Crook County to pilot self-service morning hours, reduces Saturday staffed hours at county library

The Crook County Board of Commissioners voted to approve a trial change to library hours that will add unmanned "self-service" morning access and reduce staffed Saturday hours. The board approved the change during its Aug. 27 work session after a presentation from Library Director Sarah Bealey and public comment from Friends of the Library member Beth Pierre.

Library Director Sarah Bealey told commissioners the proposal, which the library board discussed Aug. 14, reduces Saturday staffed hours from six to four and shifts a one-hour self-service opening to 8 a.m. on weekdays and Saturdays. Under the plan, staff will be in the building during 8–9 a.m., but the circulation desk will not be staffed; patrons will use self-checkout machines and may enter to use restrooms, pick up holds or use computers. Regular staffed hours would run 9 a.m.–6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m.–noon on Saturdays during the pilot.

"We don't have enough people to open on Saturdays, but by getting creative and using the tools at our disposal, we think we can still offer that," Bealey said.

Beth Pierre, speaking as a member of the Friends of the Library, expressed support for keeping Saturday service and welcomed the self-service idea. "If they think it's tenable, then, yeah, I think the public are approved," Pierre said.

Commissioners discussed a trial period and requested a report back on how the self-service hours performed. The motion that commissioners adopt the library director's proposal, with the addition of a trial period, was made, seconded and approved with recorded aye votes from "Robert" and "Barney" on the meeting record.

The board did not specify a formal length for the trial in the motion text at the meeting but discussed a return report; commissioners suggested a 90-day review. The library plans to implement the change quickly if the commission's action is recorded in the minutes and will monitor behavior and patron feedback during the pilot. Bealey said she will send examples of how other libraries have used self-service hours to the commissioners.

The library indicated no immediate request for additional funding tied to the pilot. Bealey said the self-service approach will rely on existing equipment (self-checkout machines) and current staff working morning duties in the building rather than at the circulation desk.

The pilot does not change weekday staffed hours; it only adds one unmanned opening hour and shortens the Saturday staffed window. Commissioners and public participants noted the library's popularity and sensitivity around any reductions, and the board asked staff to return with usage data and community feedback after the trial.