Appointments for PC use and browsing have been updated to reflect the changes detailed in my post yesterday. It’s going to take through the weekend to work through the appointments that were made before these changes. Because of this, we don’t need to begin enforcing the one-group at-a-time rule for browsing until Monday. We will also wait to decommission 2 PCs until then.
Beginning Monday, we’ll have less room for walk-ins. To keep the number of people we need to turn away to a minimum, please make appointments for all callers who want to visit or encourage them to do so themselves before they come. Links for making appointments are on the front page of our website. For those that we do need to turn away, offer to make them an appointment for them. Handouts for patrons will also be available at the bouncer table with information on how to make appointments.
This reduction in services comes at a time of year, December through February, that is typically our slowest both in terms of circulation and foot traffic. Because of this and because, with the crazy case numbers, more people are likely to stay away from public places, I don’t think these changes will have a dramatic effect on our patrons. While browsing slots are likely to be relatively full each day, PC slots won’t be. With 3 PCs available from 10am-6pm, for example, we can accommodate up to 24 computer users each day. Only 9 of those slots are available for appointments. This means 15 slots will be available for walk-ins.
As I mentioned yesterday, there is no end-date to these relatively minor changes. I will continue to consult with the board, with city administration, and with departments heads as circumstances change.