LIBRARYPALOOZA
HOME
AWARDS
SEARCH
ARTICLES
LETTER TO EDITOR
TOOLBOX |
 |
Marty Sklar, vice chairman and long-time principal creative executive for Walt Disney Imagineering responsible for designing Disney theme parks and resorts, recently delivered "Mickey's Ten Commandments" at a first-ever conference on how to make libraries popular destinations. His advice for creating an educational and entertaining experience:
I. Know your audience. (Do market research.) Wear your guests' shoes. (Stand in line. Experience what they do.) Organize the flow of people and ideas. (It should make sense.) Create a "wienie" (a dominant visual image that excites and attracts the eye). Communicate with visual literacy. (Don't rely on words) Avoid overload. (Keep it simple.) Tell one story at a time. (Have a theme and stick to it.) Avoid contradictions. Be consistent. Provide an "ounce of treatment and a ton of treat." (Focus on rewards. Minimize rules.) Keep it up. Maintain your identity.
Teams from 36 California libraries attended the conference held May 18-20 at the exciting new Cerritos Library. Titled "Imagine It, Explore It, Create It," the conference featured an eclectic mix of speakers and activities designed to give insights into the customer experience.
Speakers included Joe Pine and Jim Gilmore, whose book The Experience Economy, inspired the library's design. They urged their listeners to think about library service as performance—"Work is an experience and every staff person is on stage." The ideal customer experience, they said, combines the entertaining, educational, escapist and esthetic.
The New Cerritos Library |
Known as "The Experience Library," the Cerritos Library aims to create a total visitor experience through books, video, computers and museum-quality art and exhibits, including a Tyrannosaurs Rex skeleton in the Children's Room and a wall-sized saltwater aquarium (with sharks). There are no "sit down" public service desks. Staff is encouraged to roam the floor offering assistance.
The conference was sponsored by the Cerritos Library's Clio Institute, established to promote creativity and imagination in libraries. Support came from LSTA funds administered by the State Librarian of California and the conference sponsors: CWA AIA, Inc.; C.W. Driver Contractors; Hewlett Packard; Nature Maker; Baker & Taylor; Biblio Mondo; Big Cozy Books; Glassbau Hahn and Keeler Advertising; Yamada Enterprise; the Black Hills Institute; Checkpoint Systems; Edward Technologies, Inc.; Gallegos Lighting Design; Infopeople Project; Scenario Design; Studio Wilks; Summit Design International; Technifex; Jugular; Mook & Blanchard; Starbucks; Super 78; and Valley Crest Companies.
For more information, see http://cml.ci.cerritos.ca.us or contact Cerritos Library Director Waynn Pearson at waynn_pearson@ci.cerritos.ca.us. Also, see the LM&PR article on the Cerritos Library by Sarah Dalton.
|
