Maybe it won't be so bad after all

Change is aways hard and going through the changes, with all the chaos that brings can be even harder. That being said, I will be glad when the changes are all in place and there is a little less chaos. As for now I must say that although my initial reaction to the color scheme of red, navy and pumpkin was less than positive, having had a sneak peek at the Young Adult area I have been pleasantly surprised with the look... bold but comfortable on the eyes (at least mine). I tend to like nature colors and while no colors are going to please everyone, I like the way these look together.
The space designers that have been working with us on this project hve been very professional and I am looking forward to the "final product" as well as some of the not-so-physical changes that will be made. Some in particular will be the time dedicated to checking with folks in the stacks to see if they need help rather than making them come to the desks, self checkout which will increase privacy for patrons, and the "grab-and-go" section which will include best sellers that will be available right near the front for those that want a good book but are limited in time to spend in the library.

The scent of old books

Ah, the history in Missoula Public Library. This book card pocket was removed from one of our books today. My how we've changed. Today I had fun doing a tour of the library for some 4th and 5th graders. One of my favorite parts is taking them to the Audra Browman room where we keep lots of really old things that impress our younger patrons. We also usually have some folks in there doing research for writing a book or tracing their genealogy, also very impressive. The students and teacher all thought the 1911 Missoula directory was really neat and I think they enjoyed seeing our collection of historical photographs of the library and its staff. So, although we have lots of new books coming in daily to add to our shelves we still have lots of older books. And although we have a new computer lab and an online catalog we still have plenty of those dusty tomes and vintage magazines for those that have a more historical bent.

And by the way, our current checkout period is four weeks for most items, 10 days for new fiction, and our fines are up to 10 cents a day.

new toys

Today we got to play with self-check equipment. We've been putting off converting to self check-out for a couple of years now, but it's finally coming - and we're excited!

In a couple of months we'll get a demo unit for staff to work with and customize to our liking. (which really means customize to what we hope YOU will like). Be looking for these new machines towards the end of the year. Here's what it'll probably look like:

http://www.idrecall.com/checkeze.html

Don't like self check-out? Not to worry. We'll have an accounts desk where a staff member can check out your materials. Your choice.

and, as always, stay tuned!