Greetings!

As I read this morning's e-mail from Jennifer Lohmann, I felt empowered to post on the wiki soon enough. However, I was delayed and had just  escorted one of our library customers, Ms. Sanchez, to the bus stop because she was afraid of the pitbull across the street.  I don't know why I always volunteer to save my fellow customers from neighborhood dogs on the loose, but I guess it is within the territory of other duties as assigned.

Just last month, I had to protect my young preschoolers from Little Learner's Daycare and their teacher Miss Portia, from the oversized (pit)bulldog next door to the library. It somehow managed to get away from his "post" and wanted to relax at the Bragtown Library parking lot. Since I am so kind, I offered to "sit" with the oversized (pit)bulldog while the kids hurried in the library.  Well, Mr. Oversized (Pit)Bulldog (which as you can tell I now have a mutual respect for) stampeded me like a bear in the woods looking for his meal, spit and all.  Needless to say, we had a wonderful storytime and the children had wonderful stories, real or imaginative, to tell their parents that evening!

Getting back to the task at hand, the whole Greensboro-May Memorial Libraries Best Practices trip was delightful!  There were friendly faces as we boarded the bus, both staff and community members.  Healthy snacks and chocolate were served in abundance including bottled water. Who could have asked for anything more? Even the bus driver was kind and the seats were comfortable.

I think it is important to share (and reproduce) with all of you- a great handout created by Susan Benning, Head Librarian of Alamance County May Memorial Library (Burlington, NC) on ideas to increase circulation.  I am quite sure that we as a library team have implemented many of these wonderful ideas but we can always strive to be better, if not the best public library at least on the east coast of USA. 

INCREASED CIRCULATION IDEAS

DISPLAYS

http://www.asla.nsw.edu.au/disphint.htm

Display ideas including fronting the covers of books, making signage visible, displaying artwork of local students, promoting underutilized collections and highlighting library services

http://www.asla.nsw.edu.au/displays.htm

Discusses the value of displays, techniques for eye-catching displays, sign holders and props

• Tie in books with newly released movies
• Highlight one book at check out on a book holder and keep it filled
• Enter book display contest such as Frommer's or For Dummies books
• Have permanent locked displays for local artisans and crafts people that are changed monthly
• Use book holders facing book covers out and keep holders filled
• Check in new books, movies, and books on cassette/cd quickly. Shelve immediately
• Ex. of successful displays-Staff Picks, Get Series-ous about reading, display #1 of any fiction books that have the same color book jacket
• Use displays that are face fronting especially new books on tiered racks
• Scout out book stores or other libraries for ideas

PROGRAMMING

• Increase programming on relevant topics of interest to community
• Ex. Gardening, Identity theft, sponsor a library book club, Community Read, obtain movie license, invite local authors for a book talk, Writer's Club, Open Mic poetry, sponsor a local author book fair
• Display relevant library books during meetings in the library
• Hold one big author event annually

STAFF

• Be friendly and helpful always inquiring what is really needed
• Promote books and ask patrons if they found everything they were hoping to find
• Be familiar with best selling titles, authors, next in series, similar authors
• Roaming reference
• Show patrons how to use OPACS
• Help patrons locate books

ACQUISITIONS

• Buy what the public wants and actively seek purchase suggestions
• Develop a collection development policy that reflects community interests, diversity, and reading habits of population being served
• Use recommendation slips
• Use purchase alerts and a hold ratios to get optimum circulations
• Lease popular books

COLLECTIONS

• Tidy shelves frequently
• Weed books according to CREWS method often
• Move collections to highlight sections
• Make collection look "new" replacing ratty looking books with donated books or buying replacements if funds allow
• Move new fiction and new non-fiction
• Replace plastic book covers if needed
• Replace AV cases if needed
• Put labels on books in a series
• Face book front covers out in new book area, at end ranges, and book displays
• Separate out specific collections, Christian fiction, mysteries, sci-fi
• Create finding aids, bookmarks and genre lists
• Use shelf talkers to identify similar authors
• Rotate specific collections between branches or have a floating collection

BARCODE OTHER MATERIALS 

• Barcode magazines that are popular
• Barcode microfilm

PROCESSING

• Review procedures in tech services to see if there is a faster and more efficient way to process materials
• Get the bestsellers and popular books processed and out on the floor fast
• Change suppliers if order turnaround time is too long
• Choose vendors that can deliver materials on street/publication date

FACILITY

• Review appearances of front entrance, bathrooms and foyer
• Enfore behavior policy
• Become proactive to build a day center for homeless

PUBLIC RELATIONS

• Monthly programs outside the library with groups like Newcomers LCub, Welcome Wagon, Rotary and other services groups
• Provdie brochures and newsletters to organizations and Visitor's Bureau
• Participate in annual local government displays
• Advertise events using all media including local able, radio stations and websites
• Join the Chamber of Commerce, Community Council, Interagency Council for the Hoomeless and other groups to promote the interests of the library

Happy Reading!

Lisa McAllister

Bragtown Branch

Best Practices Tours 

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