Customer Service
As our profession contemplates the future of libraries, a recurring theme surfaces: that the public trust and faith in the institution is not so much about information retrieval or document management as it is about the intangibles—the relationships, the place, the environment for learning. It is top-notch customer service that will sustain and grow libraries. Explore here the resources on communication, creating patron-focused spaces, customer service practices and dealing with difficult patrons.
Self-paced courses and webinar recordings on this topic are freely available in the WebJunction Course Catalog.
Most Recently Added
April 13, Mental Health First Aid and Trauma-Informed Approaches for Libraries
Publish Date: News / 13 April 2021
This webinar explores how the principles of trauma-informed care and Mental Health First Aid can equip staff with the knowledge and confidence to communicate with compassion.
Envisioning Future Library Experiences: Service Design Techniques for Responsive Libraries
Publish Date: Webinar / 18 February 2021
The second in a two-part webinar series, this session will expand on design principles applied by case study libraries, who have been working with the design teams.
Resources for Wellbeing: Toolkit Tour for Rural & Small Libraries
Publish Date: Webinar / 5 February 2021
This webinar will introduce tools for helping libraries improve social wellbeing in their communities, created from the Rural Library Service & Social Wellbeing Project.
Who Are We Designing for and Why? Service Design Techniques for Responsive Libraries
Publish Date: Webinar / 19 November 2020
The first in a two-part webinar series, this session will introduce design principles that can be used to enhance and improve future library services.
Cultivating Protective Factors for Safe Libraries and Resilient Communities
Publish Date: Webinar / 5 March 2020
Join this webinar to explore the ways the library functions as a "protective factor" and how to build community resilience through more compassionate and inclusive policies and practices.
Library as a Social Assistance Office
Publish Date: News / 20 February 2020
With a determined stride and a big smile, Ida Abolins walks over to the writing desk at the window of the library in San Francisco and asks a young man bending over a pile of paper, "How are you doing?"
Overlooking the lavish City...
Doing the Work Externally and Internally: Race, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Publish Date: Webinar / 5 December 2019
This webinar highlights the work of Richland Library staff as they work, both externally and internally, to improve dialogue and understanding on topics of race, equity, diversity and inclusion.
Interesting Patron Questions
Publish Date: News / 25 November 2019
The reference desk of a library is truly one of the most interesting of places. Through an initial poll in 2015, we asked WebJunction members to share the most interesting patron questions they had received, and the response was amazing! We're revisi...
Prioritizing Accessibility and Disability Inclusion at Your Library
Publish Date: News / 18 July 2019
Putting a focus on accessibility helps create a library that can be enjoyed by more people and can connect more people to the information and resources they need. Opportunities to make libraries more accessible can include decisions about your collec...
Customer Service in Libraries: Meeting Evolving Needs
Publish Date: News / 29 May 2019
Customer service is one of the most consistently popular topics on WebJunction. From attendees at live webinars to users of the content in our Course Catalog, it is clear that customer service is on the minds of library staff. The interest extends be...
