A new way of getting books and other items into the hands of customers is in place as the Gilmer County Library continues its first phase of reopening after being closed to the public since March.
The library building at 268 Calvin Jackson Drive is still closed to the public, but a new contact-free sidewalk service is allowing library staff to again distribute items for checkout.
The Sequoyah Regional Library System (SRLS), comprised of branches in Gilmer, Pickens and Cherokee counties, began offering the sidewalk service May 18 and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future, noted SRLS Executive Director Anita Summers.
“Our community has given incredible support to our digital collection of eBooks, audiobooks and eMagazines during this period of social distancing. With our new sidewalk service, we are ecstatic to expand their options even further by reuniting readers with our physical collection of library materials,” Summers said.
“We’re talking about continuing the sidewalk service indefinitely, even after people can come back into the building. We anticipate we’ll still be doing it in some form or fashion for a while because you’re still going to have those vulnerable populations and people who don’t feel comfortable coming in,” she added.
Customers can reserve items either online or by phone. They can check out books, DVDs, magazines and CDs, noted Vicki Luther, the Gilmer library’s interim manager.
Items from “the library of things,” which includes such educational items as early learning kits and electronic devices, are not being checked out right now, Summers noted.
Titles can be located and reserved online at SequoyahRegionalLibrary.org by clicking the “Find a Title” option and browsing the catalog. Users can reserve items with their library card number and four-digit PIN.
“Our hold system that we’ve had in place for many years is what we’re using for the sidewalk service,” said Summers. “I know there are a lot of people who don’t like to go online, so they can also call the library and our staff is there to answer the phones.”
Times vary for the sidewalk service and someone from the library will call the customer when their materials are available for pickup, Luther noted. Questions can be asked and titles can be reserved by calling the library at 706-635-4528.
The new check out method is akin to curbside and contactless delivery services offered by some restaurants, Summers noted. The reserved items are put in bags that are left on a table outside the front of the building with the first four letters of the person’s last name and the last four digits of their library card number visible.
“The idea is that it can be totally contactless, but a staff member is assigned to monitor everything and answer questions. If someone is not mobile and needs an order taken to their car, they can make arrangements to have that done,” Summers said.
“Our patrons love to read and they are very happy to be able to check out more materials. We’ve had positive feedback from patrons using our curbside service,” added Luther.
After books are returned, they are now quarantined before being reshelved.
“When the staff takes things out of the box, they put them in a designated area and they are quarantined for 72 hours before being checked back in,” Summers said. “They don’t get checked in right away and we’re telling people don’t worry if it’s still on your account for a few days. That just means it’s being quarantined before being put back on the shelf.”
Sequoyah libraries also reopened their outdoor book drop-off boxes last month. Overdue fines, which weren’t charged while the boxes were closed, are still not being charged, Summers confirmed.
A new feature called What to Read Next suggests different titles that can be checked out. On the SRLS website, users can click “Contact Us” to receive those personalized reading recommendations from staff members.
Information provided by the library system shows plenty of online e-library use by cardholders from April 21-May 21.
During that time, SRLS saw a 45 percent increase in eBook and audiobook usage compared to the same time period in 2019. The total number of eBook and audiobook holds increased by 82 percent, while the number of unique users was more than 3,000 -— a 35 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
Next phase being explored
Phase two of reopening individual SRLS branches, including the Gilmer library, will likely involve welcoming customers back inside the physical locations.
That, said Summers, will require a lot of planning that will implement new guidelines and safety precautions.
“It’s going to look different and not like it used to, but we are looking at a way of having people come into the building in the next phase,” Summers confirmed. “We started the sidewalk service in all the branches at the same time, but this next step is a little trickier because every one of the buildings is different. Some of them are two stories. We also have to maintain staff social distancing, so there are a lot of things to work out.”
There is no set time frame for the libraries to reopen their doors or to start back hosting programs and meetings. Currently, there are still not any in-person educational programs, meetings or classes being offered at the different branches.
“We can’t make guarantees at this point and we know there are a lot of people waiting. Libraries have always been places where people come to hang out and gather. Some may come in to pick up a book and leave, but a lot of what happens in our libraries involve people coming in for a while or meeting up with friends,” Summers said.
“Computers are one of the biggest things we’re concerned about because we know there are people out there who depend on our computers. We have WiFi in the parking lots, but you have to have your own device. We want to have those computers available to the public as soon as we can, even if it’s just a few things people can come in and do. They may not be able to do everything they used to do at the library right of the bat, but at least they’ll be able to come back in,” she added.