How do you get the library to rural residents? Cumberland County puts new system to the test.
GODWIN – Residents in the northern part of Cumberland County now have a convenient way to get books and other items from the library.
Cumberland County Public Library and the town of Godwin installed functional automated book lockers at the Town Hall on Markham Street. The lockers are similar to ones used to pick up online orders from retailers.
If the project goes well, residents in other areas of the county may have access to similar facilities, according to Nora Armstrong, the library’s division manager for community engagement.
“I’m optimistic about this,” she said. “I think it’s going to be very popular.”
Residents who place holds on books, DVDs, audiobooks and portable hotspots can pick them up and return them at the lockers, which will be available Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. when the Town Hall is open.
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Library staff members plan to visit the town hall once a week to fill lockers and collect returned items, according to a statement released by county officials. The staff members also will be available to answer questions from residents about personal portable technology such as tablets and smartphones, it said.
Town and county officials celebrated the availability of the lockers at a ceremony Tuesday. Speakers included Godwin Mayor Willie Burnette and Glenn Adams, chairman of the county Board of Commissioners.
Library Director Faith Phillips, who also spoke at the ceremony, said in the statement that library officials are excited to start the initiative in Godwin.
“It’s important for our library to serve our whole community, expand access to library resources and promote digital equity, and I’m grateful for this opportunity with the Town of Godwin,” she said.
The lockers were bought with grant funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the federal Library Services and Technology Act, according to the statement. The grant is administered by the State Library of North Carolina, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
Armstrong said residents can put a hold on an item from the library through the website or by calling. Once staff members take the item to the lockers, the residents will get an email and can then access the item in a locker by scanning the barcode on their library card or by entering a number they get from the library on a touch screen.
There are about 40 lockers in three sizes, including ones big enough to hold children’s picture books, Armstrong said.
Anyone who wants more information about the lockers can call the library at 910-483-7727.
Local news editor Steve DeVane can be reached at sdevane@fayobserver.com.
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This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Cumberland County puts library book lockers in Godwin Town Hall
