Stellenbosch Public Libraries have initiated a curbside book service outside their local libraries, where patrons can have books and other items, such as photocopies and printing orders, delivered to their vehicles. This has been in place since 17 August.
“People phone or email us with their requirements, and we prepare it prior to them coming in,” said Sarala Majudith, library services manager for Stellenbosch Municipality.
Stellenbosch library users now have the opportunity to have books delivered to their vehicles outside their local library. PHOTO: Unsplash/Thought Catalog
The service is currently being run in various Stellenbosch libraries, including at the Plein Street, Ida’s Valley and Kayamandi libraries and more. Majudith and her team came up with the initiative after the national lockdown came into effect and libraries had to subsequently suspend their services, leaving many readers without books while libraries remain closed, she said.
“People didn’t have books to read. Everyone was getting desperate – they had withdrawal symptoms from reading,” she said. “That was what made us relook our services and see how we could help. That’s how [the curbside service] started.”
With the curbside service, libraries have to adhere to strict protocols to ensure the safety of their staff and patrons, according to Majudith.
All books are sanitised with anti-bacterial wipes when they are returned and have a 72-hour quarantine period before they are placed back in circulation, Majudith said.
GRAPHIC: Sarah Hoek
Not a bestseller (yet)
However, according to some librarians and staff from the public libraries, the service has been slow to pick up in some Stellenbosch communities.
One issue in Kayamandi, suspects Zolelwa Zozo Malambile, the senior librarian at Kayamandi Library, is that some patrons don’t have access to the data or internet connection to connect with the library.
“Our patrons are not used to the service yet as they prefer to walk into the library [rather than] making calls or emailing,” she said.
Bad weather conditions in the Western Cape have also made it difficult to get support for the curbside service, according to Colleen Adonia, the senior librarian at Ida’s Valley Library.
“The service [has not been] in operation for long and the weather has been cold and wet,” she said. “[We] will, however, remain committed to rendering the best service we can under the circumstances.”
GRAPHIC: Sarah Hoek
Although the weather may have hindered people from using the service initially, Majudith is confident that the initiative is gaining popularity with library patrons, she said.
“I’ve had lots of emails asking about the service and telephone calls to the library as well. People are hearing about it and [support is] definitely picking up,” she said. “I think people are grateful that they can just at least get something to read.”