Not Again! Elevator Problems Continue.

While the fix from June last for several weeks, the intermittent problems have cropped up again. After finally making in in before the Library opened this morning, the technician was able to diagnose the problem: overwork!

Our elevator is not designed for the constant use it receives. With over 500,000 visits last year, that is a lot of trips up and down, especially since you cannot get a stroller into the Children's Department without it. Apparently, the constant use causes the oil to overheat which cause the shut-down. I guess that answers the "why does it always happen when we're busy?" question.

On to the next fix: retrofitting with a cooling system for the oil. Our biggest roadblock is that it would need to be vented outside the building. Let's hope they can find a clear (physically, as in no pipes in the wall, etc.) and simple means of doing so.

3/4 of a Million - Incredible!

With the Library's fiscal year ending on June 30, the statistics for the year are starting to come in. We knew it was a busy year for us, but the numbers are amazing! This year, the Library circulated 756,936 items.

This is absolutely astonishing, with only 131,550 items in the Library's collection. That means every item in the Library was checked out an average of nearly 6 times in the past year. Use of PCs in the Library rose almost 20%, with over 50,000 sessions for the year, averaging 46 minutes per session. That's over 38,000 hours of computer time for our community in the past year, not counting those who brought their own wireless devices and enjoyed the Library's wi-fi!