My friend Jen over at Flannel Hippos posted about her favorite things. One of them was the online catalog for the library. I agree with her about using it but I would like to go one step further.
I was thinking today how much I love the online catalog for the library. The only thing that would make it better is if they had a drive up pick up area. Similar to the old fast food places that had multiple food windows with the little elevator that came in and out. They could have a person working the hold room and you drive up, send in your card, they scan it, retrieve your items, send them and the card and the receipt back to you and you go on your merry way.
There have been many many times (less now that the kids are older but it still happens regularly) when I passed ona trip to the library because someone was asleep in the car or is was pouring down rain and I didn't want to drag everyone in or someone was sick and I didn't want to infect the whole library or any of a dozen other reason why I would want to drive through.
Of course, the hold roomw would still accessable to people in the library so you can pick up stuff if you are in (we are there a couple of times a week typically) but you don't have to go in if you don't want to. Unfortunately, with our new building, I doubt we would see anything like this any time soon. They won't be remodelling the builidng to include it and there isn't a way to do it without some construction.
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4 comments:
As it is now, the drive-through book drop is backwards. What's up with that?
That sounds like a great idea! I do a lot of my librarying online now and just run in the hold room (or better yet, send in my 12yo).
the des moines library has that feature
but you probably won't be moving to des moines any time soon
I have heard that this is in the "plans" for the new Mahomet Library! There will be a place you go to pick up your books. You will type in a code and then your books will be there! Wouldn't that be so cool!
I have to agree that would make the whole online experience just perfect!
As it is, in Mahomet, I just drive up to the door - walk across the sidewalk and pick up my books. Actually, I usually send a big kid in to do it. But I could see if Champaign was my main library - there is no quick way to get in and out with your books. We went there yesterday to get something on hold for us and it took a long time just to find a parking spot!
GREAT thinking - hope to see this to a library soon!
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