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Monterey Library launches 24/7 hold‑pickup lockers at two off‑site locations
Summary
Library staff showed trustees the newly activated hold‑pickup lockers, which went live on Tuesday the 20th and are available at two off‑site sites (Montecito and the sports center). Staff described bilingual materials, a three‑days‑a‑week collection schedule and ADA accommodations for lower lockers.
Library staff demonstrated the library's new 24/7 hold‑pickup locker system during the Jan. 22 Board of Trustees meeting and said both sites were active and being used by patrons.
The director (speaker 4) said the lockers were physically installed last August and were made operational on Tuesday, Jan. 20. The system integrates with the library catalog and mobile app so patrons can choose a locker site when placing a hold and scan a stored library card or use the app to open a locker.
Staff emphasized accessibility and outreach: marketing materials and bookmarks were produced in English and Spanish, each item includes a QR code that links to step‑by‑step instructions, and the online hold screen lets patrons request ADA accommodation so staff can place items in lower lockers. Staff plan to collect and restock the lockers three days a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) but noted that the 24/7 access is intended primarily to give patrons flexibility rather than guaranteeing faster availability than in-person pickup.
The director warned that certain items cannot be routed to the lockers. "Library of Things" oversized items (telescopes and other large equipment) will not be eligible for locker pickup; staff will contact patrons whose holds cannot fit the locker to arrange in‑library pickup. The director also reported early usage: in the first morning of operation staff collected roughly 8–10 items per site, including returns placed in the locker return bins.
A short how‑to video was shown to trustees during the meeting; staff also described the lockers' vinyl wrap (designed by staff member Brian) and said vendor feedback awarded the wrap design. The board discussed potential future locations and agreed to monitor how the two-site experiment performs before expanding locker placement to library grounds.
Trustees did not take formal action; this presentation was informational and staff requested feedback as they tweak operational details.
