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OLA Super Conference 2013

Merchandising Collections to Enhance the

Customer Experience

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Outline

• Why merchandise? • What to merchandise? • Furniture and equipment • Creating displays • De-cluttering • Plan for success • The use of video

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Why merchandise?

• Customer experience • Current environment • Make it easy for busy people • Highlight the collection

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What to merchandise? • Know your community

• Map your customers in the branch • Keep it good looking • Experiment and learn • Keep it fresh

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Furniture and Equipment

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Standard Shelving Bays

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Standard Shelving Bays - Children's

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Table Top Displays

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Gondolas

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Cubes

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Wedding Cake

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Slatwall

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Acrylic Display Holders

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Tips for Table Top Displays

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- think plentiful and abundant - use various levels, colours and face forward - curve your design and look at it from several angles

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Use risers, stacking and face forward

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Don’t: have all titles on the same level

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Tips for Standard Shelving Bays

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- Display materials face forward, use a holder for stability whenever possible - Keep additional materials nearby for easy refilling

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- Use the space at the end of a shelf to display materials from that shelf face forward - Consider sloped book display shelves to create display opportunities on bottom shelves

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Display materials in the prime browsing zone which is eye level to knee height

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Use lower shelves in the Children’s Area, they can easily reach the bottom shelves

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Don’t: have a forest of books on the top of every shelf range, it looks cluttered and obscures sightlines

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Tips for Slatwall

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Use the proper holder for the task

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- Keep collection items within easy arms reach - Display items in vertical or horizontal lines to create appeal and

allow eyes to glide easily from title to title - Tidy and refill holders routinely

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Use stack ends and gondola ends to display program flyers and collections

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Tips for Gondolas

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Cascade

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Columns: dvds & audiobooks

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Columns: graphic books

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Colour blocks, combinations and contrasts

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Make sure the unit looks appealing from all approaches and angles

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Tools

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Acrylic Display Holders

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Sign Holders

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Headers

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Collection Display Units

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Pockets

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Clutter Busters

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Entrances and Foyers

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Service Desks

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Adult Areas

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Information Bulletin Boards

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Meeting Rooms

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Strategies for Fighting Clutter

• Walk in the front door • Make it somebody’s job • Branch audit • Bring in fresh eyes

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Use of Video

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Reasons to choose video

• E-mails are easily ignored • Video branding personality faster • Video differentiates you from others • Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words

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Using video to convey your message

• Keep the video under five minutes or less • Use parody, humour, and library shtick

whenever possible or appropriate • Invite special guests to speak about their areas

of expertise

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The face of the Branch-tastic! videos

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Helpful Equipment

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Tripod

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Green Screen

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Adobe Creative Suite 6 Production Premium

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A key element in having an excellent video is not only a good premise and script; it is also the editing. Having someone edit your video properly can enhance the way your masterpiece is received

The Importance of Editing

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Have fun merchandising your collections OLA Super Conference 2013

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Presented by: Heather Mathis, Divisional Support Manager, Branches, hmathis@torontopubliclibrary.ca Paula Smith-Nadin, Senior Services Specialist—Customer Experience psmithnadin@torontopubliclibrary.ca Ellen Lewkowicz, Senior Department Head, North York Central Library, elewkowicz@torontopubliclibrary.ca Richard De Melo, Library Assistant, Oakwood Village Library rdemelo@torontopubliclibrary.ca

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