[Publib] After hours library use

[Mary J. Soucie]

Katie,
We do close our public computers at a designated time for computer
classes and have been doing this for quite some time. We post a sign on
the door and near the computers to alert patrons. If a class does run
over, then we have staff that is in the building for a half hour after
we close, so the person teaching the class is not in the building alone.
The only two people that are allowed in the building alone are my
assistant director and me. I would not want to have an employee alone at
a time when patrons are in the building, except in emergency
circumstances. Good luck, Mary 

Mary J. Soucie, MLIS
Library Director
Wilmington Public Library District
Visit the world @ your library(tm)
201 S Kankakee St, Wilmington IL 60481
815-476-2834 Phone
815-476-7805 Fax
mailto:mjsoucie at wilmingtonlibrary.org


-----Original Message-----
From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org
[mailto:publib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Katie Knight
Sent: Monday, June 05, 2006 3:32 PM
To: publib at webjunction.org
Subject: [Publib] After hours library use

Hello librarians,

I have another question for you wonderful people.  It seems to me that
this
was answered in part a little while ago, but I'd still like a little
more
clarification, if possible.

I was pressured recently by our library director to begin teaching
computer
classes (how to use a mouse, what a search engine is, how to search, and
so
on).  This is something that I'd love to do for our library patrons,
however
we only have 10 public computers, all of which are nearly always in use.
We
have no classroom, we have no laptops.  The 10 PCs are it.

The only way that I would be able to teach classes to the public would
be
for me to either:
a) kick folks off of the computers at a designated time (I feel that
this is
unfair)
or
b) teach after hours, when the library is oficially closed.

The latter choice strikes me as both dangerous (I'd be the only staff
member
in the library) and as a liability.

Now the problem is that I have been told that I cannot "kick" folks off
of
the computers to teach classes (and I really wouldn't want to do that,
anyway, for a variety of reasons), and that I should open the doors
after
hours and teach classes while the library is closed (officially).  I was
also told that other libraries do this, and that it is not a liability.

Is this true?  Do other libraries (specifically ones with few PCs to go
around) do odd stuff like open after hours for instruction and things
like
that?

I truly want to do what is best for the community, but I also want to be
safe.  Thoughts?  Solutions?  Ideas?

As always, I anxiously await your wisdom.

Thanks,

-Katie

Katie Knight
Adult Services Librarian
Granville County Public Library System
Thornton Library
210 Main Street
Oxford, NC 27565

Phone: 919 693-1121
Fax: 919 693-2244



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