The Four P's
I've read in more than one place recently about the presentation that Sandra Nelson, consultant and author of Strategic Planning for Results (ALA 2008) gave at PLA in March. Each time her points have resonated with me, so I thought I'd share them.
She said that libraries "rely far too much" on promotion and do not spend enough time on the 3 other P's: product, place, and price. Price you say? But, we're free. Ah...Are we? She went on to say that these P's are related to convenience. "What kind of hoops do I have to go through to check out a DVD, to sign up to use a computer, to get a meeting room?" she asked. "If it's too hard and takes too much time...they're not going to use it."
We've all witnessed this and have felt the same way in other areas of our own lives. What price are we asking? Are there things that you think we could make more convenient or less hard? I'd love to hear your thoughts.
She said that libraries "rely far too much" on promotion and do not spend enough time on the 3 other P's: product, place, and price. Price you say? But, we're free. Ah...Are we? She went on to say that these P's are related to convenience. "What kind of hoops do I have to go through to check out a DVD, to sign up to use a computer, to get a meeting room?" she asked. "If it's too hard and takes too much time...they're not going to use it."
We've all witnessed this and have felt the same way in other areas of our own lives. What price are we asking? Are there things that you think we could make more convenient or less hard? I'd love to hear your thoughts.
posted by cynthialb at 9:50 AM
6 Comments:
I'd love it if we could offer guest computer passes in the lab or at the reference desk. Once someone entering our library for the first time has found their way upstairs, I feel bad sending them back downstairs and to two different service desks, and then possibly back upstairs for their computer!
Good point! We set that up so that there would be something in place to handle staff concerns about "guests" getting cards at each desk and having more time than CCPL cardholders. You're right, is awkward and not especially user-friendly. Any suggestions about how to handle this issue in a building the size of Main?
I guess I'll offer the alternative thought on this one....I don't think we are asking too much for "guests" to register at one location. I do think that it's unfair to patrons, who follow the rules, for "guests" to have found a way to get extra sessions by traveling around to different departments resigning up as guests.
Different thought...why can't we charge for some special programs? We have seen that some libraries do charge for workshops etc... I sometimes feel that people value things a little more when they pay even a nominal amount.
just throwing some thoughts out there:)
When it comes to getting the Internet, people take the path of least effort or want to derive a greater value out of putting in a little more effort.
During Christmas, I was visiting Family in Indiana and observed at a relatively new main public library a large computer room that sat fairly empty with 40 or 50 computers or so. The room was combineable for classes and general Internet users at the same time. In just casually observing users, I found that the computers closer to the entrance doors were being used more frequently when available then the ones upstairs in the large room that may have had larger monitors as well if I remember correctly.
As for folks trying to get 3 or 4 sessions it happens it happens. I would be very hesitant to go back to a system where users could spend all day here using computers and not allowing others who have yet to use a computer a difficult time accessing a PC.
Bottom line, patrons will take the path of least effort to reach anticipated results unless their is greater value in taking that extra effort (using a computer in a quiet arear or more pleasing with additional features)...
My 2 cents as well...
Steven S.
What if, instead of assigning them a number, we used the guest's (first + last) name as their login code? That way, they couldn't get more than 2 sessions per day, no matter how many desks they went to. True, they could theoretically circumvent this system by giving different names at different desks, but there will always be people who try to get around whatever rules or policies we put in place.
Just a thought.
I love it! Comments and discussion.
For the guest and PC signup, the ideal would be to figure out a way to both make it easy for guests and to have everyone alloted the same amount of time. I think it's worth thinking about and I like it that you are sending in ways to manage this. Maybe we can figure it out--never hurts to discuss if there's a better way to do something.
As for charging, our policies say that everything is free of charge and open to the public, with the idea that people have already paid, via tax dollars. I see your point--for some value is enhanced by having to pay. Personally and professionally I like it that we don't charge, but both ways work. I know some public libraries handle this differently.
Any other P points you can think of?
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