books, updating the website, or sending your PDF document on your USB drive to the printer for you. Sorry to be so crass, but my time is precious, and desk time is almost like losing valuable time for me. Plus I get called out to it every 15 minutes or so anyway:)

Yay, I just added your blog to my GoogleReader so I have something new to read at the reference desk! Just kidding.
But, in all honestly, after 40 years or so of struggling with things like eye contact, making conversation, greeting strangers or new people I work with, I have learned from a therapist that I am probably farther along the Autism spectrum than most people although not quite enough to be full blown Asperger’s. I learned the hard way how to interact with people and my first professional job was an anxiety nightmare. So many librarians seem to be awkward…

I only smile and make eye contact with women. I’m one of the “younger generation” of librarians, and reasonably attractive, and when I smile at or make eye contact with men- of almost any age, beyond teenagers- I get phone numbers and asked out on dates (with the older men, I’ve been offered vacation trips and jewelry!). And I am talking about complete strangers here. It’s not very comfortable for me, and so I usually try to avoid eye contact and smiling. Sorry Will, I probably wouldn’t smile at you if you walked in! I try to be really helpful, but I’m not about the eye contact and smiling.

It all beings with your our customer service skills. Many individuals have never works on service jobs, so when they enter the library field they do not know how to serve the public. Before I started my library career I work 16 years in retail customer service management. That base assisted me with the skills to know what customers/patrons want…to be noticed. Nowadays the patron’s needs have changed, and all they are concerned with is the public services we provide here (computer access). Few inquire about books, the best sellers, and new releases. Many come in now only to ask how to download to their new e-reader and not about the actual book that may be feet away. With all of that being said, a lesson on service skills is a must for any public service job, but with everything going “internet bound” you will have the culture of the librarian with their eyes on a screen.

Staring contest!!!

You can’t put everyone in the same box, we are not all the same. Some of us are doing important things on the computer like expanding our knowledge base to better serve or help our patrons.

Well said Will, but I think it’s very easy for those who do not work at service desks for long hours to criticize.  Perhaps you need to come back to work in the library and see how it is. 
Mary
  

When I was still in library school, my class went on a field trip to Mountain Brook PL in Mt Brook, AL. The first and most long-lived memory I have of that library is that the staff looked up when I came in. They smiled and went back to work. I didn’t feel pressured, but I did feel acknowledged, and that set the tone for my own work behavior. I try to make eye contact with everyone who comes in. Some don’t acknowledge me, but I’m creating the opportunity for them to realize that I know they’re here and I’m available. I do this so often, when I’m off work and in public I have to repeatedly remind myself not to. lol.

This has been a regular issue throughout my short time working in libraries.  Here they’ve instituted roving reference, not necessarily to chase people around, but to provide more of a presence throughout the library instead of chaining ourselves to the reference desks. 

My strategy aligns with a few others above: I work on something until I see movement then look up and smile, occasionally tossing out a good morning/afternoon/evening as appropriate.  Some people smile back, some lower their eyes.  Whatever they do is fine, the point I try to make is that you can stop and ask me a question if you would like to.

(and I’m totally reading this at the ref desk)

Twenty or twenty-five years ago, as the profession was in transition to computer automation, and I was beginning my career, I became well aquainted with Will’s equation:   “staring at a computer screen” = “doing something important”, a corollary of which is “not staring at a computer screen” = “not doing something important”.  I still believe accurate shelving is very important work, key to accessibility, although my supervisor, a non-librarian, never thought so; I could have used, back then, having some, small, electronic gadjet to stare at, periodically.

Auuugh!  What happened to supporting your profession?  The little fellow/patron coloring at my desk is telling me a story about a house “that cracks in two.”  I hope he isn’t a prophet.   

Several decades ago as a Director of a Public Library I wanted to find a better solution for the issue you are describing. There were always some slow times at the reference desk or other service points. A common passtime was reading, which could be easily attributed to book selection, etc.

What I came up with was the concept of the desk simply serving as a rendevous point not a service point. I was able to get a service club to provide nice looking blazer jackets with the library logo. A local dry cleaning firm keep the jackets spick and span. The staff became proud of their professional look. They were encouraged to roam around to greet and assist patrons. In addition, the librarians had office hours to work on selection and other tasks. The system worked well.

I know that when the Denver Public Library opened their new main library they had staff roam with mobile communication devices. I would think that now it would be easy to give staff mobile communication systems. I suggested the current airline model for customer service a long time ago: functions such as self check out and other technology assisted systems supplemented with floor staff trained in customer service as well as their education and training in their speciality.

At the same library we also pioneered answering reference question via cable tv. You have to go back to the early 70s to see reports on those activities.

I always make a point of making eye contact with everyone who comes to the customer service desk.  I think it’s good manners and good public relations.  It lets the person know you see them and that you’re paying attention to them.  That small personal contact can, in some cases, make a difference in your interaction with the person.

While I try to make eye contact and smile, I should mention how many people come to the desk not looking at me but texting others while asking their reference questions.

Can I just play devil’s advocate and say that nothing annoys me more when I’m the patron than being eyed by the person behind the desk, greeted, offered help without my asking etc….It makes me want to run back home and continue researching from the privacy of my own computer. I know the person working there is being paid to help me if I want it. It’s really not that hard to approach the desk and wait a few tiny seconds  to be acknowledged and ask my question. In fact I’d rather they look busy and engrossed, than look ready to pounce because they have nothing else to do. Frankly, I think budgetary hounds should be more concerned about the latter. It’s much more efficient to use the downtime productively than staring down patrons. 

I do look at my computer screen at the reference desk, but I also make a point to look up at everyone who walks into the library or walks past the desk and smile.  Then it creates an awkward situation for some people—how close should they be before they start to talk?  What if they are just rushing to the restroom?  That’s Ok, I would rather smile at everyone who walks by than stay glued to the screen like some of my co-workers.

I work as a Reference Assistant at my university’s library, and I am one of those people who loves interacting with patrons figuring out exactly what each person needs, and helping connect him or her to the desired resources - or even resources they didn’t know they desired!  I get a real satisfaction out of being given a “mission,” and the feeling I get from a successfully conducted and concluded reference interview.

HOWEVER.

There are some looooooong stretches of time between patrons, and there is a computer in front of me.  Sometimes I’m working on projects assigned by the university librarian, but when I finish (or need a break) I find it very hard to just sit still doing nothing, especially if I could be doing something even moderately productive, like compose that e-mail I’ve been meaning to send, or look for articles for an upcoming presentation in class.

Here’s the thing though - no matter what I’m doing on the computer, I am also always roving the library foyer to see if people are approaching the desk.  If a patron does start moving in my direction, I always close out of whatever I am doing, look up, and greet him or her.

That’s my thoughts on the matter.

PS - I’m not reading this from the Ref Desk :-)

In many cases, that person might be helping patrons via email, chat, or SMS (which are the preferred methods of contact for many library users.) Although it might be better to have a second staff person handle those channels behind the scenes, in many cases, the person at the desk is responsible for helping all comers whether in person, by email, by phone, or by text message or chat. Perhaps what’s needed is a new staffing model.

Will, can I first say, yes, I agree with you? It’s always been a pet peeve of mine! On the other hand, I think it’s important to note that very often, when librarians are looking at the screen, they really ARE working…reading reviews, buying books, making brochures for programs, updating web sites with content, planning a program, searching the catalog. It’s far too easy to LOOK unavailable because of the work you are doing with a computer—even when you’d very much like to be interested and available for help. I don’t know of a good solution for this because most librarians DO use their time on the desk to complete other tasks.

In short, it’s pretty difficult to do focused work on a computer AND be making eye contact. Only when staffing is sufficient to support another model of customer service can I envision a time when this will not be so. I must admit, of course, our profession does have a few folks in it who really would rather bury their nose in a book or a screen than deal with people. I hope that these are a small minority! I adore helping customers, but I’m sure I’ve been guilty of the same, as has every librarian who hasn’t been given the liberty or the edict that they shall not perform other work-related tasks at the reference desk. It would be fun to hear from some librarians or libraries who have  developed smart workarounds to the problem.

PLEASE don’t bother Me, I’m reading Will’s column!