4 Ways Text Messaging Can Improve Your Patron Communications

A recent Pew study revealed that 80 percent of American cell phone owners use text messaging as a means of communication, sending or receiving an average of 41.5 text messages per day. For the 18-24 age group, 97 percent of cell phone owners text, sending or receiving an average of 109.5 texts per day. One […]

Ideas for Improving Patron Service at Your Library, Regardless of Your Department

Self-Checkout Machines Improving patron service doesn’t always mean providing the human touch; in fact sometimes it can mean giving the patron the option to forgo the human touch. One example of this is self-checkout machines. There are many reasons why a patron might prefer to use a self-checkout machine. They may be in a real […]

10 Great Library Marketing Videos

Librarians are known for their creativity and love of technology. And with today’s easy-to-use video-making apps and programs, librarians are using these twin passions to create some terrific marketing videos for their libraries. Below are 10 great library videos, everything from parody to patron endorsements to ghouls in the stacks. 1. The Research Games — […]

5 Reasons You Should Have Ask-a-Librarian on Every Page of Your Website

To get the most value out of your library’s services and provide patrons with the highest level of service, it is important to make it as easy as possible for your patrons to connect with those services The best way to connect patrons with your Ask-a-Librarian service is to have Ask-a-Librarian tabs, links or buttons […]

25 Great Text Messaging Acronyms You May or May Not Need to Know for Your Text-a-Librarian Service

Do you speak text? Your patrons speak many languages, and you can’t learn them all. But one thing you can do to improve service to your patrons is familiarize yourself with some of the more common terms and phrases in their languages of preference. If your patron is text-savvy enough to be texting his or […]

Four Ways to Promote Your Ask-a-Librarian Service

Your Ask-a-Librarian service is a powerful research tool for your patrons, most of whom have come to expect quick and easy access to information and answers. Here are four promotional ideas to get the word out and help your patrons take advantage of this service. 1.  Instructional Sessions and Classes One of the best ways […]

Library Customer Service: Online vs. In-Person (Ask a Librarian Software vs. Asking a Librarian in Real Life)

Libraries, and the folks who work in them, solve problems for patrons by connecting them with the resources and information that they need. In today’s online world an ever-increasing amount of this help is taking place via the magic of the web and mobile technologies. Patrons are no longer face-to-face with the library staff who […]