For this assignment, I decided to visit the Mary D. Pretlow Anchor Branch library of the Norfolk Public Library system.

The Space & Physical Access

Figure 1. The view when you enter the library; displays are on the left of the pole and nonfiction is to the right.

The Mary D. Pretlow Anchor Branch is located right at the crossroads of lower income communities and neighborhoods of million dollar beach condos. Outside of the library, there are bike racks available.  Every time I have visited, at least one person has been sitting in an area of benches, using the wifi.  The library is housed in a classic brick building.  It shares the building with a small local museum, but it takes up a majority of the building.  There are automatic doors that lead to the lobby and then into the library.  There are metal detectors at the doors, and an armed security guard who sits nearby.

The library is two floors, with the first floor housing adult and young adult items, and the second floor housing all children’s materials.  The library feels very open and airy whenever I enter the building.  There is a lot of clear space when you walk into the library, which is edged with displays that change often.  The library feels modern, but welcoming.

There is a public computer room that is always in use, and two conference rooms and two study rooms, which can be used for up to three hours a day.  The library also has two areas of study carrels and two areas of quiet seating on the first floor.  There are both stairs and an elevator that lead to the second floor.  The kids’ floor is an explosion of color.  In addition to the books, there is a play area for kids three and under and a special kids computer lab.  There are tables set up where parents can sit while their children enjoy reading or playing. 

Figure 2. The decorations that greet you on the children’s floor, created by the children’s library associates.

Services and Intellectual Access

There is very clear signage all over the library.  The large signs to guide people to genres are white with orange text, so they are very easy to read.  Unfortunately, only some signs are translated into Spanish, such as the guidelines of the computer lab and the tips on how to use the printer.  The summer reading program is very well advertised.  However, it was difficult to find signage about their free lunch program.  

Pretlow is currently working on developing a makerspace that should open this fall.  A library associate told me that they looked at makerspace programs in other libraries, and then chose the programs and activities that they believed their patrons would enjoy and learn from the most.  This goes along with the public library mission to “striv[e] to meet the educational, information, recreation, and cultural needs of their communities” (Rubin & Rubin, 2020, p. 106).

There are four computers on the first floor that are exclusively used as catalogs, two in fiction and two in nonfiction.  I found them very easy to use.  The library is organized using the Dewey Decimal System.  Something I really appreciated is that at the end of each aisle, there are very clear signs explaining which call numbers were down the aisle and what topics they covered.  I thought that was incredibly helpful.  This makes the nonfiction area a lot easier to access.

Figure 3. Explanations of sections in the Dewey Decimal System taped on the end of a shelf.

People (Patrons and Staff)

I spent eight hours shadowing a librarian at this library for another class, and I do not think I would have had the same picture of patrons and staff if I had just visited the library for two hours.  I noticed that about half of the patrons are Black and half are white.  Much of the traffic was from mothers with one or two young children.  I’d guess that most of the adult patrons were between 20-50, but I did spot a few older patrons.

All the employees, except for the newest librarian, are women.  I would say, like the patrons, that about half are Black and half are white.  It was nice to see genuine diversity amongst the staff. However, the three staff members with an MLIS degree are white.  There is always at least one person, usually two, at the circulation desk.  They answer questions, help people sign up for library cards, check books in and out, and provide patron assistance.  The people at the circulation desk usually rotate so they can also work on their duties in the back office, whether they need to get books ready to shelve, create programming, or communicate with other libraries, among a huge variety of other responsibilities.  The circulation desk on the kids’ floor also generally has one or two staff members.  However, since the pandemic started, they do not actually check out books on that floor.  Instead, it is a hub for patrons to find staff when they need help.  All of the people who work on the kids’ floor collaborate to plan children’s programming.  All of the staff is incredibly friendly.  They greet every person in the library and offer their assistance freely.

Collections

On the first floor, there are fiction and nonfiction collections.  The young adult fiction is separated into its own collection, as is large print.  In the fiction collection, staff members have started putting genre stickers on the spines of books to improve people’s browsing experiences.  The genres include romance, historical fiction, fantasy, mystery, and science fiction.  The graphic novels, which used to be with the young adult fiction, have now been moved to their own section.  This is a common trend with libraries now, which are coming up with new classifications for graphic novels.  All graphic novels at Pretlow now have call numbers that start with GN.  There are also sections of DVDs, CDs, and audiobooks.  

On the second floor, children’s books are separated into beginning reader books, chapter books, nonfiction books, picture books, and board books.  The shelves for the chapter books went up very high, which I thought was strange for kids’ books.  However, I know that the library only has so much space.  Picture books and board books are placed very low so kids can grab them.  

The library circulates special items such as nature backpacks and museum and zoo passes.  These are popular family-friendly items that are advertised at the circulation desk.  

I think the most difficult accessibility issue when it comes to the collections is the height of the shelves.  As an able-bodied person who is 5’2”, I could barely read the titles on the very top shelves.  There are stools helpfully placed around, which I am able to use, but for someone who needs a mobility aid, it would be very difficult to see the books on all of the shelves, much less get one off the shelf.  

Digital Access
The Pretlow branch is a part of the Norfolk Public Library website (https://www.norfolkpubliclibrary.org/).  The front page of the website advertises many programs that Pretlow offers, such as the Oceans of Possibilities Summer Reading Program, TeenBookCloud, and free COVID test kits.  Each branch is listed on the front page with its days and hours of operation.  The “search catalog” is advertised as a large white button in the middle of the front page.  After clicking on it, patrons can search for materials that are available online or at any NPL branch.  The website offers options to learn about classes offered, like language and technology classes, activities for kids, paying fines online, finding book recommendations, and volunteer options.  On a less positive note, I did not see anything about accommodations on the website, both in regards to what is offered at the libraries, and about ways to access the actual website for people with vision difficulties.  Staff is also not listed on the website.  In addition, the only way to find out any information about particular branches is to scroll all the way to the bottom, select “Hours & Locations,” and then select “Mary D. Pretlow Anchor Branch.”  The resulting page gives little information about the branch.  Overall, though, I do like the design of the website and I think it does share a lot of information.

Other

Pretlow is a library focused on providing services and materials to families and helping the community.  Staff members take the time to help people with their resumes, walk people to the book they’re looking for, provide free lunch, and give a quiet place to study.  I was surprised at the amount of diversity in the patrons, but it made sense once I thought about where Pretlow is located.  The one thing that negatively stuck out to me was the armed security guard.  I understand why people think there is a need for this, but it both saddens me and makes me uncomfortable to have a gun in a library.  However, I had a wonderful experience observing the library.  A week after my observation of the library, I shadowed a librarian at Pretlow for eight hours.  I learned so much more about the library, and the entire experience was amazing.  I have connected with multiple library professionals at Pretlow, so I am hoping to do more work there.  These experiences only make me more excited about public libraries.      

References

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