Peek Behind the Curtain
We know patrons may wonder what staff are doing when they see our doors closed. Hopefully this page will provide a sense of the hard work being done “behind the curtain.”
Based on information from City, County, and State resources, we’ve been limiting the number of employees in the building to minimize the risk of exposure for our staff and the community. We have a select crew working in the library to provide curbside service and many are working from home.
Among other responsibilities, employees working remotely are:
- Recording online programs
- Live-streaming weekly storytimes and other events
- Providing virtual “office hours” for one-on-one assistance
- Offering readers advisory and preparing book bundles since patrons can’t browse the shelves
- Maintaining myriad services and resources we normally provide: answering questions via email/phone, purchasing new materials and maintaining our collections (including streaming video and databases), issuing library cards for new patrons, etc. (Check out this video showing how we acquire books for the library!)
Those in the building are getting materials to patrons through our no-contact curbside pick-ups. We reach around 550 patrons each week and we’ve averaged close to 15,000 checkouts each month since this service started. We found that we could reach more patrons, more efficiently, if we prepared all the items in the morning rather than checking them out when folks arrive. This way, we pack a lot of patrons in while still minimizing the chance of interactions out front. Patrons drive up, let us know they’re here, and get their bag in seconds.
We start later on Mondays and Tuesdays so we can extend pick-ups into the evening, reaching those busy working during the day.
This system allows us to rotate staff in and out to cover curbside duties and tackle all the hidden tasks needed to get items to the public. On a typical day, you’d find us:
- Checking in a few large industrial bins full of quarantined returns.
- Processing dozens of crates full of materials coming back from other libraries or coming to us for patron holds.
- Gathering hundreds of items for holds here and at other libraries.
Suffice it to say, our incredible staff are working their tails off to keep materials flowing and develop creative programs and services.
We know this model is far from ideal. We CANNOT WAIT to get back to what we do best, welcoming our fantastic patrons back in the building.
In the meantime, we greatly appreciate the patience and support.
