Longer Hours

On Weekdays,

But Now Closed

On Saturdays

By AMY ROSE

Staff Writer

In the past few months, use of the Greeneville-Greene County Public Library has increased by at least 15 to 20 percent, according to Madge Walker, library director.

As a result, the library began extended weekday hours on Aug. 4 and is now closed on Saturdays.

The change has been met with both positive and negative feedback, Walker said, but most library users have said they like the new hours.

"Very few" persons have been upset by the new hours, Walker said, noting that most complaints have come from those who use the library's Internet service on Saturdays.

She noted that the library offers free Wi-Fi Internet service in the area behind the building, near the Big Spring, and on its front porch.

Those who are pleased with the new hours include senior citizens who prefer to visit the library in the mornings before doing grocery shopping and other daytime errands, Walker said.

Also pleased are younger adults, she said, who like coming to the library after they leave work.

Before the change, the library opened at 9:30 a.m. Monday through Saturday and closed at 7 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays; 5 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays; and 2 p.m. on Saturdays.

Now, the library is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The library continues to be closed on Sundays.

Walker explained that the new schedule allows library employees to work fewer days, so now more employees can work on the same days to assist the growing number of library users.

She said more employees are especially needed during the library's busiest time of noon to 4 p.m. on weekdays.

With the previous schedule, the library often only had two employees during that busiest time, she noted.

The library has four full-time employees. Normally some part-time employees are hired during the summer, but no funding was available for those positions this year, Walker said.

She noted that some volunteers occasionally work at the library, but not on a regular basis.

Library Use Evaluated

Walker said the amount of library use on each day was evaluated for two or three months, and it was determined that the least number of families would be affected if the library was closed on Saturdays.

She said only 10 to 12 families were using the library regularly on Saturdays, which is nowhere near the amount of use through the week.

In the first six months of 2008, a total of 56,000 items were checked out from the Greeneville-Greene County Public Library, Walker said.

The recent increase in library use has occurred while gas prices have increased and the economy has worsened, Walker noted.

"When times get tough, libraries get busy," Walker said.

She said that because of the struggling economy, some people have discontinued their home Internet accounts and newspaper subscriptions, and are instead coming to the library.

Also, parents may not be able to afford movie rentals for their children, so they also come to the library for that service.

During the summer, Walker added, some library users may not have air-conditioning in their homes, and they are seeking a cool place to spend their time.

Another increase, she noted, has been the number of people coming to the library to get paperwork related to the new federal economic stimulus payments.

The new library hours are in effect until Nov. 2, when daylight saving time ends. At that time, the library's board will reevaluate the new hours to see if they need to continue.

The library is located at 210 N. Main St.

For more information, call 638-5034. On the Web: www.ggcpl.org.