PLA 2010 Conference: The Anythink Revolution Is Ripe

Public Library Association - PLA 2010 - Annual Conference - Portland

By Norman Oder -- Library Journal, 03/26/2010

• Dropping Dewey for WordThink
• New job titles, new buildings
• A new brand and new enthusiasm

If any session yesterday illustrated the palpable hunger public librarians have for change—and, perhaps, a silver bullet to ensure their future—it was the packed session featuring a crew from the Rangeview Library District, Adams County, CO (pictured at left relaxing post-session—photo by Debora Miller), propagators of the brand they call Anythink.

From dropping Dewey to building LEED Silver and Gold buildings, unveiling a snappy brand and giving up fines, developing an enthusiastic staff and transforming programming, it looks like Rangeview, led by director Pam Sandlian Smith and a forward-thinking board, has the library equivalent of the Midas touch.

Now, such changes might not be simple to implement elsewhere and the presentation didn’t allow time for questions and complications. (For example, LJ later learned that the six-branch system accomplishes collection development and tech services with just five people.)

Still, for 75 minutes, the 350-plus attendees could collect a nifty branded bag (with Anythink items, including a kazoo) and be inspired that public libraries could transcend some extremely tough times.

Telling the story
One thing Rangeview has is an administrative team comfortable at giving presentations, engaged but not hucksterish. They led with the human resources director, Susan Dobbs, who explained that, in the early part of the decade, the libraries were the worst-funded in the state, even rationing Scotch tape.

In 2005, the Adams County Library (north of Denver) became a district, changed its name to Rangeview, and, faced with having to close a building if a mill levy failed, got it passed on the third attempt.

The board wanted libraries that were user-friendly, similar to bookstores, and needed an innovative new leader. “They got more than that,” Dobbs declared. “They got a revolutionary.”

Smith’s story
Smith described an enormous amount of change: “about ten years of infrastucture work” in two years, a capital project (building four new libraries and renovating three), and the internal systemic change. The mill levy tripled the library funding, but $12 million for a population of 315,000 “doesn't go as far as it needs to.” (That’s a little less than $40 per capita.)

“We could look at old models, but we decided we were going to shoot for the moon,” Smith said. As for the board, she joked, “Someday I think they probably feel like Pam is on the moon.”

She noted the common refrain that people don’t need libraries because they have Google—and the not uncommon library response that “’we've got databases’. I think you have to find a better answer.”

A new model
In Adams County, 63% of the population is under 45 years old, and only ten percent had library cards. The solution: “an experience model,” with a structure, a common language, and a new philosophy and culture to support this new library.

Ronnie Storey-Ewoldt, public services director, explained that the library tried to involve all employees to create and embrace change.

Steve Hansen, communications director, gave a concrete example: after a merchandising task force was formed, the first guide to merchandising emerged in just five weeks. A staff worker minted a new word, "fluffenrovin," to describe one of the tasks.

Dobbs explained that a staff appreciation and training team, the Yellow Geckos, was established to unite staff to create fun events outside of work and build teamwork.

New logo and more
Then came the new logo, the product of a campaign by the agency Ricochet Ideas.

He stressed the difference between information and persuasion, how libraries can offer life-changing emotional benefits.

He asked the audience to describe conventions that exist in their libraries. The answers came back, as if programmed, with examples that have changed with Anythink: the Dewey system; enforced quietness; fines; the traditional reference desk.

For the library, he said, the goal was to “stop behaving passively...and earn customer preference.” He read an early “brand manifesto” that described employees as part wizard, part genius, part explorer.

Accelerating change
Storey-Ewoldt gave examples of the “incredible cultural shift.” Upon looking at barriers to customer service, one staffer suggested dropping fines for summer reading. Soon enough, the system dropped fines completely.

Similarly, the library dropped Dewey for nonfiction. “Instead we went to real words that real people use,” she said, citing the library’s WordThink system.

That lead to the near-doubling of the circulation of nonfiction within three months. (The change will be the subject of a program at 10:15 a.m. tomorrow.)

Bellina helped the library “disrupt our programming,” to change presentations into experiences; one example was a talk on chocolate that ended in a chocolate-making session.

And instead of a summer reading program, this year’s mySummer: read/think/do is supposed to encourage experiences.

"As we like to say, we make it up in the morning, roll it out in the afternoon, and the next day we tweak the heck out of it," Storey-Ewoldt said.

New jobs
Dobbs said the library needed to update its job descriptions, which are now in three categories: The Wrangler (materials movers), The Concierge (customer experience), and The Guide (programmers, trainers, etc.).

“We disrupted convention by asking all our branch staff to reapply,” Dobbs said, to murmurs of surprise in the crowd. “We promised no one was going to lose their job... or their pay, no matter what their job was.”

And it turned out that everyone got their first or second choice.

Dobbs said training moved from a “skills-based focus to a competency-based focus.” Smith noted that, a few years ago, the library received few job applications. “Now we’re flooded.”

New buildings
As for the new buildings, Smith said, the library board suggested some key words: bookstores, fireplaces, and LEED Silver.

The buildings were designed to have spaces for noise and for quiet, to have “that Colorado outdoor/indoor feel,” to be sustainable and green, and to not forget fun and play.

Finding the voice
Hansen said staffers were initially surprised by the new brand: “It's just a made-up word and a scribble,” the latter seen as a brain, a pile of spaghetti, or a crazy road map. “But that's the thing about it,” he said. “To me it means order out of chaos... That's what everybody liked.”

And without an ad budget, how propagate the brand? They used name tags, bookmarks, parking lot banners, front door signage, bookmobile wraps, and more.

A video shot at the new branch in Brighton featured a rock music soundtrack, enthusiastic customers and staff, and Smith quoting Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards on how “the library belongs to you.”

Group enthusiam
Then the session hit a new level as staffers tossed Anythink t-shirts (slogans: “SHHH is a four letter word” and “I'm not busy. I just walk fast.”) to the crowd.

The Anythink staffers led the crowd in a kazoo (remember, distributed in those bags) accompaniment to the Beatles’ “The Yellow Submarine.”

“None of this would've happened without the entire collaborative team and hard work of not enough people,” Smith said.

She quoted Jim Collins (author of Good to Great, etc.) as saying that greatness is not a function of circumstance but conscious choice and discipline.

The success of Anythink, she concluded, came from “taking a look at our conventions and looking at libraries in a creative way.” And now, “the people coming through our doors are floored.” Anythink Brochure 2_______________________________________________________________________________
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