The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
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Willoughby-Eastlake Public Libraries introduce new self-service lockers
The Willoughby-Eastlake Public Libraries has implemented a new, self-service locker system that will allow patrons to pick up their items from the library 24/7.
The lockers are available outside the following locations:
• Eastlake Public Library, 36706 Lakeshore Blvd.
• Willoughby Public Library, 30 Public Square.
• Willoughby Hills Public Library, 35400 Chardon Road
• Willowick Public Library, located at 263 E. 305th St.
Patrons may call the library they would like to pick their items up at to request a locker reservation. The library will check out holds and place them inside the locker for up to four days. Patrons will need an email address or cellphone number to receive a code, which will be used to open the locker and retrieve items.
“Initially, when the Willoughby Hills Library was built several years ago, they installed book lockers for pickup during outside of the times of the library’s operations,” said Deborah Mullen, library manager of the Willoughby Public Library.
“With winter coming, I think the lockers will get a lot of usage for people who want to pull up, grab their items and go.”
— Michelle Hudson, communications and development associate for the Willoughby-Eastlake Public Library
“They were a big hit for the people of Willoughby Hills, but fast forward, they got a lot of use and time took its toll.”
Ultimately, those lockers fell into disrepair and were too costly to replace. Willoughby Hills expanded their hours, so the lockers were missed, but people were getting by without them, Mullen said.
“Fast forward to (the coronavirus) and the CARES Act, we thought it would be a great thing for all the locations to have book lockers,” Mullen said. “That’s where most of the CARES Act money went to.”
The library system received $100,000 from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.
“We wanted to make sure we had a no-contact option or a social distancing option,” said Michelle Hudson, communications and development associate for the WilloughbyEastlake Public Library system. “This is very convenient for people who are still not comfortable coming into the library.”
The book lockers will be nice for families because they are able to pull up, use the lockers, get their items and when they return them, they are able to use the book drop, Hudson said.
“They really don’t have to come in and interact with people,” she said. “With winter coming, I think the lockers will get a lot of usage for people who want to pull up, grab their items and go.”
The main locker unit has 16 lockers within it. There are different size lockers at different levels of the unit.
“All that needs to happen is the patron would call the library, and provide either a phone number or an email. We would check the items out to them and place them in the locker,” said Brian Campbell, head of circulation at the Willoughby Public Library.
A barcode and an alphanumeric code will be sent to the email address or phone number provided by the patron. Then, they are able to come up to the locker, scan in and then take their items.
“The smaller units can hold anywhere from 15 to 20 books or DVDS,” Campbell said.
“The larger ones can probably hold 30 books and 60 DVDs. They’re very deep.”
The lockers at the Willoughby Hills location has seen the most usage because patrons were glad to see them come back, Mullen said.
“We’re trying to get word out for the other locations, especially here in Willoughby,” she said. “There’s so many things that go on in Downtown Willoughby throughout the year. It’s a great option for picking up your items if the streets are blocked or there is no parking.”
The end goal of the lockers are to get more people involved in the library, Campbell said.
“There’s any number of reasons why someone might not be able to get to us during our regular hours,” he said. “It makes it convenient and much about giving patrons options to get items in their hands.”