Dealing with Front Desk Realities

AFTER YOU ATTEND THIS COURSE, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO:

• Initiate connections and conversations with patrons.
• Understand the key role of customer service in libraries and how to improve customer service excellence.
• Respond to common issues with kindness, empathy, and confidence.
• Grow emotional intelligence skills to strengthen workplace relationships.
• Use nonviolent communication techniques to diffuse difficult patron interactions.
• Conduct yourself professionally in phone and email communications.
• Maintain personal boundaries without sacrificing excellent customer service.

THIS COURSE CONSISTS OF 4 SELF-PACED MODULES:

Module 1: The Why and How of Customer Service: Responding to Common Issues

How do you initiate a connection or conversation with someone? Why is customer service pivotal for library workers, and how can you improve your service excellence? And how can you respond to common issues that arise with patrons? How do you conduct yourself professionally on the phone and over email? This introductory module will highlight small, tangible ways you can enhance your customer service skills and build relationships with library users. You will also learn practical tips for maintaining excellent phone and email communication and customer service.

Module 2: De-escalation Techniques: Communication and Customer Service in Difficult Situations

What is the role of communication in customer service, and what kind of communication is best to facilitate connection? What is nonviolent communication, and how can it help diffuse difficult patron interactions? This module will discuss tangible ways to de-escalate situations and navigate customer service during conflict and tension.

Module 3: Customer Service and Relationships: Building Emotional Intelligence

What is emotional intelligence and how can it help you improve your customer service? How do you work toward growing emotional intelligence when it's such an amorphous concept? This module will explore practical ways to grow your self-awareness, interpersonal skills, and emotional intelligence to create and build trust with colleagues and library users.

Module 4: The Customer Isn't Always Right: Self-Care and Boundaries

How do you determine when the customer isn't right, and then what do you do to move forward? How do you maintain your personal boundaries and self-care all while in a customer service role? This module will give you practical tips for identifying if and when a library user is worth keeping and how to focus on employee needs alongside customer service. We will also discuss ways to articulate your boundaries and identify ways to care for yourself while at work.

WHO SHOULD TAKE THIS COURSE

This course is geared toward frontline and other public-facing staff.

THIS WILL BE A SELF-PACED, ASYNCHRONOUS COURSE.

EXPECTED TIME COMMITMENT

This course includes 4 modules, each designed to take approximately 4 hours to complete. You can move through the content at your own pace and on your own schedule. You'll earn 16 hours of PD credit and a Library Journal certificate of completion.

COURSE ACCESS

You'll have access to all course materials for six months after the course start date.

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION

Complete the course and earn 16 professional development credit hours. We provide a certificate that is emailed to you.

ACCESSIBILITY

All video recordings feature auto captioning. Please email course-support@libraryjournal.com upon registration if you require any special accommodations and we will make our best efforts to facilitate them.

SUPPORT

For support with online courses, please contact course-support@libraryjournal.com .

COURSE INSTRUCTORS

Brianna Campbell, Strengths Coach, Speaker, Workshop Facilitator

Brianna Campbell offers a fresh perspective on leadership development. After graduating from Cornell University, she joined a strategic consultancy where she became a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach and created culture development programs for her clients. While there, she managed several accounts and built internal programs that ultimately propelled her to become the Director of Learning and Development after four years with the company. At the beginning of 2022, she decided to tackle a new challenge and become a self-employed Strengths Coach and Workshop Facilitator. Her clients span a variety of sectors including government, construction, property management, marketing, senior care, electrical services, and the nonprofit sector. Brianna’s desire to see people empowered to go beyond what they thought possible drives her work today.

Elisabeth Marrocolla, Deputy Director, Darien Library

Elisabeth Marrocolla is the Deputy Director and Associate Director of Public Services at Darien Library in Connecticut, where she has served in leadership roles for nearly a decade. An avid reader and experienced librarian, she previously led the library’s Children and Teen Services department and continues to champion innovative library programming and inclusive services for all ages. Elisabeth holds a Master of Library and Information Science and has contributed writing on librarianship and readers’ advisory to professional publications and blogs. At Darien Library, she is known for her enthusiasm for genre fiction, community engagement, and fostering a welcoming environment for lifelong learning.

Margaret Ann Paauw, PhD, LCSW, Assistant Professor, Eastern Michigan University

Dr. Margaret Ann Paauw is an Assistant Professor at Eastern Michigan University, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and author. She has practiced social work since 2012, primarily with individuals experiencing homelessness, housing insecurity, and serious mental illness. Dr. Paauw previously worked as a library social worker with the Chicago Public Library and was an active member of the Public Library Association’s Library Social Work Taskforce. She facilitated the library social work direct service call, co-authored A Trauma-Informed Framework for Supporting Patrons, and authored Navigating Difficult Situations in Public Libraries. Dr. Paauw has consulted on library social work partnerships and provided trauma-informed and de-escalation trainings to libraries across the country. Her research focuses on the efficacy of library social work partnerships and contributing evidence to support this growing practice.

Melissa Munn, (she, her) Owner, Melissa Munn Library Consulting

Melissa is a compassionate library leader and trainer with over 20 years of experience developing staff and creating inclusive, welcoming spaces. Drawing on a background in Criminology and 10+ years in social services, she has worked directly with marginalized populations including youth experiencing homelessness and individuals involved in the criminal justice system. Using a strengths-based, trauma-informed approach, Melissa partners with organizations to build stronger teams and cultivate library environments where all people feel safe and welcome.

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GROUP RATES

We offer discounts for groups of 3 or more.

For larger groups of 15 or more, we offer the option to apply group rates across multiple courses to receive significant discounts. For more information, select Bulk Course Credits Packages in the form below.

Request Discounted Group Pricing

For support with group purchases, please contact groupsales@libraryjournal.com .