1. 5th Dec 2005 1 Customer care in Oxford University Libraries Finding the best practices in customer service Gemma Wright

2. 5th Dec 2005 2 “Academic libraries have a long way to go in meeting basic customer care requirements” Context Brockhurst (2005) Oxford University has many libraries, all different Most users have access to more than one library Which libraries have elements of good and bad practice?

3. 5th Dec 2005 3 Objectives and Deliverables To find out what users like and dislike about current practices To find examples of best and worst practices To improve customer service A case study of the customer care requirements A customer service best practice blueprint.

4. 5th Dec 2005 4 Methodology Large-scale, mainly online, questionnaire Open to all members of university, and all visitors to libraries The survey has to be well advertised to maximise response Visits to libraries with examples of best and worst practices

5. 5th Dec 2005 5 Dissemination Direct communication to library heads Oxford libraries staff newsletter, Outline Reader newsletter, Reading Light Relevant JiscMail mailing lists SCONUL Focus Library + Information Update Library Success: A Best Practices Wiki (www.libsuccess.org) Publish a Best Practice Blueprint online

6. 5th Dec 2005 6 References ACRL (1992) Spring and diversity in the air at ACRL Conference, College and Research Libraries News, vol. 53(6), pp. 376-9 Brockhurst, Chris (2005) The good, the bad and the ugly, Library and Information Update, vol. 4(7-8), pp. 24-27 Butcher, R (1993) An overview of British Library automation at St Pancras, Program, vol. 27(3), pp. 281-292 Cranfield, G, Hellowell, J (1992) Use of a national library: a survey of readers in the Humanities and Social Sciences Reading Rooms of the British Library, Alexandria, vol. 4(3), pp. 197-211 Oxford University Student Union (2005) Libraries Survey. Available at: http://www.ousu.org/main/campaigns /academic/libraries/survey (Accessed: 20/11/05)http://www.ousu.org/main/campaigns /academic/libraries/survey Any questions? gemma.wright@ouls.ox.ac.uk