Meet the team: Mark Beer, Customer Program Manager UK & Ireland

We’d love to share a little about the team here at Nexbib, we think it’s important to put a face to a name! First in the series is our Customer Program Manager for the UK and Ireland. We caught up with our newest team member, Mark Beer, and asked him some questions so that you can get to know him a little better. Here is what he said:

How long have you worked in the library sector?

I moved into the library sector in Oct 2010 working for the library side of the business at Intellident Ltd. As a project manager I was responsible for overseeing the installations of the RFID self service hardware\Software, security gates, sorters, upgrade programmes both for new customers and existing customers, in local authorities and academias. I also enabled Libraries to offer greater hours of library opening and targeted staff times based on library usage with the installation of their latest product (open+).

Why do you work in the library sector?

I love the customers, they are always warm and welcoming! I also love the library environments, there are some beautiful architectural buildings out there, both new and old, so I enjoying getting out and seeing them. I enjoy seeing how libraries are community hubs inside and how they cater to each of the patron groups they fulfil needs for, everything from Lego clubs, knitting groups, mother and babies sessions, job advice and guidance the list goes on, they really can be a one stop shop for the communities they are based in.

They are one of the institutions that you can be involved with throughout your life, from being a child all the way up to your twilight years.

I enjoy the fact that the technology we install can free up librarians from the repetitive tasks, so they can engage more time with their patrons, but also the fact that the technology adds to the patron experience.

What attracted you to joining us at Nexbib?

The company values, I know a lot of people say that but I really wanted to join a business that prioritised the needs of their customers and had strong values that I could relate to.

In my career I’ve found that when companies reach a certain size that ‘personal touch’ goes, financial costs become greater and they often take priority over the needs of the customer. This can make it hard to provide customers with a positive journey from start to finish and on an on-going basis. Larger companies can lose the ability to re-act \ change based on customer needs. It’s like a large oil tanker at sea. It takes an age to turn or stop at which point, your customers are overboard and lost at sea!

I really wanted to get back to a smaller company where we could listen and really help our customers with the challenges they face, and be able to re-act or offer something different; Nexbib want to do this and so I was happy to come on board.  

What change do you want to bring to our library customers?

I want our customers to see us a partner and be able to call us for help and be able to rely on us. To have that open and transparent relationship and not see us just as sales company that they are wary of speaking to.

And finally, share with us a fond library memory from your childhood…

I remember as a child going to my local library in Stretford. My mum would take me on Saturdays after helping with the food shop, the Library sits across the road from the shops. I remember being so excited and going to get the latest edition of TinTin! The building was beautiful as well, the central skylight, the smell of wooden shelves and the library stock, the silence, there was whole atmosphere that was different and calming.

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