by Well, I’m easing back into things after a busy holiday break. I hope all had a wonderful holiday. Now that the new year has started and I’ve made more resolutions than I should (and am dutifully breaking them already), I thought I’d post again. I read The Ubiquitous Librarian’s post on being like Emeril, and while I do not agree with all of his opinions (I’m not sure I’m impressed by a society that praises celebrities with undue reserve and where almost everyone gets their 5 minutes of fame [which I am still waiting for]), I do agree with one of his last statements. He writes that we should think of experiences rather than transactions.
I heartily agree – libraries should be about people and while we seem to be thinking more like businesses, I think we need to remember that it’s the people that we’re here for and the people who keep us going. One of the best things libraries can offer that Amazon and Google can’t is provide that personal touch. This is especially true in smaller rural libraries but it can happen in the big cities too. People come back because librarians remember who they are, what their interests are and in some cases what’s happening in their lives. It is the experience and the connection that we provide for our patrons that keeps them coming back.
It’s not just the personal experience – there are lots of experiences that libraries can offer using both technology and traditional methods. Let’s make it a new year’s resolution to create experiences in all we do rather than transactions!
