The advent of information communication technology in the information environment has brought dramatic changes in the way information is being handled and managed today. This wind of change engineered by ICT has also changed the information seeking behavior of users making them to place more demands on libraries. There is a need for libraries to strive to be effective in their services to customers in order to remain relevant in the information age. The paper considered the deployment of soft skills expressed in terms of staff appearance, approachability, effective communication, positive attitude, ability to cope in difficult situation, and so on, for more effective customer services in the 21 st century library. The paper concluded that, effective customer service in libraries is imperative in the 21 st century library as it will make library users feel important, improves learning, increases patronage, and promotes library and university image. The outcome of this paper will help the management of libraries irrespective of the type to be more effective in the services they render to their clients. This will ultimately increase patronage and clients retention.
In the information era, technology has taken over virtually everything, with the library environment being the most affected. The introduction of ICT in the information arena now puts libraries in strict competition with several competitors while some are more sophisticated than libraries. The academic library collection of information resources meant for teaching, learning and research is almost losing its relevance due to the widespread dependence on the Internet by potential library users. The proliferation of digital information available over the Internet, intranets and extranets is resulting into libraries and information centers losing their former place as the focus of the information environment in many organizations [
The introduction of information communication technology in the learning environment has brought so much changes in the manner in which information is being managed and disseminated today. The change ushered in by ICT has also affected the way users seek and use information which now makes them to place more demands on libraries. Some library users are adopting electronic habits, making increasing use of the new ICT including computers, the Internet, the Web, Intranet, Extranet and other technologies to access latest information, updated information resources and access to ICT facilities that they could use in their work [
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To any business organization, customers are very important. No business exists without the customers. Libraries are business oriented organizations and thrive on their customers. Library customers in all ages, internal or external, remain the focal point for the existence of any library. The most important component of an academic library is the customer. Libraries are established for use and so every effort exerted in their establishment is in vain if there are no customers/users to patronize and utilize their resources. This is the reason why the mission statement of any library always reflects the determination of the other components of the library to render excellent services to library users. As such, a library is said to be productive when the library users are satisfied [
Customer service is the act of taking care of the customer’s needs by providing and delivering professional, helpful, high quality service and assistance before, during, and after the customer’s requirements are met. Customer service is a long-standing tradition in libraries. However, a more effective customer service is expected of the 21st century library. Effective customer service is important now as library users keep changing their expectations and raising the bar of what they want out of a 21st century library. In the past decade, academic library services have transformed dramatically. Wireless services, e-books, mobile access, and chat reference are now all part of the basic academic library service agenda. Academic libraries are now, more than ever, a place to make community connections. The demographic makeup of library communities has become more diverse. Information has moved from a resource to a commodity [
・ Going above and beyond what is normal to exceed customers/patrons’ expectations
・ Being empathetic, caring, and attentive
・ Providing high quality service in a timely manner
・ Performing all duties in a courteous manner
・ Having extensive knowledge of ALL library services
・ Anticipating what customers need before the need is stated
・ Acknowledging all problems and complaints, and attempt to resolve them immediately
・ Outwardly displaying a positive and helpful attitude no matter how demanding or inconvenient the requests might appear
It should be noted that, quality service leads to long lasting positive impression and poor service leads to long lasting negative impression. If library customers feel satisfied with library products and services, they will visit again.
The proper and polite way expected of the 21st century library workers when delivering customer service can be expressed in the following as shown in the diagram below.
Appearance
The success of a business is to a great extent dependent on the impression people have of that business and its workers. It is important to have a good image which speaks a lot about a business’s values, achievements and work ethic. Approximately 55 percent of first impressions are based on overall appearance, and people often decide whether or not they like you, and will do business with you, within 10 seconds of a first encounter [
・ Appearance deals with every aspect of how an individual is perceived
・ It reflects upon the basic character and work ethics of an individual
・ How library workers appear is very important because in an instance, opinions can be formed about a person based on his/her appearance, character, speech, and mannerism
・ First impressions play a major role when relating with library customers (see
To have a successful library transaction, patrons must be able to identify that a librarian/information professional is available to provide assistance and also must feel comfortable in going to that person for help [
and the patrons [
According to the American Library Association’s (ALA) guidelines for the behavioral performance of reference and information service providers, an important component of a successful reference interaction is that a librarian be approachable. There is need to employ techniques of smiling, making eye contact, open posture, patient, understanding and so on. Darren and associate conducted an image-rating study to assess how visibly salient, cue-based characteristics of hypothetical librarians can influence patrons’ perceptions of librarian approachability [
Apart from the skills and experience of library workers, attitude plays a key role in the relationship between them and the library customers. Positive attitude can be expressed in:
・ Respectfulness―have a respectful attitude when interacting with library customers
・ Commitment―being committed to the goal of satisfying users’ needs
・ Innovation―being willing to try something new or finding a different way to meet customer’s needs
・ Helpfulness―willingness to assist customers with their needs (see
According to [
・ Ability to listen carefully
・ Ability to see all questions as relevant
・ Smile & eye contact
・ Tone of voice―not speaking loudly
・ Choice of words
・ Speak clearly and politely
・ Do not respond sarcastically/make jest of patron
・ Thank patrons for their questions and feedback
・ Explain library policies and procedures if need be
・ Instead of saying “I don’t know”, refer patron to someone who has the information
・ Do not use library jargon
・ Ask if you can help with anything else
・ Respond to their “thank you” with―You are welcome, it is my pleasure, that is why we are here, anytime (see
The ability to transform or change a tough situation into something better in the workplace cannot be overemphasized. Positive attitude will help individuals take difficult situations and find ways to empower themselves to turn negative thinking into positive thinking. The nature of the library requires its workers, beyond skills, experience and training, to demonstrate enthusiasm or positive attitude irrespective of challenging situation in order to fulfill the purpose of its existence. A positive attitude in the library professions can also impact the actual job performance. From dealing with stressors of the job, to crafting creative solutions to problems, to managing your interpersonal relationships with the library customers, having a positive demeanor is advantageous on many ways [
・ Willingness to listen carefully
・ Empathize with the patron
・ Maintain calmness
・ Explain why there is a problem and how it is going to fix it
・ Learn from your challenging experiences
・ Willingness to ask for help from colleagues (see
The importance of effective customer service in academic libraries cannot be overemphasized. The success and achievement of the goals and objectives of libraries are anchored on their ability to render effective services to their customers. If library customers are satisfied with library services, they will find it very easy to come to the library anytime they have information needs either for personal or academic purpose. The paper emphasized the deployment of soft skills in terms of staff appearance, approachability, effective communication, positive attitude, ability to cope in difficult situation, etc., for more effective customer services in the 21st century library. Applying these skills will result to making their patrons feel important, increases patrons’ learning, increases patronage, and promotes the image of library and university to mention but few. The paper will help management of university libraries to strive to do their best to see that their clients get the best service from the library. This will lead to increased patronage and client retention.
Oghenekaro, A.P. (2018) Deployment of Soft Skills for Effective Customer Service in the 21st Century Library. Journal of Computer and Communications, 6, 43-50. https://doi.org/10.4236/jcc.2018.63003