Diversification … where libraries, riffraff and Crusty Demons meet!

The purpose of this paper is to examine the issues involved with the introduction of theatre and event ticket booking (TicketDirect) into the Hamilton City Libraries.

The introduction of the ticket booking service into the libraries was a two stage process where two libraries trialled the new system before it was rolled out to the four remaining community libraries. The rationale behind the decision to move ticket booking services to the libraries will be discussed along with the impact on the community and library staff. Sound project management is vital during the addition of a new service and some of the successes and problems encountered during the transformation are discussed.

The inclusion of a service that can at times generate a very high amount of cash in a traditionally low cash‐generating environment resulted in a review of financial and security processes to ensure the safety of staff remained paramount. Documentation and training in the trial implementation could have been significantly better, but lessons were learned and the second roll‐out went much more smoothly.

Communication between all parties (Hamilton City theatres, TicketDirect, call centres, venues, library staff and customers) and problem resolution is an ongoing improvement opportunity still being worked upon.

More and more libraries are looking at adding additional services as they continually strive to meet the needs of their communities. The aim of this paper is to share experiences with other libraries.