No Power? No Problem: Library Offers Curbside Service

While the library wasn’t open for business on Wednesday and Thursday due to the power outage, it was offering curbside service.

Sitting out front in a plastic chair, director Chadwick Raymond greeted patrons as they drove by to return books and DVDs.

“We didn’t think we’d have power today, but we wanted to personalize it and have some fun,” Raymond said.

Power went out downtown during the storm Tuesday night, and was still not restored by Thursday evening. But with the help of a backup generator, library staff went to work Wednesday and Thursday, checking in books indoors and taking turns greeting patrons outside.

“People weren’t quite sure if we were open or not, so we figured we’d just do a valet,” said Raymond.

When he noticed that the library’s backup generator was set up to power its decorative water feature, along with essential services, a staff member came up with the idea of using the outlet at the water feature to power the circulation desk.

“That enabled us to check in everything, so if we open Friday morning, hopefully we won’t have a backlog,” he said. “I can tell you they don’t teach you that in library school!”

Raymond said the library was hoping to reopen Friday morning, providing power cooperated. While some users seemed annoyed, he said he saw their frustration as “complimentary,” since it actually showed how much they cared about their library.

“The other nice thing is I probably recognize one out of four people,” Raymond said. “That is kind of fun.”