Spectrum PR Column
November 2001
The Law Librarian's
Home Companion to Hospitality
by Carol Billings
AALL Spectrum, Volume 6 No. 3 November 2001.
Don't get me wrong. I'm
just as irritated as the next woman by Martha Stewart. This column will not
give you instructions for crocheting little turkey-shaped mouse cozies or for
whipping up a batch of homemade pumpkin-scented library paste. But just like
the queen of good housekeeping, during this season we naturally begin thinking
about ways to extend hospitality to family and friends for Thanksgiving and
the forthcoming Hanukkah and Christmas holidays. Perhaps because librarians
are experts at welcoming those who need our services, our libraries are popular
sites for holiday parties in our schools, firms, and courthouses. Hosting the
festivities can be a lot of work for us, but we've discovered that they provide
us with excellent opportunities to help our clientele get better acquainted
with us and what we've got to offer.
Throwing parties is only one form of hospitality, however. Public relations
is all about hospitality. Everything that a user observes and experiences in
our libraries--the physical premises, the policies, the demeanor of the staff--combines
to express our attitude toward our clientele. We strive to make our facilities,
collections, and services attractive to our patrons. We issue invitations in
many forms--websites, publications, educational programs, special events, and
exhibits. And when they accept our invitations and enter our libraries, we "put
on the dog" to impress them with our expertise and our eagerness to satisfy
their needs. All of this seems very obvious, but because it is such an "everyday"
aspect of our mission, we run the risk of overlooking important aspects of hospitality.
I was reminded of this rather unexpectedly in August when SOLINET, OCLC's southern component, offered a workshop in New Orleans called "Allocating Space in Your Library to Meet Changing Needs." The announcement promoting the program explained that the emphasis would be not so much on planning a new building, but on how to improve what you're stuck with for the foreseeable future. That angle immediately appealed to my colleague Cathy Lemann and me since our staff has been trying to hold our current facility together with baling wire and duct tape for nearly twenty years since the planning began for our alleged move to a grand, renovated courthouse.
The Supreme Court Building that now houses our library was completed in 1958--not the heyday of American architecture--apparently without the advice of anyone possessing expertise in library design.. Recalling President Kennedy's remark that Washington was, "a city of southern efficiency and northern charm," our library is noted for neither beauty nor utility. Like many other older law libraries, ours was ill-equipped to meet the challenge of the electronic information revolution. Electrical outlets were few and far between. No individual carrels, but only large reading room tables were provided. In short, lawyers and other citizens have always come to our library when they really need our collection or face-to-face assistance. They have not been attracted by aesthetically appealing or comfortable surroundings. Consequently our staff is always open to helpful hints on how to upgrade our appearance and convenience without spending much money on our soon-to-be-vacated facility.
Had we known twenty years ago that we would still be in this facility today,
no doubt we and other court departments would have made dramatic improvements,
knocking out walls and rearranging space for patrons and staff to deliver services
more efficiently. Instead, like a family of modest means renovating a house,
we have done things piecemeal, adding a little here and a little there. Few
things match, and furniture, equipment, and staff are squeezed into tight places.
Our collection is now too big to be shelved in completely logical order; so
we have resorted to shelving some seldom-requested sets in remote spots that
only the staff can remember. Our courthouse and library are examples of how
desirable growth and technological progress can unintentionally render an institution
inhospitable despite the staff's efforts.
Ruth O'Donnell, the Florida library consultant who presented the SOLINET workshop, pointed out that crowded libraries like ours can be consumed by clutter that makes them both unsightly and inconvenient. "Clean your room!" she exhorted. And I thought of the boxes that accumulate outside of my office because no one knows where to put them until they're unpacked. I thought of the heaps on my desk, credenza, filing cabinet, booktruck, and floor. I felt like a teenager being rebuked by my mother. I wouldn't dream of welcoming guests to my home with it looking like the mare's nest my office has become. "Don't stuff your space. Make it more effective," Ms. O'Donnell lectured. "Service is more important than stuff," she continued. We are not doing our patrons a favor by filling our libraries with materials that they will never need but will hinder their finding what they want. "Get rid of sacred cows!" preached O'Donnell, and I thought of the big index table in the middle of our reading room that people have to maneuver around but seldom sit at.
Signs constituted another major topic in the workshop presentation. We stick up far too many small homemade signs that our patrons look right past to seek information from a staff member. Large, professionally-made, prominently-placed, easy-to-read signs that give directions and locations in layman's terms are important aids to your patrons. Information about the library's hours should be displayed outside our front door. Other information about the library's collection, services, policies, and rules are best disseminated via brochures and bookmarks in Ruth O'Donnell's opinion. She would prohibit the staff from taping or tacking anything up in public areas. Signs that say "Do not. . ." are definitely a no-no.
Our patrons' expectations
have been raised by businesses that must be attractive in order to sell their
products and services. We have to compete for clientele with glitzy book stores
that now encourage customers to peruse their inventory as one would do in a
library, but while lounging in easy chairs and enjoying gourmet coffee and pastries
in the adjacent cafe. Clearly many of our libraries lack the funds in turn our
sows' ears into silk purses, but we can be tidy, uncluttered, and convenient
for our patrons. Our staffs must take care to avoid conversations in areas where
patrons need peace and quiet to do research. Computers and printers provided
for the public must have helpful information nearby as well as directions for
requesting help from staff. Our photocopiers, copycard dispensers, and change
machines must be reliable and easy to operate. In short, everything that we
do should send our patrons a message that we care about pleasing them and fulfilling
their needs. Recently many of us have expressed concern that the lawyers who
were our regular patrons are increasingly relying upon electronic information
access in their offices. We know that we still have a great deal to offer them
via our collections and specialized services. The more ways we can demonstrate
our spirit of hospitality, the more they will want to come back.
Last Updated: January 28, 2003
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