At WiLS, we want to bring valuable information to our library partners, including information about the missions and big ideas of the vendors they may already do business with. Each month, WiLS interviews a vendor partner in order to bridge the gap and open the door to valuable collaborations. This month, we share insights from Matt Mulder, Executive Director, New Growth Initiatives at Demco.
Tell us about your company’s background.
For more than 110 years, Demco’s purpose and values have remained the same — a singular focus on supporting libraries’ critical mission within our communities. While our purpose has remained constant, our business has evolved right along with the libraries we serve. From our foundation in library supplies, we now provide a wide variety of products and services for all types of libraries. Our Demco Interiors team offers libraries strategically designed spaces that meet each library’s unique needs. Our popular Upstart product line provides a wide variety of reading incentives and programs, including the national Collaborative Summer Library program. And, finally, our software division, which includes both Boopsie and Evanced, delivers technology solutions to help our libraries easily connect with their patrons.
Why do you, personally, choose to work with libraries?
I have spent my entire career serving libraries, and it has always been incredibly rewarding. The past 25 years have seen a lot of change in libraries, and I have enjoyed the challenge of helping libraries evolve to meet the needs of their patrons.
What do you like to know about the libraries you work with? What helps you better understand their needs?
My focus at Demco is developing new solutions for our customers, and to be successful I need to be fully immersed in our customer’s world. To do this, I am constantly visiting libraries to gain firsthand experience with our customers—to walk a mile in their shoes. It’s really important that I understand why something is being done, not just how it is being done, and being on location allows me to ask detailed questions and look for unsolved problems.
The most important information I can gain from our library customers is an understanding of their evolving customer engagement strategy. Regardless of the type of library, I have found that librarians are always looking for new ways to serve their customers and increase their relevance. The more I understand their goals, the more I can help them attain them.
What big ideas are being worked on at your company? What problems are being solved?
We have three really exciting initiatives we are working on. First, we have partnered with BrainHQ to bring brain fitness software to libraries. Recent research has indicated that as little as 10 hours of training using one of BrainHQ’s proprietary games can reduce the risk of dementia by 33%. We have heard repeatedly that public libraries are seeking ways to reach their adult population, and we believe BrainHQ is an ideal solution with will yield tremendous community outcomes.
Our second initiative is the launch of a brand new product line—TeacherGeek. With more than 20 makerspace STEM activity kits, TeacherGeek is an affordable and effective way for libraries to start and sustain their makerspace. We’ve heard from a number of libraries that they are not sure where to start with a makerspace, and we think TeacherGeek is an excellent option. This product line will be available on demco.com in early October 2016.
Our third big initiative involves the use of technology to understand how patrons interact with the library’s physical space. By strategically placing beacons in key areas of the library, we are able to track patrons as they move through the library by tracking each unique Wi-Fi device. This data can then be analyzed to determine patron usage patterns, which can, in turn, be used to redesign the library, alter signage, or adjust staffing levels. Personally identifiable information is eliminated before any data is saved, so confidentiality is preserved.
This technology can also be used to determine the effectiveness of outreach events. By comparing the Wi-Fi data of attendees at the event with the data from patrons who visited the library, we can measure the impact had on library usage overall.
How can librarians become partners in product or training development?
We are always looking for libraries to visit and learn from, and we are often in need of pilot libraries to help us test products and concepts. I would encourage anyone who is interested in learning more or open to a visit to contact me directly at mattm@demco.com.
Do you have anything else you’d like to share here?
I’d like to make everyone aware of our Ideas and Inspiration site, a professional development resource designed especially for librarians and educators. The site offers a wealth of articles and on-demand webinars on a variety of relevant topics.
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This interview is part of a series of interviews with both WiLS library and vendor partners. Your feedback is appreciated. If you have any to offer on this article, or suggestions for upcoming interviews, contact Andrea Coffin at acoffin@wils.org.