Suggestions & Questions from Our Library Users January 2018 Building-related comments 1. I think that you should add a new water fountain with a water bottle fill up sensor. Thank you for the suggestion. This is a great idea, but I am not sure our budget will allow such an addition. We are going to investigate the cost to see if this is feasible. 2. Bench outside doors- spring/summer. Glove tree (Holidays) too. We have discussed the idea of putting a bench outside, but, to be frank, history shows us that a bench outside our entrance would attract teenagers who would loiter and interfere with patrons trying to use the library. We do, however, have some outdoor seating located around the library (i.e., a bench next to the bike rack to the south of our entrance). Regarding your glove tree suggestion, our wonderful Staff Association manages our holiday sock tree and I will pass along your suggestion to them about having a glove tree. Thank you. 3. Have a designated parking place up front close to doors for dropping off books, picking up books from express lockers etc…. – 5 to 10 minute so people won’t use the designated handicap spot which seems to happen frequently. We did have such designated parking spots in the past, but unfortunately the same type of people who illegally park in designated handicap parking spaces would park in the 15 minute short-term parking spots as well for extended periods. With the current layout, not only do we offer more designated handicap parking, but it is also easier for us to enforce as staff can easily tell whether or not a vehicle should be parked in the handicap parking spot or not. And don’t forget our drive-up book drop in the parking lot and the new book drop at Gurnee Station #2 at Hunt Club and Dada. Service-related comments 1. I think you all do a great job. Thank you. Thank you for the kind words and your patronage!  2. Great library. Friendly people. Maybe a stapler & stapler remover in Business center. Thanks. Beautiful facility. Thanks for the compliments! Regarding the addition of a stapler and staple remover to the business center, we’d prefer it if you just visited the circulation desk and/or security desk right around the corner to borrow these items from staff when the need arises. 3. How many Spanish collection books are checked out each year? In 2017 we had 3,136 checkouts of Spanish language materials (this includes AV and print/juvenile and adult). 4. Thanks for your Spanish Collection. My grandson is learning Spanish and I am learning it at the same time but every time I look for a particular Spanish book (juvenile section) is not in the correct location. Sometimes they are in the adult section. Pay attention, please. Thanks! We are happy to know that you find the Spanish collections useful. Please let staff know if you feel a specific item belongs in the juvenile Spanish collection. There may be items that have crossover appeal which is why they may be located within a specific collection. 5. I RECENTLY COMPLAINED ABOUT A VERY EXPLICIT /FOLK MOVIE THAT WAS IN THE OPEN FOR CHILDREN TO ACCESS. I WAS ADVICED THERE ARE MANY MORE. PLEASE PUT RESTRICTIONS TO 18 FOR ALL VIDOEOS/AUDIO WITH ADULT CONTENT. THANK YOU. (MAYBE A SECTION FOR (18+) 6. I HAVE HEARD A NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS FROM PARENTS. I HAVE HEARD STAFFERS SAY IT’S RESTRICTIVE OR CENSORSHIP SOME STAFFERS AGREE WITH US. PLEASE REMOVE ALL EXPLICIT VIDEOS FROM CHILDREN’S REACH!! “CHANGE POLICY RESTRICTING CHECK OUT OF ‘R’ OR PG-13’ VIDEOS BY MINORS!! YOU VIOLATE STATE AND FEDERAL LAW!! THANK YOU. The MPAA system was designed to inform people of the content of motion pictures in order to make sound decisions on whether it is appropriate viewing for themselves or a minor. It is strictly a voluntary system and carries no force of law. We do have a children’s video collection which consists of movies that are rated G and a family section of PG movies. The discretion lies with the parent/guardian as to which movies their children are allowed to view.  Miscellaneous-related comments 1. Make a place for 5th and 4th graders. We do have such a place, allow me to introduce you to The Point! The purpose of The Point is to provide a designated space for young people in grades 1 through 5. The Point is designed for a variety of activities including studying, reading, gaming, making and socializing. 2. A vending machine that sells electronics gadgets or items such as MP3 players, Bluetooth fidget Bluetooth spinners and more. Would be really awesome and great. Thanks for the suggestion. While I don’t disagree that such a vending machine would be awesome and great, we have reason to believe that it wouldn’t generate enough money to sustain itself. 3. Is it possible to have a mechanism at the library that can convert VHS tapes to DVD tapes? Some libraries have this capability. Thank you. Due to budget constraints and the amount of staff time we believe we would need to allocate to effectively offer this service, there are no plans to offer it at this time. 4. Have an ATM at the library to take cost out. In the past we had an ATM but it didn’t generate enough volume to make it sustainable. We have approached financial institutions in the recent past to inquire whether or not they would be interested in adding an ATM at WNPL, but they told us what we already knew: our location simply isn’t strategic enough for it to be worth it to them. Thank you for taking the time to help us improve our service to you. If suggested a title for purchase, we have passed it along to staff members who order materials. Ryan Livergood, Executive Director Patron comments appear here unabridged and unedited.