Why can't libraries do click and collect?

[IDontMindMarmite]

The libraries in my area aren't and I don't really understand why.

[quote baffledcoconut]@TrashPanda town beginning with S?

I’ve got some seriously over due books but won’t be going to a central library so they’ll just have to wait [/quote]
Yes @baffledcoconut so do I, sitting on the tumble dryer making me feel guilty. I also use the BorrowBox app.

Entitlement? I'm the one working in the bloody library, ffs.

E-readers are great but they aren't for everyone. They are no good for elderly people who don't understand the technology, and have no one to show them how to work it because they are stuck at home alone with no visitors due to lockdown. They are no good for babies and toddlers who need to explore physical books. They are no good for parents who want to give their older children a break from being glued to a screen all day long, or who are already trying their best to share out devices so their kids can access their school work. They are no good for people who only have a phone for internet access.

We are in the area of the country with the lowest rates and highest percentage of vaccines given. We have a whole raft of procedures in place (outlined in previous post) and as we are staffed by volunteers no-one with vulnerabilities or who feels uncomfortable has to be there.

The library on my town only exists because it was taken over by volunteers years ago. The council wanted to close it. After this ends, and council funding is slashed yet again, how easy do you think it will be to get those closed libraries reopened? When, after all, e-readers have proved so popular during these recent times. Much cheaper to simply never reopen, sack the staff and sell the building.

Be careful what you wish for. Libraries may well be deemed non-essential by you now; if they are deemed non-essential by the council funding department in a year's time, how will you be able to argue otherwise?

I'm a library assistant. We're open for click and collect and we offer deliveries to housebound and vulnerable readers. It's a great service, and I'm glad in many ways to be able to continue working, but to say it's without risk is wrong.
Many of us are anxious: most of us are older workers (50+), many of with shielding family members at home. We were given letters to prove we are key workers so colleagues with school age children can send them to school.
Yes, books are essential for mental health and well-being - it's lovely when we hear readers say how much they love their book selections, and how much reading has helped them cope when everything else is so awful - but are they essential in the way that food and medical services are? I don't know. We are told we are essential workers, but we aren't essential enough to be offered lateral flow tests through work so we just have to hope no one is unknowingly infectious.
One colleague is currently very ill with covid caught from her child via his school because she was told she had to come into work and send him to school. We love being able to select and issue books, and it's lovely to read pp's say how much it means to have libraries open, but we're also on edge and anxious being in work. I just don't know what to think.

Ours does it when we are in tier 3 but not now we are in tier 4

At our liberation can only pick the genre of the type of books. They go into your a/c to ensure you haven't already checked out the title they have picked. As I don't exclusively read from the library only, this isn't much use to me so I don't bother.

Ours is offering click and collect you can order through the online system or you can call the branch you want to collect from and they will arrange it. They also offer a service whereby based on previous borrowing history the librarians will select 3 books for you to collect.
They have reduced opening hours and only the 4 main libraries are open, but I think they are offering a great service.

Ours is doing it this lockdown, but supposedly we can only specify a certain genre for them to choose books from, which is a bit limiting, given that they have a good online catalogue so customers can see which titles are in their local library.

Having said that, I was recently recommended a book series by a friend and bought the first from Amazon then heard about the order and collect service. I emailed the service stating I was interested in books by this author ‘in particularly the X series’. I wasn’t sure I would get any but I did, so they are obviously flexible in the “genre only” stipulation.

I had to book a pick up slot, the books were waiting for me on a table in the outer porch alongside a bin to return books for quarantine.

I have also discovered their ebook system and, whilst I prefer actual books, will use it when necessary, as I do their magazine reading service.

Haha library not liberation !

but are they essential in the way that food and medical services are?

I would say they are, books are one of the main things keeping me going through this lockdown, and I am relatively ‘privileged’ in not having to home school, all (DH, myself and 2 young adults) have jobs, no money worries.

But it is still a very difficult time, and reading is definitely helping my mental health and anxiety.

@TreacleHart

Have you tried asking them for specific books, or a specific author like I did?

If you have access to an online catalogue and know what is available, it is surely easier for the librarian to pick a specific book than random titles from a genre!

Government & NHS advice ia to stay at home. Books are important but they are not an essential service in a global pandemic. Click & collect would require library staff to travel to work, many on public transport, & then handle books etc all day. Why should the staff be put at risk like this so you can borrow a novel? All library services are offering e books etc, online activities too, & many are ringing regular customers to stay in touch. Library staff also usually work for the council and in my area many of them have been redeployed to work on covid relief efforts like grocery or pharmacy deliveries and even manning covid test centres.

@Citylady88

Government & NHS advice ia to stay at home. Books are important but they are not an essential service in a global pandemic. Click & collect would require library staff to travel to work, many on public transport, & then handle books etc all day. Why should the staff be put at risk like this so you can borrow a novel? All library services are offering e books etc, online activities too, & many are ringing regular customers to stay in touch. Library staff also usually work for the council and in my area many of them have been redeployed to work on covid relief efforts like grocery or pharmacy deliveries and even manning covid test centres.

Have you read the thread?

Lots of libraries ARE offering click and collect as standard and have done since March last year.

And you're right, advice is to stay at home, but it's still perfectly legal to leave the house to access goods and services from business who are open or who are operating click and collect.

Ours is. And they do a Lucky Dip type thing as well.

@Sophiesdog2020

I think you can ask for authors but not actual books, but again, if I like an author then I've probably read a fair few titles they would choose for me.
I've joined Borrowbox and am getting used to reading online.

At the library I work for you can make specific requests via the online catalogue, you just need your borrower number and a PIN number. Check your local library website to see if they offer that as an option. It makes our job a lot easier too

My local libraries were doing click and collect, but they stopped just after this current lockdown started.

They put a notice up on the libraries Facebook page which said something along the lines of they were closing all the libraries doing click and collect to protect library users and encourage people to stay at home.

I’d like it if they did open for click and collect again soon, but I don’t think that will be happening before the lockdown is eased.

Citygirl88 yes we have been working through all the lockdowns. Last spring the libraries were shut so we were out delivering prescriptions and food parcels, taking PPE to care homes, even helping out at the crematorium.

This time around it seems half the working population are 'key workers' even though the infection rates are far worse than last year. We all want to work and we want libraries to have a secure future, but same as everyone else who can't wfh, many of us are anxious having to be out at work.

I hope councils and governments remember how libraries and library staff served their communities during the pandemic when allocating budgets in future, but I'm not optimistic about that.

Ours is doing C&C which is excellent as the kids really enjoy new books

It also has Overdrive/Libby for e reading

Ours did when we were in Tier 3 and 4 but not currently.

@stargirl1701

Ours did when we were in Tier 3 and 4 but not currently.

Same with ours. It's such a shame - but might make me try their digital lending library when I'd finished my current to read pile.

Al of ours in our LA are operating a click and collect system at the moment. They've also waived all fees.

Some councils have deemed their libraries not to essential, so have moved the staff to other council services.

@SirSamuelVimes

Also a lot of the book bags we put together are for children. They've had so much else taken away from them, being able to put together a dozen books they might like from the library every week or so which might put a smile on their face is WORTH IT.

Thank you. My eldest is 3.5 and loves books and loves the library. She knows we can't go in, but is happy that they are still there and we can collect her books. It gives us hope that one day, we'll be able to go in again. Our local library did a story time for children every week, so it was an important part of our week pre lockdown.

Libraries in Ireland are totally closed, no click and collect. I don't enjoy using an ereader and obviously there's no way to buy or borrow second hand books so I'm spending a fortune.
I'm job hunting and have kids on every device in the house home schooling. If I didn't have a good supply of books I would be utterly miserable.

@Helbelle75 I'm glad your little one can still access books. I can't wait to get my youngest back to story time too.