Jun'15: Access Services: Keeping the Common (Library Juice Academy)

http://libraryjuiceacademy.com/117-access-services.php

Dates: June 1-26, 2015
Price: $175

This course will take students on a tour of Access Services in the contemporary academic library with a focus on the development of best practices and how to integrate disparate functional units into a cohesive department focused on patron service and accurate processing. We will examine each unit (circulation, stacks management, reserves, and interlibrary loan) individually to identify what kind of work it does, the skills needed to perform that work, and the impact of the academic calendar on the unit’s workload. We will also explore opportunities for cross-training, staff development, and how to identify opportunities for service expansion and improvement. Students will be encouraged to bring their own experiences and stories to class so that we can have lively discussions about what works and what doesn’t. We will also examine common ethical dilemmas that arise in Access Services departments and the underlying challenges related to cross-class communication in the library.

Apr'15: Evaluating Service Quality and Patron Satisfaction (Library Juice Academy)

April 6-May 1, 2015

http://libraryjuiceacademy.com/095-service-quality.php
$175

How well do your front line staff serve your clientele? Your reputation for great service is critical for growing support for your organization. This four-week, online course teaches participants about understanding, measuring, and improving service quality from the ground up. Participants from all types of libraries will benefit from articles, visual examples, hands-on exercises, online resources, and discussion. Participants will discover how to pinpoint service quality issues and how to correct typical problems.

This course is part of our Painless Research Series, which provides an overview of basic research techniques needed by library managers and other staff in different workplace sectors, such as service quality, customer satisfaction, and operational metrics, or in specific tools such as surveys and focus groups. Participants develop skills in formulating typical research questions and strategies, making use of existing studies and data, collecting and analyzing data, and tailoring presentations for different audiences.

Feb'15: The Visible Library (Library Journal)

Thursday, Feb 26 / 12-1pm Pacific

Libraries have always been about more than their front doors. They are about what waits on the other side - resources, services, knowledge to serve both individuals and communities at large, and connections. The use of enabling technologies like Linked Data and shared vocabularies like BIBFRAME and schema.org are changing the way the Web can discover and represent libraries more fully.

http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2015/01/webcasts/the-visible-library-learn-how-the-web-sees-libraries-today-and-how-you-can-use-its-power-to-deeply-connect-with-your-community/#_

Jan'15: Extreme Customer Service @ Your Library (Nebraska Library Commission)

Wednesday, Jan. 7 (9-10 am Mountain)

While providing innovative services and programming helps draw new library patrons, excellence in customer service is what keeps them coming back. Kearney Public Library has recently embraced a more patron-focused approach to library policies, which has included changing many policies to create a more positive experience for patrons. Staff members will discuss their new "Extreme Customer Service" model, and how it has changed many of their library practices over the past year. This session will include tips on how libraries of all sizes and budgets can make small and large-scale changes to improve the level of customer service they offer to their patrons.

For more information and to register for this program, visit: http://nlc.nebraska.gov/scripts/calendar/eventlist.asp?Mode=ALL

Sept-Oct: Useful Online Tools to Increase Your Productivity & Improve Customer Service (Infopeople)

An Infopeople online course, September 30 – October 13, 2014

Ever wondered if there's a better way to do something?  Chances are that someone else has wondered the same thing and had a brilliant idea for a freely available online service. Many of these useful online tools remain "under the radar" and unknown to most.  This short format* course will focus on introducing learners to different types of useful and little known online tools.

During the course, you’ll learn to use online tools to:

·         Increase productivity

·         Improve workflow

·         Enhance communication

* Our new short format courses are reduced in price ($55 in-state/$110 out-of-state) and are customized in length to the topic, designed to be started and completed in 2 – 3 weeks and offer practical knowledge and information that can be put to use immediately.

Instructor: Laura Solomon

Fee: $55 for those in the California library community and Infopeople Partners, $110 for all others. 

For a complete course description and to register go to https://infopeople.org/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=426.

Jun: Basic American Sign Language for Library Staff (ALA)

6-week eCourse
Beginning Monday, June 2, 2014

American Sign Language (ASL) is an invaluable skill for library professionals. A basic grasp of ASL enhances your ability to serve deaf library users. Ideal for those without previous experience, in this eCourse, librarian and ASL interpreter MacMillan will use readings, multimedia resources, and online discussion boards to introduce basic ASL vocabulary and grammar appropriate for use in a library setting. Placing ASL within a linguistic and cultural context, MacMillan will offer participants several approaches to improving library services.

$195

http://www.alastore.ala.org/detail.aspx?ID=10832

Jun: Customer Service in the Digital Age (ACRL)

An ACRL e-Learning Online Course
June 2-20, 2014

Description: The idea of a fully automated library may seem antithetical to traditional notions of user service.  Libraries may struggle with balancing automation and personalized service, but this need not be an either/or proposition.   Technology can be leveraged to provide outstanding, personalized user service.  Explore the ways in which customer service differs in an online environment and the way in which it is the same as it has always been. Aimed at library managers with minimal technological expertise and modest budgets, this course focuses on strategies for providing outstanding service through freely available and easy to implement automated tools.  We will cover how to choose tools that are a good match for your user community.  Through investigatory assignments, participant interaction and readings about best practices, participants will learn about their options for improving service.

Learning Outcomes:
    Participants will gain an understanding of some easy to implement tools that can improve library service.
    Participants will learn to identify the digital services that are likely to be successful in their community.
    Participants will learn how to maintain a personal level of service in today’s automated library.

Registration fees:
ACRL member: $135
ALA member: $175
Nonmember: $195
Student: $60

http://www.ala.org/acrl/elearningcustomerservice

Mar: Beyond the Bookstore Model: Making Your Library User-Friendly (Florida Library Webinars)

03/04/2014
10:30 am - 11:30 am

In this webinar we will briefly review common existing classification schemes (Dewey and LOC) and highlight their benefits and issues. They will explore the various alternatives for public, academic, and special libraries including Dewey-light and LOC-light; eliminating existing systems altogether; color-coded systems; bookstore models. Whatever scheme you choose, it is imperative to have the technical aspects worked out and to get staff buy-in.

The ultimate goal for any change is to come up with a system that allows customers to browse and feel comfortable finding things themselves if they are self-motivated and hesitate to ask for help. The system should also make the library more inviting, increase circulation statistics, and take the mystery out of the library.

Can’t attend the live event?  Register over here for access to the recording, made available within 7 days of the live webinar.

http://floridalibrarywebinars.org/events/beyond-the-bookstore-model-making-your-library-user-friendly/

Aug-Sept: Creating Great User Experiences: Taking Libraries beyond Customer Service

An Infopeople online course, August 13 to September 9, 2013

Is user experience at the center of your library's thinking? User experience (UX) characterizes how a person feels about a product, system, or service. Everyday decisions in your library may result in great or not-so-great experiences for your patrons.

In this course, you will learn how to provide better user experiences by exploring:

·         Touchpoints and “pain points” in your library buildings

·         Techniques such as Customer Journey Maps for improving physical touchpoints

·         The user experience elements of your website

·         How UX design leads to innovations that move your library beyond good customer service

This course is being repeated because of continued interest in the topic. Those who took the first offering of the course commented that it: "...broadened my definition of customer service," and "...reminded me to pay attention to how customers navigate the library and how we can make this process easier."

Instructor: Aaron Schmidt

Fee: $75 for those in the California library community and Infopeople Partners, $150 for all others.

For a complete course description and to register go to http://infopeople.org/training/creating-great-user-experiences.

April: Virtual Customer Service Strategies - Solving Problems Via Email, Instant Messaging, and Social Media

Thu, Apr. 25, 2013

noon - 1 p.m. US/Eastern

 

Your customers expect that they can pay bills, order products and services, and talk to an expert online. How can you also anticipate difficulties, provide solutions, collect data about failures, and leave your customers happy? What kind of planning training, and technology are required? What are the costs of being a virtual problem solver?

Agenda:
- Introduction: What Is Different About Virtual Customer Service?  
- The Key Idea: Avoid Being Annoying, Tedious, or Confusing  
- How To Build Rapport Via Technology: Keep It Human  
- How Well Does The Technology Work? Don't Take It For Granted  
- Speed Of Response Is Of The Essence  
- Empower The Customer Service Staff for Fast Decisions  
- Record Transactions For Constant Improvement

Outcomes:
- Evaluate and improve current virtual customer service  
- Upgrade technology to communicate with customers or make upgrading a budget priority  
- Execute standards for response to customer inquiries

• $10.00 METRO Institutional Member Employee
• $10.00 Individual myMETRO Member
• $10.00 NY3Rs Member
• $25.00 Non-Member

Speaker Pat Wagner

Pat Wagner has been a trainer, educator, and consultant for 40 years, having worked with clients in 48 states and Canada. She is a manager and producer at Pattern Research, Inc. Pat likes to find the essence in models of human behavior and organizational design and build effective and engaging formats ...

Full Description

Log-in information will be distributed to all registrants via email 1-3 days prior to the webinar.  All registrants will have access to the archived recording of the webinar within a week after the live session.

METRO uses Adobe Connect for all online programs.  You can test your Adobe Connect connection at http://metro.adobeconnect.com/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm or get a quick overview at http://www.adobe.com/go/connectpro_overview.