Libraries expand access with unstaffed hours
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Michael Sayen of Forest Lake, Minnesota recently used the Wyoming branch of the East Central Regional Library (ECRL) after hours through a new “extended access” program.
ECRL and several other rural library systems in the United States are piloting programs allowing users to enter libraries when staff are not present, aiming to increase access for people with limited schedules. To participate, people obtain a library card and register for the extended access program, often including a safety briefing.
The Wyoming library, the first ECRL branch to offer the service, has enrolled 55 users who have visited more than 800 times since the program began. Similar programs exist in Utah, Nevada, Kansas, and Washington state, each with slightly different names and requirements, some require participants to be at least 14 or 18 years old. While users can borrow books, use computers, and make copies during unstaffed hours, services requiring staff interaction, like faxing, remain unavailable.
ECRL invested around $70,000 to renovate the Wyoming library for extended access, including installing security cameras, and spends $12,000 annually on the necessary technology. Despite facing funding challenges that led to reduced hours in some areas, ECRL hopes to expand the program to other branches, contingent on securing additional funding and gaining approval from the cities that own some library buildings.
Timberland Regional Library in Washington is also seeking funding through a ballot measure to maintain both extended and staffed hours.
