While SPL’s yearlong closure caused a dip in checkouts in 2020, Seattle residents actually used their checked-out hot spots even more during the pandemic.
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Kate Sellers, SPL’s technical manager, believes the number of general circulation hot spots is enough to keep up with demand.
In 2021, additional general circulation hot spots shortened the waiting time for a hot spot from 10 to “four or five weeks.” A person who regularly uses hot spots will usually place a hold for one, then place a hold for another as soon as the first one arrives at their local branch. The second device will then come a few weeks after the person has to return the first hot spot.
Source: Seattle Times
Residents and community partners generally agree the hot spot program has been beneficial. It currently has a rating of 4.5 stars on its website, averaged among 418 reviews as of August 17.
Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area.
He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit.
Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com.
