Observation of Public Libraries and Dmv

Observation of:

Public Libraries and DMVs

MRKT Project

03/02/2006

Introduction

The objective of this project is to observe first-hand operations and activities of two government entities that provide processes/services to the public. These observations will resemble the qualitative research techniques of Paco Underhill. Paco Underhill is the founder and Managing Director of Envirosell, a behavioral market research and consulting company. He studies shopping behavior by paying very close attention to many different aspects of interaction between the shopper and the store. He looks at human anatomy and other unspoken human inclinations that the shopper may not even be aware of. The two government entities that I will evaluate and discuss in this paper is the ________ Parish Library and _______ Department of Motor Vehicles. The reason why I chose these entities is because these are the ones I'm most familiar with. It will interest me to observe and critique the operations/activities that are performed within these entities. Observations of these entities will be used as a basis of evaluation of service, consumer behavior, interaction between staff and consumer, and environmental factors such as atmospherics and location. I will also discuss economic factors, such as a recession, and how such conditions may impact budgets and/or various services provided to the public. Recommendations will be made as to how these entities may improve their service quality, efficiency, effectiveness, and the perceptions held by the citizens that they serve. I will do this by utilizing the required issues of discussion using the following topics; Descriptions of Government Process/Service Providers, Observations, Adapting to Recessionary Economic Issues, Application of Chosen Concepts or Theories, Application of Required Concepts or Theories, and Recommendations.

Descriptions of Government Process/Service Providers

The purpose of this topic, as the title suggests, is to describe the processes or services offered by a public library and DMV and what they provide to the public, as well as the perception I feel is present in the minds of both the current users of the service and general public toward these entities.

A public library is an established organization, supported and funded by the community, either through local, regional or national government or through some other form of community organization. Libraries provide access to knowledge, information and works of the imagination through a wide range of resources and services and is equally available to all members of the community. The need for an agency provides access to knowledge in printed and other formats, to support formal and informal education, and has been the reason for the foundation and maintenance of most public libraries.

The main function of a DMV agency is to administer motor vehicle laws and privileges while issuing credentials accurately, securely and efficiently. Each state operates a DMV or similarly-named branch of state government. A DMV credential is evidence that a privilege has been granted to perform an activity. These include certificates, licenses, identification cards, permits, license plates, titles, and decals. The DMV credential process rolls the functions of all DMV issued credentials into a single process. These include driver, vehicle, motor carrier, and regulatory licensing functions such as rental car companies, dealers, commercial driver training schools, driver improvement clinics and third party testers. The privilege can also be taken away for actions, such as convictions, assessments, fines and costs.

Observations

The first government entity I chose to observe was the public library in _____ Parish. My first observation at this library took place on a Monday afternoon, from 12:00-12:30. The library is located off of a main highway that is easily viewable by passing traffic. It is located within walking distance from a workout facility and seafood restaurant, and also a neighborhood grocery store and pharmacy about a quarter mile down the road. The library parking lot provides plenty of space and the landscape is very well kept up. Upon entering the building I decided not to eavesdrop, but to introduce myself to the librarian, explaining my whole purpose for visiting, expecting to see excellent observations as a result of this decision. The first area I decided to observe was the reference room. The room was spacious with comfortable seating and tables along the walls. There were numerous flyers, newspapers and periodicals all grouped together in proximity. Computer terminals and Xerox machines were available to the general public, all of which were located near the entrance of the building. The space around each computer terminal was pretty compact. The layout and position of the reference furnishings encourages interaction between customers and the librarians. One of the most distinctive features in the library, located opposite the reference room, was the children's center. It had numerous computer terminals available for the children to learn and play activities online, and it was surrounded by book shelves that were topped with puzzles and coloring pages. There were also summer reading programs and activities available for children and teens located beside each computer terminal. Overall, I found the cleanliness, temperature, and color scheme of the atmosphere in general pleasantly inviting.

My next day of observation was on a Wednesday, from 2:00-2:30. I decided to observe the operations at the service desks, the performing tasks of each employee, as well as the customer assistance provided by each employee. There was only one librarian attending the service desk during my observation. I was surprised to see how many people inquired about the locations of books in the library. The librarian was very approachable in terms of politeness and willingness to help people in need. If a customer needed help locating a book, the librarian would actually walk them to its destination, rather than just giving a call number and guide. Behind the check-out counter, I noticed that one of the employees managed to keep good track of how long each user was on a computer terminal. If necessary, the employee would politely ask users to get off the computer if they have exceeded a certain amount of time, only if other people needed to occupy them. All employees were dressed appropriately with a name tag and their title of position.

My next observation took place at