Force-fed satisfaction

It seems very rude to force things on people, but I'm learning - and working on - doing just that. Because sometimes that's what you have to do in order to satisfy. For most people, if something seems too complicated, or if they think they would be wasting your time by asking for help, they will just pass on whatever it is they wanted to do. If you insist, however, that they go ahead and request the book or create the account, etc., they get what they wanted, learned something new, are incredibly appreciative, and ultimately leave with a good feeling about the library.

Does your library have members?

In the most recent American Libraries newsletter, there was a link to a blog post about a talk at the recent American Library Association convention. "Patron" or "Customer"? Consultant Makes the Case for "Member". What a brilliant idea! That way everyone is part of a club. No one wants to be patronized, and we all know that customers are not always right, especially when they habitually claim that their late items were actually on time. It's a simple idea, but I've never heard it before, not even when we were discussing it in library school. Members have cards, and people who aren't members are guests. They pay dues in the form of taxes.