[Publib] RE: Librarian Talents -

[Robert L. Balliot]

Greetings Jenny,

The way this reads to me is that you do not like
being asked to follow a business model, but you
agree that a retail business model applies in part
to libraries based on your experience. So, would
you opt to ask your employees to follow a retail
business model when you 'truly dislike' receiving
that sort of instruction?

I am not sure what statistics have been used to
measure "happy and satisfied", and I question
if that would be the specific goal of the employees.
I think that would be the net effect of managing
staff well and providing the necessary resources
and training for them to do their jobs. It seems
to me that would be the goal of the director.

*************************************************
Robert L. Balliot
1-401-441-5763
Skype: RBalliot
Bristol, Rhode Island
http://oceanstatelibrarian.com/contact.htm
*************************************************


-----Original Message-----
From: Jennie J. Stoltz [mailto:jstoltz at pewaukee.lib.wi.us] 
Sent: Wednesday, August 08, 2007 6:29 PM
To: BookBitch
Cc: rballiot at oceanstatelibrarian.com; publib at webjunction.org
Subject: Re: RE: [Publib] RE: Librarian Talents -

I was thinking the same exact thing, a library may not be able to measure
its success in dollars but it certainly can in statistics.  

I have grown to truly dislike it when someone tries to force a business
model onto a public library (Board trustees are notorious for this, God love
'em!) but having worked both in retail and libraries I cannot deny there is
lots of crossover.  Either way retail and library employees both should have
the goal of seeing that their patrons/customers walk out of the door feeling
happy and satisfied with the service they received.

I love the word behooves too!

Jennie J. Stoltz
Director
Pewaukee Public Library
(262) 691-5670, ext. 20
(262) 691-5673 fax