A few weeks ago, I read with interest an article from the Library Journal (May 1, 2011) entitled “Revamping Reference / The User Experience” by Aaron Schmidt and started to think about our user community, their experience with the reference team, and the recent change to one of our information kiosks.

We recently had one of our information kiosks rebuilt to accommodate a need for additional staff seating and the end results had more than one positive outcome!  Yes, we were able to provide a badly needed workspace but we also were able to create a welcoming area for our users when they have questions or want to consult with one of the reference staff. One of our frequent library users summed it up best when she walked by the remodeled space – smiled her approval and shared it was much more welcoming than the old set up!

I never expected to see how this one small improvement changed our daily interactions with clients and the reference user walk-in experience. Now the reference librarian on duty is much more visible to clients when they enter the Library to assist them with their research needs, leaving the rest of reference team free to focus on other job responsibilities including visits to our clients’ work areas!

Donna Gibson, Director of Library Services