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August 8, 2008

Library items 'in the bag'

Aug. 7 Maple Shade Progress.com

By Sean Patrick Murphy; Staff Writer
The Maple Shade Library has just added a new dimension to its services: folks can borrow items by mail.Mike Bennett, branch manager of Maple Shade Public Library, said "Library in a Bag" is a new pilot project that started in June.

The program, which is becoming very popular, is open to all Burlington County card holders in good standing.

Borrowers can request items in person, by phone or online.

Bennett said they try to mail two business days from time of request.

AdvertisementUsers can return items in the bag and pay for postage or in person to any of the 16 libraries in Burlington County.

"We hope that as this gets disseminated people will say, 'Oh, I don't have to go fill up my car with gas - I can request this and it will come as close as my mailbox,'" Bennett said.

He said due dates will be included in the bag and are the same as items normally checked out in person.

Sarah Thomson is Extension Services Librarian and Project Supervisor for "Library in a Bag."

She said the county-wide library system received a grant from the South Jersey Regional Library Cooperative.

"We were very excited by the idea," Thomson said. "Many of our long time customers find it difficult to get to a library either because they work long hours out of the area, are care-givers for family members, have child care issues, are disabled themselves, or are just plain busy."

The county mailed 313 items in June, and just over 1,000 items (or more than 400 packages) in July.

Any library customer can place a hold on an item from any computer in one of the library branches, or from their home or office. They simply choose "mail," instead of "Maple Shade," when prompted for a pickup location.

The item then is pulled from the shelf and sent to the "Library in a Bag" area for mailing.

"We named the program, designed a logo, and purchased teal nylon bags with the logo on them for mailing, as well as padded paper bags, and rigid bags for DVDs," Thomson said.

The grant year for the program runs through June 30, 2009.

"If we are 'successful,' we could receive half as much money for a second year ending June 30, 2010," Thomson said. "We are feeling pretty successful so far."

Posted by tumulty at August 8, 2008 12:07 PM

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