Kings County Library Changes Needed

A Move Towards 2020

Indeed, cutting corners will show in the product that is being presented. However, this can be done to excess. Conversely, it is important to not spend too much and have too much wasted motion going on. The arduous and wholly inefficient way in which meetings and conferences are done within the system is a sterling example of this. As with most things, there can and should be a balance between spending enough to do things well and right while at the same time not being wasteful when the money could be trimmed from the budget or at least better spent on other expenditures and endeavors. In looking at the recitation of what is currently going on, one of the big things that stands out is the way in which meetings are done. It would seem that people make a pilgrimage to the central office or whatever the designated meeting place happens to be whenever there is such a meeting. This is wholly inefficient and unnecessary. While there might be situations where an in-person meeting is the best way to go, it is simply not necessary to do it all of the time in the age of conference calls, Skype, webcams, Lync and so forth. As such, there should be a major shift towards doing either simple phone conference calls or using Skype/Lync to do meetings. Indeed, the latter allows for sharing of documents and presentations to anyone that can connect to the internet and thus connect to the meeting. Of course, there would be a cost associated with getting that software bought and installed. However, the money that stands to be saved, both by the library system and the people that are shuttling back and forth, would be substantial. It would also be wise to have a knowledge base and reposipority that people can share and contribute to. Thus, using Microsoft Onenote and Sharepoint (or a similar suite of programs) would greatly facilitate sharing and collaborating and would cut down on the amount of paper, physical handling of the same and so forth.

The next item up for discussion and improvement over the next ten years is customer satisfaction. There are a number of ways in which this could be improved and refined. One of them is the general customer service experience in general. Whether it be an offering of help, a gentle smile or a general commitment to doing whatever is needed for the patrons of the library, this pattern of behavior and service needs to be installed and ingrained into all of the people that are remotely client-facing. The people are why the library is there, and this is true from a funding standpoint as well as those people being patrons, and thus they should get the assistance they need and generally be treated with respect.

The other aspect is the modernity and updated nature (or lack thereof) of the library and its services. This would and should include improving the video selection, offering online video viewing or even purchase, the use of more modern technologies given the dated and clunky nature of microfiche and so forth. The Millennials, which would be those born after 1980, are coming of age and they crave technical marvels and convenience. The generations that will follow them will be even more along those lines. As such, microfiche should be phased out in favor of computerized options that show the same documents. This means less handling of films, easier pathways to find needed material and even easier ways to save the documents or print them, whatever the preference of the customer.

As can be seen in the briefing document that accompanies this report, the use of and availability of computer stations that can be used for a variety of things should be the norm and there should also be at least one person working for the library so that technical or procedural assistance can be offered should it be needed. The person who is there for the staff should know all the ins and outs of the system including what can be done, what cannot be done and the procedure that is necessary for things that are possible via the library computers. Of course, that would include searching for books, searching for videos, using the academic search databases (e.g. EBSCO, Gale, etc.) and so forth.

One thing that needs to change from a cultural and procedural perspective if things "falling through the cracks." Whether it is feedback and ideas from the public or whether it is from the employees, it is important that all ideas be given a fair shake and a clear yes or no. At the very least, there has to be acknowledgement of the feedback and that it will be considered and discussed so as to get an idea of whether it is needed and necessary. As noted in the executive summary, there should be a "let's go further," "not at this time," or "we'll discuss at a later time." When it is the latter, it has to be decided when it will be discussed and the responsible party for that consideration and work needs to be held to that deadline.

A lack of consistency leads to different things happening for the same overall task. This can wreak havoc when one person is used to one way of doing things and then is flummoxed and confused when there is a different way of doing the same task at another location. There is a right way and a wrong way to go about addressing all of this and that, of course, can be phased in fairly quickly rather than taking the entire decade of planning and execution that is in question. Of course, there should be no "zero tolerance" nature to this situation. There are outliers and those should be accounted for and dealt with. However, they should be approved and documented by all of those in power or that are affected and there should be a good reason why such an exception is in place. For example, the timetable for opening and closing procedures for different locations will be different if the hours of operation are different or if the staffing level is different. Even so, it should be clearly defined who is supposed to be doing what, how they are supposed to be doing it, when they are supposed to be doing it and why. Customer service in particular is something that needs to be consistent. Greeting and offering assistance to people that approach an employee should be a norm, just as one example. Standards of cleanliness and order, for example, should be another.

Something else that came crying out from the overall case study and research done for this ten-year initiative is that the video system, while popular in concept and execution, is simply not working out well given the paltry selection that exists and the wait listing that is occurring for the more popular titles. However, a ten-year timeline calls for much more than juts buying a few more movies and other articles for the selection. As stated before, Millennials are starting to permeate the library patrons that are coming in and they are increasingly used to having things at the fingertips in terms of online videos and such. Indeed, we are in the age of Youtube, Netflix and beyond. Expanding the movie selection is a good idea but allowing people to rent videos online via a license (much like Vudu and Amazon Prime do) and to purchase them would be an option as well. Allowing onsite access to Youtube could also be a boon. People could be given access to lists of suggestions for given subjects and the library itself could market and support videos that are within a certain realm of interest. If done correctly, this could allow for a revenue stream or two that is not already realized by the library. These potential new revenue streams would be used to offset what is needed from the general public but the fee would still be kept nominal so that the costs incurred are offset but not in a way that is a burden to the person buying access, temporary or permanent, to the video. So as to keep aligned with what is demanded and preferred, customers could give feedback via surveys and such as to what they find to be out of stock and/or what is not stock to begin with. This would be the best way for the library system to order and collect the products that the people really want.

When it comes to suggestions and feedback, there should at no time be situations where an idea or suggestion just gets dropped and is not discussed and decided upon. As such, there are only three outcomes that should ever be happening when it comes to items up for discussion. Those three things would be moving forward with the idea, not acting on the request or "parking" it for a while for later discussion. If something ends up in the latter group, there should be a defined forum and date that the issue will be brought back up. Regardless of the decision and the timetable, there will be a monitoring of the responsible party or person and there will be follow-up with that person or group if there is not an update or movement on the item when it has been said there would be such movement. This course of action keeps things moving and keeps people that are within management or the projects team honest. If something needs to be delayed due to other demands and such, then that is all well and good. However, there needs to be an orderly tracking and updating process on all initiatives. If some things needs to be slowed down or paused due to time demands or funding issues, then that will be dealt with when it needs to be.

Transparency and proving to people that they are being heard is all about aligning two things. The first is what people say they want and the second is proof that those requests are being heeded and listened to in terms of the projects and changes that are requested. For example, if people are requesting that the Cosmos series with Neal Degrasse Tyson be part of the video rental selection, then the proper response would be for the library system to make sure that each location has at least a few copies of that series available. If there are more than a few people complaining about staff not being visible or helpful, then the visibility and manner in which employees present themselves needs to be changed. In short, most people do not have a problem with public funds going to library systems because the benefits to the young and those that wish to learn in general is quite obvious. Even so, the internet is changing the way in which people find and use information and libraries have to keep up with the times. Not only must the money be spent in a transparent and proper way, it must also be spent in a way that is utilitarian in nature. Meaning, the money spent has to be of the most benefit to the most people. In a more modern sense, this would mean a blend between making things more modern for the younger generations while at the same time still catering to the older generations who have their own ways and preferences. Indeed, some people like to read newspaper stories on like while others prefer the actual newspaper.

The briefing document and presentation follows much the same path as the rest of this report but has a slightly different structure. Per the outline of the presentation structure and the plan in general, this shall all be presented to the management on December 16th, 2016. Ovearll, there are five major sections to the presentation, Those are the Need to Evolve, What Needs to Change, How to Get There, Places to Start and the overall objective to be accomplished. The listing on the briefing document is basically in bullet format but those points will be explained one by one and in more detail within the following sections.

• The Need to Evolve: Clearly, the Kings County library was cutting edge at one time but the group is clearly behind the curve now. Over the next ten years, there needs to be a paradigm shift where the overall mission and plan for the library is the same but it needs to shift a system that is more modern, more agile and more useful for both employees and patrons alike

• Inefficiency -- As noted already in-depth, it is clear that the administrative and approval functions of the library are not functioning as they could or should. This needs to change immediately and needs to remain streamlined. This does not mean that things rubber-stamped and sent through without checking. However, the rather slow and arduous manner in which things currently happen is unacceptable and needs to change. Further, there is no need for people to shuttle or move from office to office unless their physical presence is absolutely required at other locations and that is really not necessary, even for top management, most of the time

• Customers Not Satisfied: Given the public funding of the Kings Library system, it is imperative that customers feel that they are being served by the people that work for the library system, both seen and unseen. There is the desire to see a "bang for the buck" and to see things that are truly beneficiary and expected in a modern library. In the age of Google and other such technologies and sites, the library needs to be extension to that sort of culture rather than being an aberration or an exception to internet culture as it truly exists.

• Uniformity: This was also mentioned before but one more point should be made. Indeed, if a person goes to a random Mcdonald's in the United States, the idea that the company pushes and sells is that a Big Mac bought in Los Angeles will be the same as a Big Mac bought in New York. Obviously, the geographical scope of the Kings County Library system is not nearly that wide. Even so, there is a large number of locations and this disparate amount and location of facilities means that people can often vary a bit when it comes to how the same situations are addressed. As noted before multiple times, this needs to be minimized as much as is possible. Even so, there will always be outliers.

• What Needs to Change: The specifics of what needs to be changed will be covered in a bit. However, there has to be a general commitment to the idea that the ten-year plan for the library is not set in stone and it is also not the end of what will change or what will need to change. The two main points to take home before one gets into specifics is that Kings County Library is behind the curve and needs to change and that once the change process is in full gear, it will not stop. It will obviously slow down once the library system gets to the point it needs to get to in terms of its path. However, change is a constant in life and in learning. As such, the library will always need to look for things that need to change. There has to be a good amount of vigilance and attention paid to what is good as is, what is deficient and what can be done to correct the latter.

• Company Culture: As is clear throughout this report, the culture of the company needs to change and this has to happen immediately. It is not fair to say that the company culture of the Kings County Library system is completely dysfunctional and broken. Even so, there are definite opportunities for improvement and those opportunities will be seized and taken advantage of. This sort of things starts at the top. The top leadership of the library system will need to define what should be done, why it should be done and they will have to keep people in line if they deviate from what is requested or required. In short, it has to start at the top because it is not fair to ask the rank and file to comply if the managers and executives themselves or not. Beyond that, the people on the front line have to be in line with those changes as well. If they push back, that needs to be addressed. This does not mean that their feedback and resistance should not be listened to. Indeed, there are perhaps things that might need to be adjusted or tweaked. Even so, compliance and loyalty to the new way of doing things needs to be politely but firmly demanded. At the same time, feedback and suggestions should not be shunned. However, once something is decided, that should be the end of it.

• Red Tape: A clear-cut example of what is meant by this is the very long time it takes to get something as simple as a microfiche purchase approved and pushed through. Indeed, if it is needed, it is needed. If it is needed, it should be ordered and paid for right away. If there is some question as to whether it is needed, that is fine. However, the discussion and roadblocks that need to be cleared to finalize things need to be worked through in an expedient fashion. Indeed, it should be more like hours and days rather than weeks and months unless the item in question is very expensive or very seismic in terms of its impacts to the rank and file, not to mention the management, of the library system.

• The red tape thing dovetails with accountability. There should be a define hierarchy and division of labor that dictates who is responsible for handling a request. This would include meetings that would take place, who would be involved, when those meetings would happen and so forth. Regardless, the responsible party should set a reasonable timeline and it should be followed. People that fall behind or do not report need to be checked on.

How to Get There & Places to Start

Much of this has already been covered in-depth but a final review and listing to drive the point home should be covered:

• Better allocation of resources

• Better allocations of money

• Better planning process and timeframe

• Assign tasks to particular groups and people and hold them to them

• Get feedback from customers as to what they prefer and crave

• Better media selection, both physical and digital

• Create or expand online/internet/download options

• Creation or improvement of revenue streams

• Better and more efficient use of technology

• A straight "yes," "no," or "not for now" on all requests nad feedback

• More transparency between executives/management with employees as well as other stakeholders (patrons, donors, etc.)

What is our Objective

As is clear from the above, the main question that has to be asked is where the Kings County Library system needs to be and what the overall objective happens to be. It is entirely possible, and perhaps desired, that the objective will evolve and shift over time. Even so, there has to be a starting point and an overall perfecting of the process will not happen overnight. Once the process gets up and running and the procedure and process gets better and better, these incremental successes and the celebrations above will turn into a domino effect, in a good way.

References

Bartel, A. & Harrison, A. (2016). Ownership vs. Environment: Why are Public Sector Firms Inefficient?. NBER. Retrieved 8 December 2016, from http://www.nber.org/papers/w7043

Miller, K. (2016). What Do We Mean By 'Customer Service,' Anyway?. Governing.com. Retrieved 8 December 2016, from http://www.governing.com/blogs/public-great/What-Do-We-Mean-By-Customer-Service-Anyway.html

Mole, G. (2002). Managing performance in the public sector (1st ed.). London: Routledge.

OGG. (2016). Establish easy feedback mechanisms for public services - Open Government Guide. Open Government Guide. Retrieved 8 December 2016, from http://www.opengovguide.com/commitments/establish-easy-feedback-mechanisms-for-public-services/

TAI. (2016). Definitions - Transparency & Accountability Initiative. Transparency &

Accountability Initiative. Retrieved 8 December 2016, from http://www.transparency-

initiative.org/about/definitions