Victoria State Library: Visitor Experience Audit Report Analysis

This report presents a comprehensive audit of the Victoria State Library in Melbourne, Australia, evaluating the visitor experience across various touchpoints. The audit encompasses pre-arrival online presence and brochures, arrival aspects such as car parking, first impressions, and entry management, the library's attractions, cleanliness levels, toilet facilities, catering services, retail outlets, and staff performance. The analysis includes observational research and photographic evidence, supported by relevant literature. Recommendations are provided to enhance the visitor experience, considering current trends in the field. The report highlights the library's strengths, such as its spacious reading rooms, well-maintained facilities, and hygienic catering options, while also suggesting improvements to address areas like accessibility and signage. Overall, the report aims to provide actionable insights to improve the library's services and visitor satisfaction.

University name
Victoria State Library Audit
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Executive Summary
The Victoria state library is a library belonging to the state of Australia. It offers services like
lending of books and allowing people read while in the library. The location of the library has
created attraction to people across the country to have an urge of visiting it. The area has an
extensive parking space, attractive features, a well trained staff and the catering and retail centers
are hygienic and offer quality services to their customers.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Introduction … 4
2. The Audit… 4-13
Pre-Arrival… 4-5
Arrival… 5-6
The Attraction… 6-7
Cleanliness… 8-9
Toilets… 9
Catering… 9-11
Retail… 11-12
Staff…. 12-13
3. Recommendation… 14
4. Conclusion… 14-15
5. Appendix… 16
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1. INTRODUCTION
The Victoria State Library was opened in 1856 as a two-acre allotment and stayed in that state
for a long time (Roberts, 2003, p. 56).The structure has however been manipulated to form 23
individual buildings which have changed rapidly over the years. the library offered lending
library service for a period of time from 1892. This service now has been moved to Mr. Tulk
café. The Ian Potter Queen’s Hall (originally known as Queen’s Reading Room) was originally
half its size. In the early 20th century, the majestic Dome that towers above the library’s façade
was put into place (Dunham, 2017, p. 356). Rotunda and Great Hall, which were built to host the
1866 intercolonial exhibition originally occupied this space. Rotunda and the Great hall were
used for various purposes until there were demolished around 1910 to create room for the domed
La Trobe Reading Room, which was opened in November 1913 (Hill, 2017, p. 90). The Victoria
state has advanced more in the years to be an attraction to many people across the globe. The
building is extremely clean, has modern and well-structured catering service, well displayed
retail units and a well-organized staff.
Period Description
1856 Victoria State Library was formed
1866 Building of Rotunda and the Great hall
1910 Rotunda and the Great hall demolished
1913 Domed La Trobe Reading Room was opened
2. THE AUDIT
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2.1 PRE-ARRIVAL
Online presence
Before we started our journey to Victoria State Library, we first conducted research about the
building using the internet. We researched the exact location of the building. The library is
located at 328 Swanston Street at the center of Melbourne, south of Australia (Richard, 2016, p.
419). We also conducted a research on a brief history of the library and found out that the library
was founded in the 19th century and is famous with its spacious reading rooms, including,
newspapers reading room, arts collection reading room, genealogy reading room and the
Redmond Barry reading room. More than 900 thousand people visit the library in every year
(Hill, 2017). We also researched on the structure of the building and the number of
rooms/building it contains. The Victoria State Library covers an area of approximately seven
acres and comprises of 23 separate buildings. The building is octagonal in shape and is six
stogeys high (Carsol, 2017, p. 278). Another research we conducted is how this library is
managed. The library has a group of qualified staff, who are responsible for registering people
into the library and in the management of the various activities which take place in the building.
In order for a person to be able to access the services offered, he/she must first register with the
staff.
brochure
As we were doing my research over the internet, we were also making some notes on everything
we concluded to be done. We used these records to come up with a brochure containing the list
of all the activities and the details we will be majoring mainly on in the library.
2.2 ARRIVAL
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First impression
The building is located in a very quiet place, ideal for personal activities. The appearance of the
building is magnificent; the building has many windows; the outside has some trees and green
grass (Oxley, 2018). We could see people enjoying the breeze while sitting and basking on the
grass.
Car park
There is also enough car parking space outside, where cars can be parked. The road leading to
the library is not congested, it is big enough to accommodate passing of two vehicles towards
and from the library. The road is also tarmacked and well maintained (Oxley, 2018). There are
high building surrounding the library and the view which this building gives to the area is very
impressing.
Layout and Entry point management
The entrance is made up of only stars, this is one among the things I never liked about the
entrance because this only means that the handicapped will not be able to access the library
services, but if they do, they will have to strain themselves. There is a curve before you reach the
main entrance door of the library, which tries to showcase the history of the library.
Visitor information and signage
At the entrance gate, there are security officers there who check on you before you get inside the
building to make sure that you are not carrying anything that might threaten human life. Also, at
the entrance, you are required to authenticate yourself by showcasing your membership card
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(Benson, 2014). Visitors are required to present their national id at the gate, leave it there and
then take it back as they leave the library.
2.3 THE ATTRACTION
Layout and visitor flow
The building is made up of very large reading rooms as shown in the figure below. The room is
quick and very well ventilated.
Range of content vs expectation
Every individual has enough space around himself/herself to conduct his/activities.
Visitor information and signage
When a person enters the library, he goes to the place where the resource he/she wants is, gets it
and searches for a free space in the building to occupy.
Appearance of grounds and gardens
The rooms are very well decorated with a beautiful wall painting and very attractive furniture.
The furniture in the rooms have been designed in a way that they create the best comfort feel to
the users as they perfume their activities.
Appearance of building (exterior)
The building has green grass and some trees on the outside (Brown, 2015, p. 79). It also has a
stairway leading to the entrance to the main door. It also has a curving at the entrance.
Decoration and maintenance (interior)
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There is some space which has been put specifically for the resources the users will need,
another reserved for the library staff and the customer care service and the rest larger one left
exclusively for the users of the library.
Presentation of displays
The library is organized in such a way that there is a section for storing the books, another
section to be occupied by the staff and the rest bigger section, to be left out to be occupied by the
customer.
Quality of interpretation
When the structure and the organization of the library is looked more into, it can be discovered
that this was meant mainly to ease the stay and activities the user of the library will be engaging
in. the adequate space and well-organized locations of where each item should be (Judith, 2013).
2.4 CLEANLINESS
Car park and arrival areas
The car space is preserved, spacious and parking services are offered free of charge. There is,
however, a preserved section of the packing space which is made only for use by the staff
members. the car park is made using modern design and is kept clean always by a team of people
employed by the library.
The attractions.
The curving at the entrance of the building was attractive. It gave a sense of art and history. The
green grass and the cool breeze provided by the trees outside the library were very pleasing
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(Roberts, 2003). The vicinity of the area, with high building surrounding it and the great distance
maintained between the library and the main road were all impressing.
Toilets
The environment of the toilet is maintained at high standards of hygiene and cleanliness. There is
enough water for flashing after use and there is also an automated cleanup which takes place at
certain intervals throughout the day.
Catering outlets
The Guild Café in the Russel Street Welcome Zone makes use of modern technology in making
meals which and the area is also maintained in a hygienic state. This café is operated by the
Almond Milk Co. there also other cafes in the area like Mr. Tulk café, which also offer high
quality services to the customers (Carsol, 2017).
Retail outlets
In the Victoria State Library, there are many retail outlets like restaurants, bookshops and
supermarkets. There is a book shop called Reading State Library retail outlet there, which sells
books while maintain high levels of hygiene. This is also the case with the other retail outlets in
the region.
2.5 TOILETS
Provision and location
The toilets are located at the very far end of each reading room. These toilets are all sitting toilets
and the latest in the version. They are among the easiest types of toilets to use.
Decoration and maintenance
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It is also spacious and well ventilated. It has a section were a person can wash his or her hands
and also a facility to facilitate drying of the wet hands. It has beautiful tiles on the floor and on
the walls.
Fixtures and fittings
The toilet is supplied every morning with a new set of toilet paper, so that means if a customer
had forgot his/her toilet paper on his/her car, he/she will not be forced to go back and get it. A
very attractive door covers the entrance of the toilet. The toilet has enough water to facilitate
flashing of the wastes.
2.6 CATERING
Layout and ease of use
The system used in the Victoria State Library to offer services is very simple and impressing.
When a customer enters the restaurant, he/she sits in a place where he/she finds a space and then
waits for the waiter to come and inquire about the things he/she will buy from the restaurant. If it
is the first time the user is vising the restaurant, then the waiter presents a menu to choose his/her
preferences. Once the customer has made the choice, a receipt is issued to him/her and then the
waiter takes a copy of the receipt to the catering center where the food the customer requested is
given (Brown, 2015). The waiter then brings the food to the customer. After the customer is done
with his/her business in the hotel, he now presents the receipt to the cushier and makes the
payments.
Ambience and first impression
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The catering units are well structured and appealing to the eye. There are a set of tables, and each
table has a clean sheet covering it and a set of chairs on either side. There are appealing lights at
the sealing as well as indoor flowers inside the dining room of the restaurant. The restaurants
also are well ventilated.
Decoration, furniture and fittings
The restaurants are using the latest furniture which provide the best comfort and to the customers
(Dunham, 2017, p. 289). Well looking tiles have been put on the floor, there are funs in the room
and television which entertains the customers as they are dinning.
Food: menus and ranges
Their various types of food offered in the restaurants. The cheapest lunch meal goes for around
$50 and the most expensive one goes for around $560, for the case of Guild Café.
Food: quality and presentation
The catering units offer the best quality and presentable food. They have employed the best
experienced cooks. The waiters have presentable set of uniform and also have good personal
relations.
2.7 RETAIL
Ease of use and visitor flow
The retail offices are located a few miles from the library. In the retail store, there is an entrance
door on one side and an exit door on the other side. customers can make use of cash as their
payment mode or they can use credit cards as an alternative method. There is a well-trained staff
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to answer the customers questions and to show them the locations on the retail store where they
can get a particular good or service. After customers have picked or asked for all that they
needed, they are then required to present the goods to the cashier or the owner of the business so
as they can be given an invoice.
Display units, fittings and lighting
Many stores in the region offer specialized goods and services while others offer all the kinds of
goods and services. The Reading State Library sells books only and Mr. Tulk offers hotel
services, that is, food and housing services. A great percentage of the retail stores that I visited
had the necessary fittings and lighting.
Presentation of merchandise
In the supermarkets, I found out that all the good were being presented on the shelfs and the
customers were able to know the prices of the goods by looking at the price labels on the shelfs.
In the warehouses, goods were being stored in sacks and the sacks then arranged by placing each
sack on top of another and selling the prices of these goods were not presented against the
commodity, only the seller and the buyer knew the price (Jacob, 2010, p. 324).
Range and appropriateness of merchandise
There are many merchandises in the region. Somewhere selling cars, some furniture and others
clothing and were very specialized in these fields.
2.8 STAFF
Appearance of staff
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The library executive staff has a unique code of dressing. They have a standard official way of
putting clothing. The junior staff have their own uniform, which is made a mandatory for them to
ware each and every working day.
Customer care
The customer care service is very effective and helpful to the customers. They can assist
customers locate books and provide answers to their concerns.
Efficiency
The staff, members, starting from the junior staff, all the way to the senior staff, have all been
perfect in performing their operations.
Knowledge
Every member, at each level of staff knows about his/her responsibilities in the library and works
to their level best, to make sure that they perfume their job as they are support to by the
organization.
A graph can be drawn, based on our findings, to showcase how these aspects have been
presented in the Victoria State Library.
Aspect Percentage of visitors
Attraction 60%
Retail 20%
Cleanliness 5%
Staff 4%
Toilets 1%
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0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Victoria State Library visitor composition
Attraction Cleanliness Toilets Catering Retail staff
3. RECOMMENDATIONS
In order for a person to be able to use the services in the Victoria State Library, he/she must first
of all register with the library. The attraction features in the Victoria State Library has
contributed largely to its great traffic of customers visiting the library. The environment in the
region, outside the library as well as inside is clean and conducive for self-studies and works.
The toilets have been supplied with a constant availability of water and is also kept clean. The
catering centers offer the best services to their customers. The retailers are trying their best to be
of help to those visiting the library and the library staff has tried as much as they can to offer the
best services to the customers. The library should take the necessary steps to further enhance the
education levels of its staff members so that it can maintain the same quality of staff services.
The gate check process should be modernized to an automatic one and the entrance door include
a facility to be utilized by the dissembled in case they want to utilize the library services. The
catering services should also be modernized to include one that requires less manual work. The
retailers should introduce new trends in business like a program that can enable their customers
to buy goods and services online.
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4. CONCLUSION
In conclusion, once a member has registered with the Victorian state library, the person will now
be able to have access to all the services and products offered by the library. This will include
ability to read in the library and to borrow books. In the Victoria State Library, there are various
features that attract people to the region, these include, a far distance from the road and a quiet
environment. The area also has a humble parking space for its customers. The toilets are well
maintained, with availability of water and modern facilities to make the life of the customer
much easy. The catering outlets kept at high hygienic levels and the quality of food and customer
service offered there is high although this are offered at high prices. Most retail stores in the
Victoria State Library have improvised facilities to facilitate entry and exit of visitors to their
retail stores. They also make use of the best display methods so that their products can be bought
much more rapidly. They merchandise operating at this region are many and offer a variety of
goods and services, some are specialized while others are merchandise. The staff in the library is
well trained and experienced and work their best to ensure that they offer the best services to the
customers.
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5. APPENDIX
Allotment- a plot of land.
Genealogy- study of family history.
Parking space- location designed for parking.
Furniture- moving articles used to make chairs and desks.
Curving- designed image of something.
Library- a room or building where books are kept.
Redmond Barry reading room- one of the magnificent reading rooms in Victoria State
Library
Tarmacked- paved surface of a runway.
Authentication- verifying the identity of a user.
Merchandise- goods to be bought or sold.
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References
Benson, A., 2014. Sate Library of Victoria Foundation. Melbourne: State Library of Victoria.
Brown, J., 2015. Bushman and bookworm: Joseph Furphy in the State Library of Victoria. Molborne:
Victoria State Library.
Carsol, G., 2017. Service strategy into the 21st century: State Library of Victory strategic plan.
Melbourne: The Library.
Dunham, J. M., 2017. Sources for the study of British India in the State Library of Victoria. Melborne:
LIbrary Council of Victoria.
Hill, V., 2017. The art of collection: State Library of Victoria picture collection. Melborne: Miegunyah
Press.
Jacob, P., 2010. The State Library of Victoria Renaissance Appeal. Melbourne: State Library of Victoria
Renaissance Appeal Committee.
Micheal, I., 2015. The art of botanical illustration: an exhibition of fine books from the botany collection
of the State Library of Victoria, Irving Benson Hall, August and september 2015. Melbourne: Library
Council of Victoria.
Oxley, C., 2018. Libraries building communities: the vital contribution of Victoria public libraries: a
research report for the Library Board of Victoria and the Victoria Public Library Network. Melborune, Vic:
State Library of Victoria.
Richard, B., 2016. Bakers of ours: Kate Baker in the State Library of Victoria. Melbourne: The Library.
Roberts, R., 2003. Treasures of the State Library of victoria. Bond Junction, N.S.W: Focus Publishing.
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