The Pawling Library Provided Internet and Phone Service During Weather Emergency.
By Susan Stone
When the tornados knocked out power to much of the community, the Pawling Library did not experience any power outages. Consequently, the library was especially full of people coming to make use of its internet connection and electricity. Staff located extra power strips and distributed them around the building so that all the people who wanted to charge their phones and laptops were able to do so. It was a big help to the community to be open during that time, and it was reported that a lot of people who don’t use library services on a regular basis came and paid a visit. Visits to the library’s website were more than double the number from two days prior, and the WiFi usage saw a similar spike.
With computer use at the library increasing rapidly, Library Director, Brian Avery, is looking into upgrading WiFi services to adjust for growing needs. He stated, “Over the last year, our public computers have seen a 69% increase in usage. When you couple that with the growing number of mobile devices people bring with them to the library, the library is taking seriously our commitment to providing adequate access to information to everyone.”
As proof that they are serious about this idea, the library just created a new “Quiet Use Computer Area” with two new computers for use by patrons whose needs require this accommodation.
