If the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent quarantines have made time for anything, it is activities like reading.
The Union County Public Library System has managed to service this demand throughout the pandemic, both through its physical locations as well as its Libby e-book program.
In a February 2020 - just before the effects of COVID-19 became a daily reality - UCPLS director Michael O’Connell spoke with the News-Times about daunting funding challenges facing the library system due in part to long-unchanged local millage rates devoted to the system, as well as the increase of minimum wage to $11 in 2021.
Now, nearly a year later, O’Connell said the pandemic has actually helped to stave off those funding problems, at least in the short term
“We’ve actually managed to cut spending dramatically because of branches being closed so often. With the computers being off we save hundreds of dollars on electric bills alone. It will be enough to get through next year with this year’s savings, even with the minimum wage increase,” O’Connell said.
The unavoidable spending cuts have even had the unintended side effects of making the UCPLS largely ineligible for new grants available in the wake of COVID-19.
“It’s a yes and no answer,” O’Connell said on the availability of grants.
“There is more money out there, but we aren’t in the best position to get it because we aren’t taking a huge financial hit as a result of [the pandemic],” he explained.
Still, the issues of funding will resurface when the public library system begins operating normally again.
The pandemic has also had effects on the library system beyond the financial.
“There are lots of differences. We quarantine things for a week when they come in to make sure they are safe. We’ve gotten rid of fines, which was only about $100 a year, but still. The only reason we have fines is moral hazard,” O’Connell said.
The moral hazard economic theory, which in a broad definition posits that an individual or entity is more likely to take a risk (not returning a book on time) when it does not face the consequences of that risk (a late fee), faces at least an anecdotal challenge from the UCPLS’s return numbers.
“Returns are about the same,” O’Connell said.
The library system’s e-book program, on the other hand, has seen a substantial uptick.
“The use of e-books is up. We put it in place and were advertising it in September (2019), so a lot of people have made a smooth transition,” O’Connell.
The UCPLS e-book program can be accessed through the Libby app using a library card number.
While he does not have official numbers yet, O’Connell hopes that the system’s circulation numbers will be similar to 2019 due to the much-increased e-book usage despite reduced foot traffic. Foot traffic has, for example, essentially halved at Barton Library, averaging about 125-130 per day as opposed to the pre-pandemic average of 250 per day.
One of the biggest detriments to the library system has been the cancellation of all library events.
“We can’t have events, that hurts us. We did virtual summer reading, but that’s a lot different than traditional summer reading where we have hundreds of kids in the library,” O’Connell said.
The library system has also pursued the same rigorous cleaning measures used by most businesses open to the public during the pandemic.
“It’s changed how we operate. We’re constantly cleaning, wiping things down. I’ve had to double hours for our cleaning crew. The cost of supplies went through the roof, but we’re still working through our back supply,” O’Connell said.
O’Connell said he made the, in retrospect wise, decision to order a quarterly supply of items such as toilet paper and cleaning supplies before March after hearing about the virus on the news.
Overall, O’Connell said that he and his staff are much like everyone else - eagerly anticipating a return to normalcy.
“I miss everybody. It’s weird to have my Saturdays back; I was spending those out in the community, going to events. I look forward to doing that again. We’ll be looking to come back with a roar and looking forward to a big summer reading program,” O’Connell said.