Historical December 1991 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
Responding to changing consumer demands, the Board of Directors of the St. Louis Public Library has approved new operating schedules for library branch public service hours and an increase in off-site patron services. Beginning in January, 1992, hours of operation at the Library’s 12 branches and the Kingsbury Kiosk will be adjusted to conform to peak usage patterns, and resources will be reallocated to community outreach services. “Our primary goal is to promote access and encourage public use of library services,” said Library Board president Thomas F. Schlafly. “And because a growing number of our patrons are not able to visit us in person, achieving our goal means taking the Library to them, which we are doing in a variety of important and groundbreaking ways.” Some of these new ways include: • More than 400 library van stops per month at senior citizen residences and nursing homes, preschool and head start centers, schools and hospitals provide access to library materials for patrons who may find it difficult to personally visit a library branch. • Placing “mini-collections” of library books in numerous non-library locations around the city. • Special stops and presentations at area schools, with programs such as storytelling, puppet shows and reading encouragement. • Off-site computerized “Intelligent Catalogs.” offering direct access to library resources, are presently in place in more than 23 locations, including 9 area high schools, and serve hundreds of St. Louisans each day.
The new operating schedules are the result of an exhaustive study of patron use patterns, and will allow the Library to make more productive use of limited resources by reaching out to the people unable to come in person, while at the same time, continuing to provide full service branch operations during peak usage periods. Says Schlafly, “The St. Louis Public Library is one of the best urban libraries to be found in America today. By responding affirmatively to the changing needs of our patrons, we are strengthening our commitment to provide the best library possible to all of our citizens.” The new branch operating hours, effective January 1992, are as follows: Baden, Barr, Cabanne, Carondelet, Kingshighway and Walnut Park Branches: Monday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. TuesdayThursday 12 – 7 p.m. Friday 11 am. – 6 p.m. Saturday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Buder and Carpenter Branches: Monday – Thursday 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Sunday 1- 5 p.m. Divoll Branch: Monday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Tuesday Thursday 12 – 7 p.m. Friday 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. Saturday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Julia Davis Branch: Monday and Wednesday 10 a.m. 7 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Kingsbury Kiosk: Tuesday – Friday 1 – 6 p.m. Saturday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Lashly Branch: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday 12 – 9 p.m. Sunday 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. Machecek Branch: Monday and Wednesday 12 – 9 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Hours for the Central Library, Compton Film Library and Community Services Department will remain unchanged.
For more information about Library services, hours or programs, please call 241-2288. ext. 305.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, December 1991.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1991_12.pdf, printed page(s) 4; PDF page(s) 4.
