Simplifying Libraries

Have you ever come across a policy, procedure, or practice at your library that seems unnecessarily complex?

Over the past two years, the Millis Public Library – a small library serving a middle class town of 8000 in Massachusetts – has simplified how it manages several key aspects of its operations: collection loan rules, program scheduling, patron interactions, and public access technology. These changes have led to improved services for the public and less work for staff.

This one-hour webinar will walk you through the decisions that were made, the reasons why they were made, and the outcomes of each decision. Questions and group discussions encouraged.

If there is a topic or issue you know you'd like brought up during this webinar, contact Alex Lent at alexATalexlentDOTorg before September 1.

After participating in this webinar, you will be able to:

• Identify key areas of your own libraries that could be simplified
• Plan how to simplify those areas (what aspects can be simplified? Should we do a trial run first?)
• Evaluate the impact of the simplifications