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Communication Policy

Effective communication is essential in order to provide good customer service and to fulfil our Standards of Service. This communication policy aims to outline our commitment to effective communication by documenting the ways in which we communicate with you, our communication objectives and our on-going endeavour to listen to and respond to you through active consultation and feedback.

1. Communication Purpose

We provide you with a range of information. Broadly speaking our communication approaches fall under the following categories:

  • To inform: we provide up to date and transparent information to you about our services (e.g. opening hours, loan entitlements), our policies (e.g. Library Borrowers’ Policy), our resources (e.g. ebooks and ejournals) and our procedures (e.g. inter-library loan procedures).
  • To notify: we provide you with notifications/reminders when your requested books are available for collection or when your books have been recalled.
  • To respond: we respond to queries received from you face-to-face, by email, by phone, and via social media outlets, within agreed timeframes.
  • To consult with you.

2. Methods of Communication

We communicate with you through a variety of appropriate channels and mechanisms, in ways which meet individual needs and preferences. These currently include:

Email Library Guides Telephone Calls
Facebook Library Help Text Messaging
Guides, leaflets, flyers Library News Tours
Instagram Library Webpages Training Sessions
Intranet Microsoft Teams Transaction Desks
Letters Plasma Screens Twitter (X)
Liaison Meetings Pop-up Libraries User Experience Exercises
Library Chatbot Surveys YouTube


These methods will be reviewed regularly and advances in communication technology will be adapted where appropriate.

3. Communication Principles

To ensure effective communication with you, we aim to embody the following principles:

  • Our communication will be clear and concise in order to deliver our message succinctly.
  • We aim to use plain English and develop an acceptable glossary of Library terms so our communication is easily understood.
  • We will deliver timely communication that is relevant to you at your point of need and ensure that agreed Standards of Service targets are met.
  • We will reply promptly to all your queries, ensuring that agreed Standards of Service targets are met.
  • We will adopt a flexible communication approach, delivering our messages in a variety of ways that meet your needs and preferences.
  • We endeavour to standardise our communication where possible in order to ensure customer clarity by creating templates for letters and emails.

4. Internal Communication

To deliver effective communication to you, we must ensure that our internal communication is effective. We will do this by:

  • Setting an Out of Office email to alert colleagues to our absence from work.
  • Recording an appropriate voicemail to allow colleagues to leave a message and to redirect colleagues to an alternative colleague/department if we are unavailable.
  • Encouraging staff to offer feedback on our communication methods and information provision.
  • Contributing to a regular Digital and Information Services Team Brief.
  • Holding regular Library Staff updates throughout the year.
  • Effectively utilising Microsoft Teams as a staff update and communication tool.

5. Policy Evaluation

Our Communication Policy will be kept up to date with an annual review.

We will also review any of our policies that impact on our Communication Policy, for example our Social Media Policy and the Website Development Strategy detailed below.

6. Evaluating our Communication

In order to ensure the effectiveness of our communication, we will regularly evaluate our communication approach by:

  • Seeking customer feedback (both formal and informal) on our communication and information provision.
  • Making changes to our communication methods or principles where necessary.
  • Regularly reviewing and updating all information content to ensure accuracy and currency.
  • Gathering and analysing statistics regarding the usage of our communication channels where possible. We will use these statistics to inform our policy and decision-making regarding communication and information provision in the Library (Table 1 summarises the channels and media we currently use to communicate with our customers and, where possible, how we can gather evidence of use).
  • Listening to and responding to customer suggestions regarding our communication and information provision.

Table 1. 

Medium Channel One to one One to many One-or two-way How measured? Mainly used for
Email electronic yes  yes  two manually reliably reaching individuals or groups
Facebook social media yes  yes  two system news and updates
Guides, leaflets, flyers print   yes  one  manually  subject, database and service information
Instagram social media yes yes two system news and updates
Intranet web   yes one system library services and contact details
Letters print yes    two  manually   personal communication 
Liaison meetings in person   yes  two n/a presenting library updates
Library ChatBot web yes    two  system providing help and advice
Library Guides web   yes  two  system subject specific information 
Library Help web   yes  two system FAQs and queries
Library News web   yes two system news about resources and events
Library webpages web   yes two system library services and contact details
Microsoft Teams electronic yes yes two n/a communication tool
Plasma screens electronic   yes  one n/a current events and statuses
Pop-up library in person   yes  two manually providing help and advice
Surveys electronic   yes  two system  eliciting feedback
Telephone calls in person yes    two  manually providing help and advice
Text messaging electronic yes  yes one  system reaching individuals or groups
Tours in person yes  yes two manually providing orientation
Training sessions  in person yes  yes two manually giving instruction
Transaction desks in person yes    two manually providing help and advice
Twitter (X) social media yes  yes two system brief updates, urgent messages
User Experience Exercises in person yes yes two manually gathering customer feedback
YouTube web   yes one system instructional guides

 

IS Social Media Group – Social Media Strategy

Introduction

The purpose of this document to record how social media is being exploited by Digital and Information Services. It does not include information on the legal and acceptable use aspects of social media because there are institutional guides and policies on these issues. 

We use the following technologies:

They are administered by the Social Media Group which consists of:

  • Clare McQuaid (Chair)
  • Christine Carrothers
  • Gillian Laverty
  • Barry McKinney
  • Conor O’Doherty
  • Nóirín Dobson
  • Peter Dobbin
  • Thomas Carmichael
  • Nicola Lee
  • Robert Whan
  • Richard Stitt
  • Diarmuid Kennedy

Rationale

Social media has been adopted as a communication tool to:

  • Inform you about news and developments.
  • Promote services and resources.
  • Assist you in using the Library.
  • Gather feedback about Digital and Information Services.
  • Engage with you.

Communication Style

We have adopted a persona to ensure that we communicate in a consistent manner, thus building up trust with you and establishing a solid personality for the Directorate.

The communication style we adopt when posting messages varies according to the service and the subject. For example, an informal style is appropriate when wishing students luck in their exams, but a more serious tone is required when conveying information about library policy.

Content Topics

We have developed a calendar of events and topics to guide the campaigns throughout each year.

Integration

Several steps have been taken to integrate social media with other forms of communication within Digital and Information Services, for example:

  • Details about our social media accounts can be added to individual email signatures.
  • Tweets from our Twitter (X) account can be set to automatically feed into individual LibGuides pages.
  • Induction documentation for new students includes details about our social media accounts.
  • Social media buttons are included on the homepage of our website under the banner of ‘Connect with @QUBLibrary’.

Management

A large group of staff is required to ensure that core areas of the Digital and Information Services Directorate are represented and that the accounts are covered during core hours. Members of the Social Media Group manage the service during the day. Comments coming through during evening hours or over the weekend are picked up when the service is next managed (Mon – Fri 9am – 5pm).

All members of the Social Media Group post on Facebook, Twitter (X), and Instagram. Posts can be scheduled using Hootsuite Pro. Requests for posts are also filtered to the Social Media Group from the various Special Interest Groups and Task and Finish Groups operating within the Digital and Information Services Directorate.

Metrics

We can retrieve metrics about the various social media accounts, and individual posts / campaigns as and when requested.

Website Development Strategy

The Library website is an important means of communicating with you and should be able to answer any general questions you might have concerning the services and resources provided by the Library. Any customer should be able to navigate the pages easily and quickly without unnecessary distractions or blocks.

The website is managed and developed by the Library Website Group which consists of:

  • Louisa Costelloe (Chair)
  • Deborah Wilson
  • Richard Fallis
  • Geraldine O’Beirn
  • Stephen Gorman
  • Clare McQuaid
  • Richard Stitt
  • Robert Whan
  • Gary McDonald

Website Aim

The aim of the website is to be an accessible, dynamic, reliable and secure information resource for our registered and potential customers, and any interested party who wishes to understand Library Services.

Content

The content of the site, while considering CMS template restrictions, will cover the full range of services, e.g.:

  • Library Search, including links to all electronic resources and with clear instructions on the various services associated with it.
  • The various services and collections included within QUB Library.
  • Information on each Library and their locations.
  • Circulation services, including borrowing, requesting, short loans, interbranch services and interlibrary loan services.
  • Help and advice including FAQs and Library ChatBot.
  • Links to Subject Guides containing subject specific information.
  • Contact details of relevant staff and service areas.
  • Research support details and contacts.
  • Library guides to key services.
  • Feedback options.
  • Access to the Library’s Mission Statement, Customer Charter and Standards of Service.
  • Library News.
  • Access to personal library accounts.

The website uses plain English and strives to be clear and concise in its approach. Content is provided in such a way that the meaning is clear and accessible to all. Fonts and spacing are consistent and regulated.  The Website Group is guided by the QUB Brand Guidelines in its approach to text, imagery and logos.

Content Maintenance:

  • Items reported for updates by colleagues or following feedback from customers will be actioned within 5 working days.
  • Links will be monitored regularly and repaired or removed within 5 working days.
  • Warnings will be given, as best as possible, when planned maintenance and downtime occurs.
  • The upkeep of the site and all content will be reviewed on a regular basis throughout the year.
  • The Library Website Group receives bi-weekly reports from Site Improve which provides information on site accessibility compliance and improvements are actioned appropriately.

Metrics

The Website Group has access to Google Analytics 4 for the Library webpages which is used to inform decisions on making changes or improvements.

Future

The Library website will continue to be reviewed, maintained, and developed to ensure that it remains an effective communication tool and information resource for customers. The website is flexible, and content can be easily amended or updated.  Usage analytics and customer feedback will be collated by the Library Website Group in order to make informed changes to the website and create a positive experience for all. New technologies will be incorporated where appropriate, and we will collaborate with colleagues across Digital and Information Services as required.

Reviewed October 2023

 

 

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