The Space and Physical Access

The Montclair Community Library first opened its doors in February of 2016. This modern looking public library is located in the quaint neighborhood of Montclair, in Dumfries, Virginia. It is easily accessible to all who visit by way of walking, riding bikes, or driving. If you walk/ride bikes to the library from nearby residences, then you will enter the library through its main entrance (pictured below). If you drive to the library, which is typical for residents that live farther away or for visitors that do not live in the neighborhood, then you will park in its underground parking garage. From there, you can take the elevator or stairs up to the single floor library.

Once you enter the library you instantly feel at home. Even with its 30ft+ ceilings in some spots of the library, it still emits a sense of coziness with a modern spin. Stepping out of the elevator you see a Community Room through large windows. In fact, each room within the library has many windows for patrons to look inside and check out what is going on in the room. Strategically placed in front of the windows of the Community Room is a table filled with donated books being sold by ‘Friends of the Montclair Community Library,’ which is an organization that fundraises to get money for the library’s various programs. As you walk farther into the library on your right are slots within a beautiful stone wall where you can return books or media. Keep walking and you will come to the circulation desk where you can also return materials or check them out. On the left are stands where patrons may do a self-checkout of materials if they desire and there are also various printers for patrons to use if needed.

As you walk around you see all types of spaces–some are closed with windows, some are open with cozy seating, some are for playing (the gaming room and the children’s area), and some are even outdoor.

The closed spaces in the library are rooms that need to be reserved prior to using. Those rooms are typically used for study (solo or in groups), presentations/meetings, or by the library staff for various programs. Throughout the library you will find computer tables where patrons can access the catalog or use the internet. Patrons simply login to a computer with their library card number and password and they can use the computer as needed. The library shelves holding materials are organized in different sections. There is an adult section, a juvenile section, which is next to the indoor play area, an audio book section, a DVD section, a section for magazines, and even a small section for puzzles. The shelving in the juvenile area is shorter making the materials more accessible for children, while the shelving in the adult area is taller for standing adults, but those shelves are less accessible for patrons who may be in a wheelchair. The beautiful, modern looking outside space is an expansive terrace that allows patrons to enjoy nature while reading or working. Wi-Fi is available in and around the library building making it accessible to all patrons nearby.

Services and Intellectual Access

Rubin and Rubin (2020) stated ” Most public libraries today state their mission simply as striving to meet the educational, informational, recreational, and cultural needs of their communities”(p.121). The Montclair Community Library use their services and programs to accomplish those needs. There are many services and programs available at the Montclair Community Library. Some services I noted included instruction on how to access and use library materials, circulation, reference, online reservation of books, inter library loan service, curb side pick-up, and even recommendations of books/materials. If you take the elevator from the parking garage up to the library, you will see a multitude of flyers sharing the various programs offered at the library. One of the biggest programs is Summer Reading. Some other programs include Artistic Therapy, Stitchers Circle, Toddler Story Time, Music in Motion, and Story Laboratory. Signage exists all throughout the library to help patrons locate specific sections or to make patrons aware of what is being offered at the library. The library catalog is very friendly to use, you simply login to one of the computers and click on the catalog app. If you have any trouble, you can ask a librarian for assistance, and they are quick to show you the ropes. This library is organized similarly to the school library I visited. The nonfiction is organized by way of the Dewey Decimal system, while the fiction is organized by the author’s last name listed under the letters Fic (Fiction). If the book is located in the juvenile section, then it has a red uppercase J and then it follows the organization of the nonfiction or fiction books. Some books are in their own special section, like Graphic Novels, Cookbooks (they are popular with adults at this library), and New Books (they have their own ‘new’ section to showcase them while they are brand new). Rubin and Rubin (2020) mentioned “Public libraries today recognize that their plans must be flexible and adaptable to meet rapidly changing conditions” (p.121). I think the Montclair Community Library is very adaptable through their organization of the library and through the programs they off their patrons, which grow and change with their patrons.

Patrons and Staff

While the Montclair Community Library is located within a community, it is open to everyone. Looking around the library I saw much diversity–there were people of many races, all ages, people speaking different languages, solo people, families, and more. It is a very welcoming environment. I saw many patrons and they were all doing different things. Some were interacting with other patrons, some were gaming with friends, some were searching for books, some were cozied up reading, some were using the computers with headphones on, some were playing in the kid zone, some were interacting with the staff (checking out books or seeking assistance), and more. Since this is my community library, I visit it quite often. I noticed that some days there is a need for a lot of staff members, those can include librarians, pages, or volunteers. Other days were not so busy and therefore they did not have as many staff members there.

Collections

There are many types of materials available at the Montclair Community Library, including print books, audio books, eBooks, large text materials, magazines, DVDs, and puzzles. Computers are located throughout the library and there are printers at the front that can be used. There is a station where the patron can conduct their own check-out. As mentioned before, there is a Gaming Lounge where patrons can reserve the room to use the gaming equipment in there, making videos games more accessible to the patrons. If any of the technology poses an issue for a patron, the library staff is ready to jump in and help. They will teach anyone how to use any of the technology within the library.

Digital Access

The Montclair Community Library is part of the Prince William County (PWC) library system. All PWC libraries use the same overall website. There is a section under ‘Featured‘ labeled ‘Branch Location, History, Special Services and Hours‘ that gives specific information for your community library. Since the website has all PWC libraries associated with it, it can be a bit overwhelming when viewing it. There is a lot you can do online though, like get a library card, search the online catalog and reserve materials, check out summer reading for kids, teens, and adults, see all upcoming library events, use the digital library and HeritageQuest online, access your library account, and so much more. There are two aspects about the website I really like: the ability to change the language (located at the very top of the main page) and the ability to make the print larger (not on the main page, but under the info page). Both of those help to make the website accessible to more people. One thing I did not like was the inability to know the staff or see who to contact at that specific library branch. The staff of each library was not listed. I only saw the Director of all the libraries listed and a place to read more about the Board of Trustees. It does not feel as personal and inviting because of that reason.

Explore the PWC Library website.

Overall

I love visiting this library! It has a homey vibe, even though it is a large building. I like how diverse the library is and the many programs offered by the library that benefit all type of patrons. One thing that surprised me was the lack of personal touch when it came to the website because it was a generic site made for all of the county’s libraries. I think having a dropdown menu where the patron can click on their library of choice and get to a page that is about that particular branch would be nice. It could be a page that introduces the staff working at that library branch and give a little information that is just about that library. Overall, this is a wonderful library and I highly recommend a visit.

References

Burk, P. (2016). The Montclair Community Library received LEED Silver Certification thanks to General Contractor, KBE Building Corporation [Photograph]. https://paulburkphotography.com/category/civic-cultural-religious/

Nellis Group. (September 1, 2018). Expansive terrace of Montclair Community Library [Photograph]. https://blog.nellisgroup.com/2018/09/01/montclair-community-prince-william-county-library-in-dumfries/

Padden, C. (2022). Gaming lounge, Cozy library seating [Photographs of Montclair Community Library].

Rubin, R. E., & Rubin, R. G. (2020). Foundations of library and information science (5th ed.). ALA Neal-Schuman.