Catonsville Library Shifts to Combined Service Desk

The is following the lead of other libraries in Baltimore County and the nation by combining staff desks to better meet the needs of patrons.

In the past, visitors of the library may have visited the information desk to ask a question and the circulation desk to check out books and materials. But now library staff are working at one combined desk, according to Branch Manager Melissa Gotsch.

"Though we'll have less desk real estate, staff will always be available to assist customers, and we will continue to have library staff on the public floor throughout the building," Gotsch wrote in an email.

The combination of desks didn't result in any staff reductions, but an effort to run the desks more efficiently, she said.

The desks were combined last week, which also created room for more self-service checkout machines. The branch received four new machines, which is more than the two that used to be there. The four new machines will allow customers to check out books, renew books, place reserves and pay fines with a credit card.

Several other Baltimore County branches have already combined desks, including Reisterstown, Arbutus, Rosedale and Essex.