Empty Libraries
Posted by: Sara Rofofsky Marcus
As I sit at the Reference Desk, I wonder if a patron asks a question and there is no librarian, is the question really asked?
With the growth in library usage throughout the semester as college enrollment grows, when the downtimes come between semesters it seems almost that the library is dead, although there are still patrons.
So, the question becomes, what makes a successful library? Is it one with many patrons, all seats and computers filled, or is it the library that is available when a single patron needs it? Does success equal gate counts, number of patrons served, circulation stats, or is it something more – the intangible something that we, as librarians, strive for?
With the growth of digital resources, the Internet as a source of information (whether for good or evil), and increasing need for immediate response, how do we measure a successful library?
