Residents will soon be able to hit the books a little sooner in
the day twice a week because the San Benito County Free Library
will open an hour earlier on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
At the request of County Librarian Jo Wahdan, the County Board
of Supervisors, at approved the change in the library’s schedule
Tuesday.
Residents will soon be able to hit the books a little sooner in the day twice a week because the San Benito County Free Library will open an hour earlier on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
At the request of County Librarian Jo Wahdan, the County Board of Supervisors, at approved the change in the library’s schedule Tuesday.
The library will now open at noon on Tuesdays and Thursdays to give more people a chance to utilize the facility during the day, Wahdan said.
“We know there are a lot of people who want to use the library at noon,” she said.
Wahdan said she knows people want to use the library at noon because she conducted a survey of library users between March 17 and April 22.
“The survey indicated that very few people use the library between 8 and 9 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays,” she said. “By closing the library an hour earlier on Tuesday and Thursday and opening at noon, the library would be providing better access to library service to a greater segment of the public.”
Wahdan said there are a number of people who want to use the library at noon.
“They want to come in on their lunch break to drop off a book, pick one up and sometimes just spend the hour reading,” Wahdan said.
The shift in hours is supported by the Friends of the San Benito County Free Library, a volunteer group of residents who have devoted a tremendous amount of time and effort to keeping the library functioning.
“I think it’s a very good idea,” library volunteer Ruth Erickson said.
Erickson, who has been on the friends of the library’s board of directors for 20 years, said closing an hour earlier on Tuesday and Thursday nights in order to open an hour earlier during the day makes more sense.
“If you go in between 8 and 9 p.m., sometimes I’m the only one in there,” Erickson said. “Because people are already home, they’ve had their dinner and they are not going to want to go out again.”
The earlier times on Tuesdays and Thursdays will go into effect Monday, Sept. 29.
The new library’s hours will be:
– 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Fridays
– Noon – 8 p.m. Tuesday and Thursdays.
– 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Saturdays
