Book a Librarian NOW LIVE

The Book a Librarian program officially began yesterday, Monday, June 15, 2020! This program will connect our customers with volunteers from our engagement staff for remote reference and technical help via phone, email, or zoom. Our hope is that this pilot program will support the services CIS already provides by creating more communication options and allowing for more in-depth and targeted reference help around issues faced by customers at this time: unemployment, job searching, at-home schooling, technology help, etc.  Twenty-three staff members have signed up for the first round of the program! 

The process will work similarly to Tailored Titles. Customers will complete a form (www.metrolibrary.org/bookalibrarian) identifying the category and depth of the assistance needed. Based on the selections made by the customer, the inquiry will be forwarded to a staff volunteer, according to their self-identified expertise. We hope to provide a 3-day turnaround to make an initial contact with the customer to set up a meeting. This may change depending on the volume of requests and staff availability.  The program will be promoted through halfsheets in the library (attached below) and social media. 

Please let us know if you have any questions, and feel free to give us feedback as we launch Book a Librarian. We are all figuring out this new way to serve our customers and we appreciate your willingness to provide feedback and help us make this successful. We're so grateful for the enthusiasm of staff and support of leadership as we launch this new service.

 
Katherine (BI), Kate (DN), and Ngoc (VI)