City library: Corona changes user behavior

Created: 02/09/2022, 12:00 p.m

Extremely well received: Since last year, crime novels, novels and newspapers can be found in the newly designed area.

The new furniture invites you to linger.

© St

The city library in Geretsried is recording a change in user behavior due to the corona.

In 2021 there were more digital loans, also because it was not always open.

Geretsried - Everything a person wants to know about the almost two square meter skin: The non-fiction book by Dr.

Yael Adler was particularly popular in the city library last year.

Adults most often read the gripping historical book about a conflict between Michelangelo and the Roman Catholic Church.

Funny paperbacks were a hit with children and young people.

The series "Greg's Diary" by Jeff Kinney and "The Olchis" by Erhard Dietl were just as popular.

In 2021, too, the members of the Geretsried city library enjoyed reading.

However, they borrowed fewer “real” books or magazines and also fewer CDs or DVDs than in the previous year.

Physical media was checked out 106,842 times (2020: 142,455).

"This can be explained primarily with the 'Click & Collect' times," says library manager Hannah Vogel, who succeeded Björn Rodenwaldt at the beginning of the year.

He left Geretsried for China in December (we reported).

Top five adult fiction books

1. "The Mystery of Michelangelo" by Matteo Strukul

2. "The Fourth Sparrow" by Jan Zweyer

3. "The Way Home" by Sebastian Fitzek

4. "My Distant Sister" by Judith Lennox

5. "Images of Women" by Natasha Lester

In January and February as well as from the end of November to December 2021, for a total of 67 days, the library could only be used to a limited extent due to the corona, i.e. pre-ordered books could be picked up.

It was regularly open on 190 days (2020: 198).

Presumably, this increased the demand for the digital offerings.

Here the library registered 20,509 loans (2020: 16,532).

City library Geretsried satisfied with annual balance 2021

According to Vogel, the new streaming service Filmfriend is also rated positively by users.

In general, the members use the library not only to get reading material.

Console games are also taken home.

Well-known characters such as "Donkey Kong country" and "Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury" are popular.

"But FIFA 21 couldn't be missing either," says Vogel.

Children and young people also liked the audio books in the series “The Three !!!”, “The Three ???

Kids", "Lego Ninjago" and "TKKG".

The vacation month of August was the busiest.

12 166 physical media were taken away.

"Our digital media were also heavily used in August," reports the manager.

The library had a total of 37,760 visitors last year (2020: 28,611).

Redesigned rooms in the Geretsried public library are well received

If events could be held, they would have been very well received, reports Vogel.

"Particularly class tours outside normal opening hours were well received and well received by the students." However, the number of active users has fallen: from 2271 to 1902. The library counted 401 new registrations (2020: 355) last year.

Top five non-fiction books for young and old

1. "Up Close" by Dr.

Yael Adler

2. "Be more determined" by Katja Reider (children's non-fiction book)

3. "Living healthier without sugar" by Matthias Riedl

4. "Immune booster self-love" by Ulrike Scheuermann

5. "Conni goes to children's gymnastics" by Liane Schneider (children's non-fiction book)

A major change was the reorganization of the crime, fiction, and magazine departments.

The rooms were redivided, painted and furnished.

This is "received consistently outstanding" by the readers, says Vogel.

"The new furniture invites you to linger and attracts daily newspaper readers to us again."

Overall, the library team can look back on a “turbulent year with a number of challenges and new approaches to solutions”, summed up by their new boss.

The team can be proud of what they have achieved.

With "Click & Collect" it was still possible to provide the majority of readers with literature, tonies audio figures and audio books.

Vogel: "The entire team is happy to be open again at the moment."

bw

info

The 2G rule applies in the city library.

It is open Tuesday and Friday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Closed on Mondays and Sundays.