I am excited to go into the different libraries that surround me and find out more about them! It’s been a bit of a quest for me to find different librarians who are on board to giving me access into the library, especially for the school library. I appreciate the task since it builds up my network in my local area.

For my first library visit, I chose to go with a public library. I currently work as a Administrative Clerk at my local public library, so it was easy to answer most of the questions. That being said, I still did have to dive deep into different aspects of the library which was interesting. I will try to observe in a way that

Digital Access

Timbrook Library’s website is combined with the other libraries within the system. The website is then spilt up by the main menu that focuses on events and programs and the one that focuses on searching books, eBooks, and DVDs in their collection. There are many youth programs like Storytime and events for adults like book and diabetic clubs. They also provide a literacy program with information for people who want to learn English and those who want to tutor. It also includes frequently asked questions about notary services, printing and faxing prices.

I think the library tries to serve the community it has as best as it can. The home screen highlights the events that are offered as well as the different programs. I don’t see any specific audience being catered to except maybe to families. Most of the banner events on the homepage are family-oriented events that usually focus on kids in elementary age to middle school. It seems like that is a large portion of their community and supporters so there are more events geared towards that do not say it directly but give off the feeling.

Some of the staff is listed on the website, mainly those in leadership roles like the library director or branch managers. There is no way to gauge how many employees do work there beyond these leadership roles. There are easy ways of contacting any of the listed staff since it includes their phone number and email. There is also meeting times for reference appointments, whether they chose walk-in or call ahead, with the different librarians listed on their website.

Both websites are easily accessed by the public and include their collection of eBooks, audiobooks, and DVDs. It does not include any magazines and borrowing the eBooks is through another website that they provide.

There doesn’t seem to be a lot of accommodations for the visually impaired. It does have a feature to translate the page to other languages but it doesn’t apply to the graphics that link to other pages which are only in English. The website overall does feel inviting to me and provides all the information I would need.

The Space & Physical Access

This branch is one of the more popular branches since it is located relatively in the center of the others. It also is located near a park with trails and fields that schools use for sports or other activities. It is a relatively small and cozy building. It was recently built within the last six years, so it does have a more modern appeal to it.

On the outside, there is not much seating aside from some benches. The parking has one side in the front that is paved and used more often and one in the back that is gravel. The are two book drop off cabinets on the curb for patrons who are just driving by. When it comes to WIFI, it does work outside but it is not as strong as it is on the inside. As far as handicap access, the sidewalks are flattened in some areas so that wheelchairs and cane users can use them. There is also a button to open both of the front doors for those who might have trouble. That being said, there was no ramp for the lower half of the building so handicapped patrons would have to park near the door to whichever half they needed to go to. This might change since they are still completing construction in their lower building.

For the inside, there are three rooms that are open to book for any amount of time. They also have a quiet room that can be booked if all other rooms are unavailable. There is plenty of seating and tables as well as six available computers that has a time limit to ensure that everyone can use them in a timely matter. There also another monitor used solely for looking up books or DVDs in the collection.

The upper level is accessible for handicapped patrons with adequate seating and modifications in entrances. There is a notable issue with the lower level especially since according to their tornado plan, everyone is meant to go down to the lower levels. This is important to note since there are only stairs as the quickest way down, meaning the someone who is physically disabled would have to trek down all of them to get to a safer area in a storm. They also have seating for children as well that is located in the children’s room as well as all of the general seating they have in the main area.

Services & Intellectual Access

Flyers with the different events are posted all around the library and there is a complete list of the free events for at the three months. They also include specialized youth focused flyers in the children’s rooms that list the events for the month which included programs like Storytime, Lego art, and enchanted book trails. The literacy program has a clear sign above the program’s coordinator’s door.

As aforementioned, there is a monitor for patrons to search for any specific books or subject they were looking for. The library is also clearly labeled as far as which section they are and what age range they’re for. The library is mainly split by age range with the adult section including: Large Print, Fiction, Nonfiction, Graphic Novels, Audiobooks, and DVDs. All of the nonfiction books are by the Dewey decimal system with the Juvenile nonfiction books having labels on what the different sections are meant to be. In the children’s section , the books are sorted by subject like Nature or Animals unlike the rest of the fiction sections which are done by Author’s last name.

Though this might be my own bias for my library, I do feel like that it is welcoming to everyone. To me, it doesn’t seem like anyone is not invited in the library from its staff or the atmosphere.

People – Patrons & Staff

This library does seem to focus on families with children and those who need computers. Most of the events are focused on younger aged children and the displays do have a focus on picture books. The computers are in the center of the room and the fax is one of the first things that you see. It’s clear that those two people are who the library mainly serves from the way the library seems to focus on them.

The patrons are mainly on the computer but I do see that they have no problem asking the staff for help. The staff is quick to help whoever comes up to the front desk and help with their questions.

At any given time, there are usually two staff members at the circulation desk with one either walking around or in the back office. The librarian is not always there since they switch locations throughout the week. When the librarian is there , they usually sit within the library with the patrons so that they can easily ask them question. All of the staff have relatively the same job of checking in and out books, handling prints, and shelving items.

There is little diversity within the patrons and the staff as it mainly made up of White people and some African Americans at the time I did my observation. I could see that it might be uncomfortable for those who are of different races and do not speak English.

Collections

Aside from the collections I mentioned earlier that include Adult, Young adult, Juvenile, and Children. There is also collections for literacy students and a Virginia local history collection that is available to view but is not allowed to check out. They also provide a genealogy section for patrons to view but is unable to check out.

There are computers available that patrons can use as well as a fax and printer. They also have kindles for patrons to use in case they want access to the eBooks but don’t have the means to read them. In the children’s room, there are four iPads for kids to use and play games on.

A special collection they have is Beyond Books which includes items like leaf blowers, cake pans, and board games. These items are available for one week and require the patron to sign a waiver.

Sometimes there are barriers for patrons who try to use the computers or sign into the apps that hold the eBooks. To combat this, the staff is trained in setting up accounts and being knowledgeable on basic computer functions. The librarian also offers one on one appointments to help those who need it. Also, they have programs and events to teach seniors or teens how to use computers or programs like Word and Canva.

Other

I think that this library’s main objective is community interaction and accessibility. Similar to what our textbook quotes from Kranich in chapter three, this library seems to be more engagement focused and less collection focused (Rubin and Rubin, 2020). With all of their events, I do believe that they achieve that interaction and have a good relationship with all of their visitors. There are some things with accessibility that could be fixed but overall, the building was primarily built for accessibility and the staff are ready to accommodate for those in special circumstances.

Since I work at this type of library, I have a relatively good understanding about the inner workings and the observations I made. Nothing really surprised me since I am there for most of the week. But it was still nice to observe the library closer than I would at work and notice all the ways in which things are marketed.

Bibliography

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