KINGMAN – Patrons have responded slowly since Mohave County began ramping up service following last month’s directive by the board of supervisors to reopen public libraries. Once a month bookmobile service to outlying areas resumed Tuesday in Yucca followed by Wikieup on Thursday and Arizona strip communities on May 25 and 26.
“We’ve got our libraries open for browsing,” Library Director Kathy Pennell reported during Monday’s board meeting. “We’ve got computers on the floor for public use. Tables and seating areas are available as are our meeting rooms and our study rooms.”
Public use of library services has not come back to full strength.
“We’re just not anywhere near where we were pre-pandemic,” Pennell said. “Our computer usage in April was 33% of what it was in April of 2019. Our gig count was 39% of what it was in that month. Circulation was 63% of what it was in 2019 but 23%of that was actually digitally downloaded without them coming into the library.”
Pennell said newspaper subscriptions have been renewed and that local newspapers are making it to libraries. Handling and other issues result in a multi-week lag time for publications like the Wall Street Journal and USA Today.
Pennell told board members that library staff is down 28% from pre-COVID levels. She said filling the vacant positions has been slower than she’d like.
Pennell says library service to public schools is suspended until the new school year and that the same is true with senior centers until late June or early July.
The main libraries in Kingman, Lake Havasu and Bullhead City operate 48 hours each week. Community libraries are open 15 hours per week, except in Fort Mohave where the facility is open 25 hours per week.
Dave Hawkins
