Crom74

Hours of Operation...

The library system in which I now find myself working is looking at changing our business hours.  Why?  Well, you should know, but I will still tell you.  GAS!  Apparently there is a gas crisis going on in the US of A, who knew?  Anyway, we are currently open for only 3 hours on Saturdays and that is just a waste of time to be driving all the way to work.

Anyway, please give me your opinions as to which possible working schedule sounds best to you.

1.  Open Monday - Thursday from 8 AM to 7 PM; Closed Friday - Sunday
2.  Open Tuesday - Friday from 8 AM to 7 PM; Closed Saturday - Monday
3.  Open Monday, Wednesday, Friday 9 AM - 6 PM; Tuesday & Thursday 10 AM - 7 PM; Closed Saturday and Sunday
4.  Open Monday, Wednesday, Friday 9 AM - 6 PM; Tuesday & Thursday 10 AM - 7 PM; My Branch open Saturday from 9 AM - 6 PM with workers from all other branches helping fill in; All other branches closed Saturday
5.  Open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday 8 AM - 7 PM; Closed Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday

Our current hours are MWF 9 - 6 ; TTR 10 - 7; SAT 9 - 12; Sunday closed

What do you think?

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Valerae
I vote for #4. When I was a kid we had to drive to get to the library (wasn't one in walking distance from our home)...our mom was single and worked a lot of hours so late weeknights and Saturdays were always the only time we could get over there. It was especially crucial to us in the summers since we didn't have daily access to our school libraries.
ced1969
I guess I'd go with option 4, simply because I know there are many weeks when I just can't get to the library on a weekday, as a working person. Plus I would think families with 2 working parents would only have the weekend to take their kids to the library as well.... My library has an amazing schedule; M-F, 9a-7p, and Sat and Sun, 10-4. I feel ever LUCKIER now.
Crom74
Indeed, but please keep in mind that we are a small library system. My branch is the biggest with 4 full time and 1 part time employee, so it is difficult to stretch our hours much more. I tend to think we need to be open on Sat. as well.
ced1969

I completely understand. The library system that my branch is a part of is huge, and therefore in a better position to have those hours. But it does make me more appreciative.

Yeah...I think if a library can manage to be open on a weekend day, that goes a long way, and Saturday is probably a better day for library activities than Sunday for some people/families.

>Ü< CareaBearaSara >Ü<
i'd go with # 4, it seems to have more availability for people

i still dont understand why libraries aren't open on sundays at least during the school year, because everyone waits till the last minute to do reports and last minute = sunday before its due.
Crom74
We do not have the staff to be open on Sundays. Also, down here in MS, Sunday is churching day, so nobody will work on a Sunday.

My advice is to not wait to the last minute and for kids and parents to take some responsibility and not really on libraries to bail them out. But that is my advice.
>Ü< CareaBearaSara >Ü<
ahhh i forget about that church stuff....

LoL.. well the internet is the back up to the library now .. so last minute procrastinators like myself always had a way around it!
snoringKatZ
I think I'd go with #4 except I wouldn't change the hours every other day. 10-7 seems good for many people (post-work - it's coolest in the AM so that's when people want to get outside stuff done - sun is worst from 10-3 - etc. etc.)

Is there any specific benefit to opening at 9 on some days? Certain user groups or classes or activities at that hour?
Crom74
No, not really. The only thing is that not all staff like getting home after 7. Personally, either way is fine with me.
kite
My coworker is going to suggest going to 4-day workweeks since she lives about 30 miles one way from where we work. I guess since your library is so small, that wouldn't work. (I mean where say I'd work Tuesday-Friday, my coworker does Monday-Thursday) so you're saving a little bit of gas, but the library still stays open. Or did anyone just suggest staying open later on Saturday to get more hours, so they'll get their money's worth? I drove in last Saturday for a 3-hour shift at my part-time job (I make $7 an hour and had to drive 18 miles one way to get there) my boss felt so bad for me, but I volunteered. And I have to do it again on the 28th.
Crom74
I think more hours on Saturday or no hours on Saturday in order to get their money's worth on gas is the issue. Personally, I would love to have Saturday off, but that is not really an option if we want to keep our patrons happy.
snoringKatZ
I understand. I guess I was just thinking about daylight and all that stuff. I work all kinds of weird hours so I don't even think about when I get home - it's always ... weird.

You know your patrons best and if shifting hours don't bother them, I'd think your plan is good. Maybe change Mon/Wed to 10-7 and do Tue/Thur/Sat 9-6 just because it would be an every other day thing?

It gets to be a tough call. If another closure day would be attractive, Monday would be good because you'd have two consecutive days. But then again, it's Monday and people probably expect everyone but barbershops to be open. It would also be a cost savings in terms of utilities, I'd imagine.

Otherwise it would seem Wednesday or Thursday might be a good choice as an additional 'off' day. Difficult for staff to not have those two days in a row off and probably not as efficient for utilites/fuel but still better than six days if that's not appealing.

I'm sure you will find the perfect plan!
Bookmole
1, 2, 3 & 5 are no-nos as none of those options are open over the weekend. And some people can only get there at the weekend.

Bookishly Fabulous
We are open Sundays from September to May from 1-5 at my library. Sucks for us, but we do get lots of kids (and adults) in that day to study. I'm in a system that serves a population of 400,000+, and we have over 20 people on our reference staff alone so we can certainly handle this schedule better than Crom's 'brary.

I'd vote for #4 - Kids and families need to be able to go on the weekend when the parents are both working.


Crom74
Indeed, that does not change much for us and it adds more people to help on Saturdays.
Sixbucksamonkey
[this is good]
HA HA (my Nelson laugh)

You know you're gonna end up doing some version of 4. It will be a headache to schedule. Is Sunday voluntary, because if it's not some staff will be pissy about having to come to your branch. Some patrons will bitch and moan about the changes no matter what you do.

Yep. The glass is just as empty as it is full.

Good luck with all that!

Crom74
No work on Sundays thankfully. Indeed, we will probably do some version of 4. Lovely.
Red Pen
I think a library really must be open at some time during the weekend.

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