By Craig Scott
Have you ever dropped a library book into one of our book drops, heard it land with a familiar “thunk,” and wondered what happens next?
For most people, that’s the end of the story. For us, it’s just the beginning.
Every day, library materials find their way back to us in several different ways. Many patrons use the convenient book drop located beside the front entrance of the Gadsden Public Library. Others prefer our drive-up book drop on the rear side of the library along South 7th Street, where books and DVD movies can be returned without ever leaving the comfort of your vehicle.
Even our Alabama City Genealogy Branch plays an important role. Although it is a specialized genealogy library with very few circulating books of its own, patrons may still return Main Library books and DVD movies there. Thanks to our regular courier—or “basket”—delivery system, those materials are safely transported back to the Main Library at no cost to our patrons.
No matter where an item begins its journey home, every returned book and movie eventually arrives in the Circulation Department—the busiest department in our library.
This is where the real work begins.
Circulation Manager Amy McCary and her outstanding team—Cait, Niki, Kirby, Brenda, Ashley, Ezra, and Scarlet—carefully check in every returned item. Thousands of books, DVD movies, audiobooks, and other library materials pass through their hands each year.
Each item is inspected to ensure it is clean and in good condition. Pages are checked for damage, DVD cases are examined, and repairs are made whenever possible to extend the life of our collection. If an item has seen better days, our staff determines whether it can be repaired or whether it should eventually be replaced.
Once a book or movie has been checked in, our computer system immediately determines its next destination.
Sometimes, the journey ends quickly as the item is placed on a cart to be returned to its proper shelf, waiting for the next patron to discover it.
But often, that’s not where the story ends.
Many popular titles already have another reader—or movie lover—waiting. If someone has reserved the item through our online catalog at www.gadsdenlibrary.org, it never makes it back to the shelf. Instead, it is carefully pulled aside, prepared for pickup, and the next patron is notified that it is ready.
Of course, not every library book has to make the trip home at all.
Many patrons are discovering CamelliaNet, our growing collection of electronic books and digital audiobooks that can be downloaded directly to a phone, tablet, or e-reader through a link on our website. When the lending period ends, there’s no book drop to visit and no due-date worries—the digital title simply returns itself automatically. It’s one more way today’s library combines traditional collections with modern technology. I’ll save the full story of CamelliaNet for another column.
It’s easy to think of a library as simply a building filled with books. In reality, every returned item passes through the hands of dedicated library professionals who work quietly behind the scenes to keep our collection organized, well maintained, and ready for the next reader.
The next time you slide a book or DVD movie into one of our book drops, remember that its journey isn’t over.
Behind every returned library item is a remarkable team of people working every day to make sure that story—or that favorite movie—finds its way into someone else’s hands.
After all, every great story deserves another reader, and every great movie deserves another audience.
Library Update: We are also pleased to share that the library’s elevator is once again in full operation after several weeks of repairs and safety system upgrades. We appreciate everyone’s patience during the outage and look forward to welcoming patrons back to all four floors of the Gadsden Public Library.
Gadsden Public Library: 254 South College Street, downtown Gadsden (next to the U.S. Post Office). Phone: 256-549-4699. Genealogy Branch: 2700 West Meighan Boulevard, Alabama City (next to the Ritz Theater at the corner of West Meighan and Wall Street). Phone: 256-549-4688
Craig Scott is the director for the GPL.
