SPRUCE PINE — Just in time for the new year, significant changes are coming for the Avery-Mitchell-Yancy (AMY) Regional Library system.
The AMY system is transitioning to the NC Cardinal Library Consortium— a statewide consortium of more than 40 library systems from more than 50 counties throughout the state.
The transition will usher in an expansion of the items available to the library system to roughly 7 million items statewide.
According to the North Carolina State Library website, the first two years of membership in the NC Cardinal Consortium are funded and an annual cost share for continued membership beyond that is based on the library’s collection and patron base. Under that pricing structure, libraries find annual savings between 30 and 80 percent with a median savings of about 58 percent, compared to the costs of their previous integrated library systems.
During the transition, AMY Libraries will also be shifting their hours of operation, effective immediately. These modified hours will allow time for staff to sanitize efficiently before and after patron use and allow staff enough time to train and complete inventory tasks and training related to the transition to NC Cardinal.
The AMY libraries join Burke, Carteret and Onslow counties as the newest users of the NC Cardinal Consortium.
AMY Director Amber Westall Briggs said the transition is an exciting one for the system and that local staff will be busy with both tasks related to the transition in and their normal daily duties.
“As cases of COVID-19 continue to rise in our communities, our libraries are open to the public by appointment only or by using curbside service,” Westall Briggs said. “Our new daily operating hours are extended to accommodate patrons who would prefer earlier or later hours as well as prioritizing time for staff to sanitize mid-day.”
The Mitchell County Public Library of Bakersville will be open from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. The location will open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday and is closed on Wednesday and Sunday.
The Spruce Pine Library is set to be open from 10 a.m. to noon and from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday. The branch will be closed on Tuesday and Sunday.
For information about operating hours or to make an appointment, visit amyregionallibrary.org.
Additionally, patrons can contact their local libraries by phone or email. The Spruce Pine Library can be reached at 765-4673 and the Mitchell County Library can be reached by calling 688-2511.
Westall Briggs said anyone with questions regarding COVID-19 protocols or the transition to NC Cardinal can contact her directly by email (director@amyregionallibrary.org) or by phone (682-4476).