Politics & Government
Annapolis Library Begins Extended Hours in 2014
"No longer will people have to scratch their heads and wonder, 'Is the library open today?'" Library Director Skip Auld said.
Among the hard-fought budgetary items in this year's county budget was a request for libraries to have expanded hours.
Anne Arundel County's Library Director Skip Auld said without a unified schedule, the libraries were losing potential patrons who left confused when their library was closed at noon, or who couldn't visit during work hours.
Auld got his wish, but with a caveat. Libraries are only operating the last half of the year with extended hours, but the gears are in motion for a full year's worth in 2014-2015. The total cost per year is an estimated $1.5 million, Auld said.
"No longer will people have to scratch their heads and wonder, 'Is the library open today?'" Auld said. "Everybody will know the libraries are open."
The change starts Jan. 27, when all libraries will operate at least six days a week on a unified schedule:
- Monday-Thursday: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Friday-Saturday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Sunday (at five locations): 1-5 p.m.
Auld said the past three months have been spent interviewing and hiring employees in advance of the late January launch date. An estimated 31 new employees will be needed across the system to keep up with the new hours.
With the extra 20 hours afforded the libraries, services are also expanding, Auld said.
"We're using this opportunity to create an early literacy initiative," he said. "For young kids, their prime time for learning is in the morning."
The new hours mean kids and parents can count on early mornings at the library, and with that in mind, librarians are gearing new programming toward that age group.
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