How to Utilize Your Bookmobile in Time of Crisis

1. How to Utilize Your Bookmobile in Time of Crisis How we dealt with a last minute building closing at Medina County District Library Abby Wilson wilson@mcdl.info

2. System Overview • 6 branches and 1 bookmobile • Serving over 170,000 people • Located 30 minutes South of Cleveland • Building Project Started in 2003 • 3 new buildings, new bookmobile,3 building renovations • New bookmobile hit the road in September 2005

3. Lodi Library • New building opened in 2006 • Third largest branch in our system • Average daily door count for 2011 was 340 people • Circulates nearly 300,000 items • Lodi Population-3,000 people

4. Trouble Strikes • Late 2011 structural concerns became apparent in the Lodi Library • Based on the building inspectors recommendation, the building was closed to the public with only 3 days notice. • Staff scrambled to move high demand items • Management needed a way to serve this community

5. Service Area Lodi Library serves members from Lodi, Harrisville, and Westfield Center.

6. Solution • Provide bookmobile service in the library parking lot

7. Questions • When will it be there? • Can we park it there the whole weekend? • Staffing concerns

8. Training Staff • Challenges for Lodi Staff • Signing on with air cards-slower connections • Tricky/heavy doors • Cramped space • Old cash box • Effective winter heating • Storage • What is where? • Created the Bookmobile Guidebook

9. Logistics Technology Department set up computers in the small, safe area of the building Lodi Staff moved high circulating items to the same small, safe area

10. Holds

13. Crisis Averted • Bookmobile service began Nov. 21, 2011 and went through the end of January 2012 • New “library” opened in the Lodi Meeting Room on February 6, 2012 • Still waiting for answers • Forensic Architechs • County Prosecuters

14. Lodi Today