Merchandizing Your Collection: Adapting Retail Practices to a

Library Setting

Andy Barnett Assistant Director - McMillan Memorial Library

Wisconsin Rapids

Building our Future

• Mission & Metrics• Which business practices• Activity (?) and break• Why displays matter• How we display our books good

Preliminaries

• If you meet Buddha on the road, kill him• Next practices not best practices• The direction of change is more important

than the pace of change• From an age of scarcity to an age of

abundance

Change is…

• Scary• Not optional• A habit or muscle• Additive• Addictive

Adapt not Adopt

• A government function, with a community based purpose

• Social good, not volume/profit• Outcomes, not output• Watch your language• Be the best library you can be

Public ≠ Private Sector

• Mission• Third place, not home or the marketplace• ROI• Profit center• Incentives• Metrics in general• Niche marketing

Public = Private Sector

• Customer driven• Design / layout / wayfinding• Hours• Importance of perception• Become a destination

Steal These

• Have a (saleable/explainable) purpose• Be intentional (economy of force)• Strategy not tactics• Plan as if your job depended upon it• Life long relationships

Selling Up

• Something bigger, more expensive, higher margin.

• Our chance to surprise and delight.• Part of a reference interview.• Don’t allow satisficing.

Super Powers

• Every person and library should have them• Difference between a factory job and what

you can be• Batman vs. Superman• Mainly a matter of attitude and willingness• Don’t be a supervillain

Setting Expectations

• How do we want to be seen• Involve staff• Hold ourselves to our own words.

Remarkable, but not in a good way

What models?

• Sam’s Club = bad model. Avoid the race to the bottom.

• Resort = better model• Welcoming and hospitable• Effective and efficient• Surprise and delight

Cutting Edge Libraries

• Thank you!• Proof of concept• Conditions for success• Costs• Trade offs

Metrics

Are you on the right track?

• Five Laws of Library Science• Benefits users, not just staff• People first, then things• Tech like you want/use at home• Wow factor

Paco Underhill & Design

• Retail anthropologist• Comfortable, easy, practical, fast• Design as people management• Design as theater• If a TV crew was coming, what would you

change?

Self-Service Options

• Self-service often best service• Non-service isn’t• Staffed self-check – like WalMart• Staff, design, signage changes

Wayfinding

• Important piece of self-service• Intuitive and self-navigable• Design, layout and decoration• Sightlines – patron and staff both• Better signage / less clutter

Just in Time

• Originally an industrial concept• Shared systems and delivery make it work• Leaner local collection• Three levels – library/system/ILL• 80/20 rule?

Zoning

• Different zones = different purposes = different rulesets

• Children’s Room a common zone• Social/quiet zone often missing• Unenforceable rules or missing mission

Right size /staff

• Changes in operation should equal changes in staffing

• Libraries move slowly on staffing• Right size = fewer staff• Right staff = changed mix of staff• Re-examine position descriptions• Re-examine structure• Volunteers

Take aways

• Remember who you are• Adapt don’t adopt• Infuse self-service • Manage change• Be a great library