CRM @ the library - students respond

I had to give a presentation for my Reference course yesterday, which the focus was on improving customer service at the reference desk. Before going in, I was wondering if I should go into my idea of CRM @ the library and decided to include it at the end of my presentation. It was my idea that it could generate some feedback, so I could know better what the pros and cons were. My fellow students didn't disappoint me--there were enough people responding to my idea that the professor cut off the discussion, due to time restraints (and she even had some input on it as well).

The response I knew I would get was that some people didn't like the thought of the library knowing about their habits--the privacy issue. After the initial shuddering, someone made a great point--younger people are having trouble understanding privacy issues. Take, for example, the middle and high school students in Massachusetts who have recently been in trouble with the law, because they post pictures and discussions on MySpace about the latest party--where underage drinking was taking place, or a fight broke out. This can be contributed to either one of these cases: that they are ignorant of privacy issues, where information volunteered in a public space can be used against them; or they don't care, thinking it won't be found--an idea known as "security through obscurity." Regardless to say, the point that was made opened up a whole can of worms.

The professor made the point that she didn't like my term "opt-out" but preferred "opt-in"--this was my way of thinking about the program, but I was not using the correct terminology for it. Of course, it would be run as a pilot program that people could opt-in to.

Because of the lack of time available for the responses, I received more criticism than reinforcement--but that was what I expected. You have to get the knee-jerk out of the way before the brain can begin to function--politics speak to that. But the reinforcement I received was very positive, telling me that people are not only open to the idea but enthusiastic about it. So, I will go further into the idea in future posts, such as the technology that can be used to make this idea a reality. (Should I begin to copyright my thoughts?)