Comments on: Perhaps More Librarians Will Pay Attention To Design http://dbl.lishost.org/blog/2007/08/22/perhaps-more-librarians-will-pay-attention-to-design/ Just another WordPress weblog Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:51:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Richard M. Dougherty http://dbl.lishost.org/blog/2007/08/22/perhaps-more-librarians-will-pay-attention-to-design/comment-page-1/#comment-700 Richard M. Dougherty Mon, 17 Sep 2007 15:09:11 +0000 http://dbl.lishost.org/blog/2007/08/22/perhaps-more-librarians-will-pay-attention-to-design/#comment-700 I was one of those taken aback, but also impressed by the article in the CHE. I can still recall a couple of colleagues at Syracuse talking about using such techniques. Ahem, those conversations took place in 1971. Designing better libraries is a nice catch-phrase, and there is certainly a need to create libraries that are reallly respsonsive to the needs and desires of patrons. It has always surprised me how resistant many librarians have been to the concepts of marketing and market research. Market research is investigating the needs of customers and then repositioning an organization's resouarcs, services, etc. to meet those needs. Market research isn't "selling" a library's services as seems to be the interpretation of many librarian. Several years ago I developed a set of techniques I dubbed RADAR. RADAR stood for Recognizing the Desires and Requirements of users. It brought acutal customers together with library staff. These sessions were always learning experiences. If I were still a director I'd spend more time listening to front line staff (librarians and support staff). They know a great deal about what customers (patrons) are saying about what they want and/or need. I was one of those taken aback, but also impressed by the article in the CHE. I can still recall a couple of colleagues at Syracuse talking about using such techniques. Ahem, those conversations took place in 1971.

Designing better libraries is a nice catch-phrase, and there is certainly a need to create libraries that are reallly respsonsive to the needs and desires of patrons. It has always surprised me how resistant many librarians have been to the concepts of marketing and market research. Market research is investigating the needs of customers and then repositioning an organization’s resouarcs, services, etc. to meet those needs. Market research isn’t “selling” a library’s services as seems to be the interpretation of many librarian.

Several years ago I developed a set of techniques I dubbed RADAR. RADAR stood for Recognizing the Desires and Requirements of users. It brought acutal customers together with library staff. These sessions were always learning experiences. If I were still a director I’d spend more time listening to front line staff (librarians and support staff). They know a great deal about what customers (patrons) are saying about what they want and/or need.

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