Don Finch, director of operations at Baker and Taylor, center, gives Carson City Library staff members a tour of the 250,000 square foot book distribution center in Reno on Dec. 19. The tour is part of ongoing staff training sessions that help the Carson City Library operate more efficiently and improve customer service.
Staff at the Carson City Library should be able to operate more efficiently and better serve patrons after a series of training sessions this year.
“I would like patrons to come in and feel like they got the help they needed so they return,” said Director Sena Loyd. “The library is a community resource. They’re already paying for it through their tax dollars, so it’s important that they’re able to take advantage of it.”
The training sessions were designated by the library’s board of directors to take place on a Friday — when hours are typically shortened — every other month.
Friday marked the third training session when staff traveled to Reno to visit Baker and Taylor Service Center, the leading distributor of physical and digital books, video and music products to public libraries around the world.
Loyd said she and her staff paid particular attention to the customized library services division, where books are processed — with stickers, stamps and properly cataloged — before being sent out to libraries.
“It was really great to see their facility,” she said. “It gave us ideas on how we could be more efficient in processing the books that aren’t from Baker and Taylor here at the library.”
Employees spent the rest of the day rehearsing a variety of customer-service scenarios. “It’s helped our staff be able to discuss customer-service situations in a safe environment,” Loyd said. “They can learn and prepare so they handle the customer better the next time.”
In past training sessions, staff members have cross-trained in one another’s departments to learn the different databases available and how to access them, as well as technology offered in the Digitorium.
Loyd said she would like to see the trainings continue every other month in the coming year.
The library is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the corner of Roop and Washington streets.
For more information, call 775-887-2244, or go to www.carsoncitylibrary.org.
