Despite terrific advances in some quarters, libraries, librarians, and library services are under threat, seriously underestimated and largely misunderstood. From my position as head of a modern, highly engaged and successful information and library service, this presentation details what I personally consider to be key priorities for libraries everywhere, in order to ensure that they are focusing on the right things, appreciated, and - more importantly - very well used.

1. priorities for engaged
forward-thinking
information & library
services
Andy Priestner

2. Whatever we might think, 99% of people still think
we just ‘Stamp, Shelve and Shhhh’ – we must seek to
dispel traditional perceptions and expectations at every turn

3. We should be talking about the library as a boundary-
less service rather than just as a physical space

4. However good a single act of apparently game-
changing advocacy, the default view reasserts
itself rapidly, so constant marketing is essential

5. We are living in ‘the age of the individual’ so we
must respond with a highly tailored service

6. Our approaches to customer service must incorporate
choice & flexibility, as they are now the expected norm

7. Users expect greater personal control, so where
we can we must allow them to have that

8. Most users now expect to self-discover and will only
ask for help when they are desperate – this is why
we must be as visible and approachable as possible

9. We should be grabbing user attention with
‘wow’ images: ‘a picture tells a thousand words’

10. We can learn a lot from tabloid newspapers,
in terms of content hooks and headlines

11. We need to be more realistic about attention spans
and write more concisely than we are predisposed to

12. We need to get better at selling a few planets
(relevant service components) rather than the whole
galaxy (every possible service a user might need)

13. We should continue to develop true awareness
of the real needs of our users rather than
assuming that we know what they need

14. We should actively listen to our users at all
times, providing as many opportunities as
possible for feedback and discussion

15. We must target as much communication as we can to
specific users/user groups and avoid generic emails

16. We should seek out and test new technology,
developing a reputation as new media experts
always in the know about ‘the next big thing’

17. We need to be present on each and every
communication platform, as all the individual
communities add up to our user base

18. We must offer seamless access to services wherever
our users are and whatever device they’re on

19. Broadcasting does not lead to
engagement but to users switching off
– we must have conversations instead

20. We should regularly take statistics on everything,
to offer proof of value and in readiness for
factual defence of our services (the time WILL come)

21. We should constantly evaluate our activities,
identify tasks that add no value and drop them

22. We should never be afraid to experiment - we must
try new ideas, tools, and initiatives, even if we’re
not initially sure of their relevance and value

23. As teaching preparation takes a long time, we
should plan to repeat sessions, repurpose content
and share it beyond the classroom

24. When we are teaching, we must tell
stories in preference to delivering facts

25. We should promote end results and success,
and avoid database names and library jargon

26. Our services should always be delivered at point
of need, and at the user’s convenience not ours

27. • .
Offering a responsive, agile service is key - it may
create expectation, but it also creates engaged users

28. We need to ‘embrace the informal’ – if we
dress too formally it promotes the impression
of barriers and discourages interaction

29. Humour, fun and ‘cute’ start conversations that you
wouldn’t otherwise have and also demonstrate our
humanity, but we must keep the ratio in check

30. Our content should make an emotional connection
with our users in order to foster learning, prompt
them to think about us and engage with us more

31. We should always seek to innovate and improve our
services, for the sake of our users and our reputation

32. We must seek to create ‘moments of truth’ when
customers are delighted, ensuring their return
(and ideally their advocacy)

33. We need to align our service with the goals and
objectives of the institutions we work for
and regularly demonstrate that we are aligned

34. Our number one priority should be spending
time building relationships with our users