By Anne Gibson
A new cement slab has been poured at the front entrance of the Gibson-Esmond Station Library. The cement slab, when cured, will hold 30 standard and five large lockers to allow library clients the option to pick up their reading materials at any time of day or night with just a swipe of their library card.
“When reserved items arrive at the library, if a patron chooses a locker for pickup, the items will be placed in the lockers, and the patron will be notified by email that their items are ready. Patrons simply scan the barcode or type in the number on their library card at the locker keypad, and the locker with their items will pop open so they can take them and go,” said Esmond Station Librarian Mary McKinney.
“We serve a diverse community with people who have their own unique situations. The current library hours of Monday-Friday 10 am-5 pm can be challenging for some people to take advantage. All our busy people can grab their books in seconds and be on their way,” said Library Associate Ray Baca, who received his Masters in Library and Information Science this past December.
Librarian Mary McKinney and Circulations Supervisor Angela Kimball have been attending meetings that will determine the internal procedures for locker use. The role of the circulations supervisor is to get the lockers “set up and ready to work”, and to train the other employees at their library site. Participating libraries in the locker project in addition to the Gibson-Esmond Station library are the Joel D. Valdez Main Library, Murphy-Wilmot Library, Nanini Library, Oro Valley Public Library, and the Sahuarita Library.
As a Circulation Supervisor Angela Kimball needs to be knowledgeable, in addition to the lockers, about all of the items in the system and how they are handled. This includes magazines, newspapers, books, audio books. DVDs, seeds, and at some branches telescopes. She also works with the library technology and Pima County IT. She received her training at the Oro Valley Public Library, one of busiest branches of the 27 libraries in the Pima county system. Her life has always been filled with reading, but she has added enjoyment in creating artwork, gardening, and all kinds of crafts. Her current favorite is to crochet tiny stuffed animals, bags and blankets.
Library Associate Ray Baca works the front desk, helping patrons with research, technology, and other inquiries they may have. Currently, Ray specializes in teen and young adult services doing programs like code club, teen gaming, and chess club. He began working in the Pima County Public Library system in 2012 and since then has had the opportunity to work at the Valencia Library, the Sam Lena-South Tucson Library, the Joel D Valdez Main Library, and the Southwest Library before coming to the Gibson-Esmond Station Library. Ray’s hobby revolves around photography, all types of photography, but he admits he probably has a few more sunset pictures than anything else. “The sunsets here in Southern Arizona are beautiful, so who can blame me,” he asked.
Stop by the library, check out a book or two, and meet Angela and Ray. The library is located at 10931 E. Mary Ann Cleveland Way.
Whittley “Anne” Gibson is a third generation Tucsonan and alumni of the University of Arizona. She has been an active community member in the greater Vail area since the late 1970s.