Library use drops 30% amid COVID
ACPL 2020 report cites reduced hours; digital demand rises
ROSA SALTER RODRIGUEZ | The Journal Gazette
The Allen County Public Library saw COVID-19-related declines in usage averaging 30% in several key areas, partly because of closures and limits on hours, the system's preliminary annual report for 2020 says.
The pandemic closed the main library in downtown Fort Wayne for nine weeks and limited occupancy for 11 weeks, the report found. The branches spent 11 to 15 weeks closed and five to nine weeks with limited hours, depending on the location.
The closures amounted to about 25% of the system's normal service hours. The declines came in circulation, wireless internet usage, computer reservations and visits, the report says.