Working for and with People
A library is a place to be trusted and adored - a space where one is met with respect regardless of why one walks through the doors on any given day. We begin to build that welcoming place through work ethics committed to supporting each other through responsiveness, accountability, honest communication, humility, and our own humanity. In this way, our jobs are comprised of more than a list of duties and tasks. Our obligation is to create a cooperative environment that motivates each team member to contribute to the success of each other and our patrons.
Over the years I have saved words of appreciation that have been particularly meaningful to me, some of which can be viewed below. These notes serve to remind me of the incredible colleagues and patrons I have worked with and continue to work with. The better service I provide, internally and externally, the more my colleagues feel supported and can succeed. Showing our appreciation for each other is one way to cultivate an ethos of service and in this spirit I always take a moment to thank my colleagues, providing them with their own pile of appreciative acknowledgment. As a manager and public service provider I aim to create space where staff and our community feel empowered to share, speak, and act because they know they are appreciated and cared for.
Over the years I have saved words of appreciation that have been particularly meaningful to me, some of which can be viewed below. These notes serve to remind me of the incredible colleagues and patrons I have worked with and continue to work with. The better service I provide, internally and externally, the more my colleagues feel supported and can succeed. Showing our appreciation for each other is one way to cultivate an ethos of service and in this spirit I always take a moment to thank my colleagues, providing them with their own pile of appreciative acknowledgment. As a manager and public service provider I aim to create space where staff and our community feel empowered to share, speak, and act because they know they are appreciated and cared for.
Customer Service
As evidence of my service philosophy I have led efforts to provide more tangible customer service guidelines for staff at the UWB/CC Campus Library. In 2010 I co-facilitated brainstorming sessions with staff to answer the question, “If we were starting anew to create a Libraries customer service philosophy, what would it include?” I collected customer service philosophies from other institutions and infused those into conversations about our own values and mission. Our notes helped inform the broader UW Libraries Customer Service statement that articulate values of Diversity, Innovation, Integrity, Responsiveness, Excellence, and Collaboration. I then worked with staff to translate those values into demonstrable behaviors, published as our Public Services Guidelines.
Future Plans & Goals
Engaging in concerted efforts to define and improve service has bolstered my leadership, strategic planning and communication skills while providing the entire department with guidance and a deeper sense of community. I feel confident that I can use these skills in any environment but I also realize that this is work that is never complete in any one environment.
I am interested in aligning tangible documentation with mission statements, and although our department now has a customer service statement and guidelines, we do not currently have a mission statement. In the coming months I will be working with several staff members to develop a mission statement and service outcomes reflective of our goals and values.
I find that public service is profoundly connected to the Diversity work that I do, which in part focuses on providing equitable service. Please visit my Diversity tab for additional information.
I am interested in aligning tangible documentation with mission statements, and although our department now has a customer service statement and guidelines, we do not currently have a mission statement. In the coming months I will be working with several staff members to develop a mission statement and service outcomes reflective of our goals and values.
I find that public service is profoundly connected to the Diversity work that I do, which in part focuses on providing equitable service. Please visit my Diversity tab for additional information.