Who the heck is Marian? (and what can she do for me?)

I’m glad you asked!

Marian Rock* was selected as the first Librarian of the Carnegie Library in Oklahoma City in 1901. She was a journalist previous to her appointment by the library board. Popular and competent, the library grew substantially during her tenure. She was replaced by the library board in 1905 despite a petition signed by over 600 patrons requesting she be allowed to stay. (The library board wanted a professional librarian, which she was not, and so they just didn't renew her contract when it came up.) In came Edith Phelps, who had an MLS from Dewey's school at Columbia University and was familiar with all the new advances in information science.

Some of you have had a chance to view customer interactions and library decisions through Marian’s spectacles by taking the recent What Would Marian Do? class. This training was developed as a result of findings by the PIE committee, which identified the need for all library employees to understand the values and philosophies of the library profession.

_{*According to the Oklahoman Electronic Archives her named was spelled two ways in the 1904-1910 newspapers, as both Marian and Marion. A special prize for the person who can find her obituary and email a link to me – [email protected]}

As for what the class can do for you, three of your coworkers share their experiences:

One of the things I liked best about the class was the scenarios and having to apply work policies, state law, customer service skills, etc. to deal with them. There were great examples on what to do in a difficult situation while still adhering to the library code of ethics. It helped to understand the various different materials, personal references, and skills that we can use to assist us in those situations.

I think what surprised me the most were situations where we might need to speak with a co-worker, security guard, whoever, and calm the situation before it became a larger issue than it needed to be. In many incidents, I feel that a significant problem can be solved by containing the situation and keeping it from escalating.

Without training, it is natural for someone to automatically start pointing out policies or laws, but that can make the customer feel like we are a faceless organization bounded by rules. It can also cause them to feel like they are being attacked by "the law" since most people equate rules and policies to law. Either way, it was good to go through situations where we talked about exhausting all the options before needing to reside upon policy. The concept of keeping a positive mind set until proven that the situation is a negative one was very helpful. Sometimes, mistakes do happen and people can make up for that without needing to be told the rules.

Leah Donathan, Library Aide

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The public sees all library employees as librarians. Even though this may not be strictly true, all of us, from the highest echelons of management to the most newly hired library aide, do represent the library and serve the public interest. Those of us who directly face the public, have the opportunity with every interaction, to provide our customers with the assistance they need while preserving their privacy and showing them the respect they deserve. Those who do not directly interact with the public should strive with everything they do to fulfill the mission of the library by supporting front-line staff and providing for and promoting library services and programs.

The efforts of all employees should come together in order to best serve the community and our individual customers. Each member of the organization can ensure their part in the success of this goal by continually asking themselves four key questions:

1. Is my decision consistent with my professional role within the community (or communities)?
2. Is my decision consistent with my expertise?
3. Does my decision respect the autonomy of the patron?
4. Am I willing to accept the practical consequences of my decision?

The What Would Marion Do? training brings clarity to this process by helping to unify the thinking of library employees and bringing focus to the library’s mission to serve the public interest.

Jonathan Tolle, Circulation Clerk

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There are many aspects of the course What Would Marion Do? that I found useful and helpful. First, it reinforced what I have come to learn about our expectations from customers in order to keep our libraries an inviting and safe place for everyone. In addition, this class was a great reminder on how to provide the best possible customer service with the resources we have available. Finally, while I may have garnered skills in these areas during my time working for the Metropolitan Library System it is always helpful to hear the perspective, suggestions, and knowledge of others working in the library system.

Employees who are newer to the system will be sure to benefit from this class and will take a valuable set of skills to their respective workplace. Long-time employees will be able to provide experience and an established knowledge base to everyday issues that occur within our libraries.

Gloria Melchor, Associate Librarian