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LEARNER STORY
Neil Chapman
- ROLE
- College Library Assistant
- LIBRARY
- Hartpury University & College Library LRC England →
- COURSE
- Playing your part in the library welcome
Just approaching the task with a new mindset has made a difference.
Neil works at Hartpury University and College in Gloucestershire, a specialist institution educating around 4,500 students and researchers in animals, agriculture, sport and veterinary nursing. He came to the Managing first impressions course wanting practical ways to make the library collection more attractive and relevant to students and staff - and in particular, to highlight the books that would tempt students to read beyond their course texts.
Neil approached the course with focus, energy and creativity. He's open-minded and strongly committed to the library, the students and his staff colleagues, and his work on the course has notably increased interest in specific parts of the collection and transformed the first impression of the library space.
01 Clearing the clutter
Neil started where every workplace eventually needs attention: the clutter that accumulates over time and quietly becomes a barrier to visitors exploring the library. He did a great job of clearing it, freeing up the space and the sightlines so that what came next - the displays and the showcase area - actually had a chance to land.
02 A showcase for the advice collection
Neil used the course's practical exercises to identify specific spaces that could send a welcoming, relaxed message. He observed how students actually used the area, then experimented with displays and merchandising techniques to draw visitors in. He chose the advice collection as his showcase feature - a body of stock with real value to students that wasn't getting the attention it deserved - and rebuilt the landing strip area around it.
03 Knock-on effects across the library
The changes had measurable effects beyond the showcase area itself. Footfall increased, and students became comfortable enough in the space to just relax in it. Staff borrowing went up too - the learning support team, the wellbeing team and the occasional tutor all started using the collection more. None of it cost the library anything beyond a change of mindset.
Neil and his colleagues are now taking the same merchandising principles into the rest of the library. Their stock is mostly textbooks, but they're rearranging it to make books easier for students to find - and easier for staff to shelve and tidy - extending the lessons from one corner into the whole space.
This course is very thorough and has really forced me to consider how to make positive changes by taking the reader's perspective. I have adopted so many useful suggestions and ideas… I have chosen to feature the advice collection as my showcase feature. Since I have changed the subjects in the landing strip area as a whole there has been an increase in footfall. Students are now comfortable enough in the space to just relax in it and sit listening to their headphones. So, the changes do seem to be having an effect. We've also seen an increase in staff borrowers, including the learning support team, our wellbeing team and the occasional tutor. Visually it seems like a great improvement, especially it has cost us nothing - just approaching the task with a new mindset has made a difference. The signs are good that it will promote non-curriculum reading in an area which has a lot to offer the students. Our manager and myself and my colleague will take forward the points we have learnt here about merchandising to inform the improvements we want to make to sections throughout our library. Our stock is comprised largely of textbooks but now, based on what we've learnt, we are rearranging our stock, making it easier for students to find what they need, the shelving more attractive as well as easier for staff to shelve books and tidy.
