Before I visited the physical location, I checked the branch website to see if I could learn anything about any special collections or events.
With the website, I liked that you were able to access several e-book/audio book/video collections with the use of your library card number.
Most of the special collections, though, are only available at the Main Library Branch.
I visited the Southeast Branch on a Tuesday afternoon; I arrived around 3:30 and left around 5:15.
I was actually surprised with how much activity there was for a Tuesday afternoon. Upon arrival, I did a quick walk through and surveyed what everyone was doing. There was a wide age range of visitors: from preschool to adult. There were about 15 people on personal laptops or tablets, 23 on library computers (it looked as though most were doing work, reading the news, researching or writing papers; I only saw one who was playing a game), 1 reading a book, 3 on their phones, 5 people actually looking through the shelves and selecting books, 2 people in comics, 1 person looking through the DVDs and 2 staff members restocking shelves.
This does not include the "Teen Library" section which was full of kids; some on computers -- mostly playing games, some on phones, two were playing chess, but mostly they were all jus talking with one another. There is also a Children's Library. During this time, it was mostly just elementary aged students: three on computers, two with tutors, one building with large foam blocks and one with a parent doing puzzles. There was also a young child, probably preschool age, who was there with a parent.
As it got later, children started leaving and it was mostly just adults or high school/college aged students who were all busy on laptops or computers. There were also a few older gentlemen who were reading newspapers (one with a grandson, I'd guess, who was reading beside him) but besides them, there were much fewer visitors who were there to read. The Teen Library population had also dwindled and there were only a couple left on computers.
I liked that this branch (and I'm sure most of them) offered some English learning classes. There was a Center for Adult Learning -- which appeared to be one large classroom -- to house these classes. This branch also had three meeting rooms. One of the meeting rooms was a large computer lab while the other two were just conference spaces. There was also a "cafe" (a room with a few tables and chairs and a wall of vending machines) that a few people were using as I was walking out.
What I learned from visiting the Library... Most people use it as a quiet workspace. The majority of people I observed were on their own personal devices, using the internet for research or reading the news or were doing projects/papers/word documents. Kids tend to use it more for the actual BOOKS (and when I say kids, I mean their parents.. the kids just wanted to be playing with the blocks or puzzles).
My grandmother was a librarian so I have tons of childhood memories in the library in Fernandina but I stopped using the public library in elementary school years.. Probably because my school had their own library. I also didn't use the library much in undergrad. Internet technology has really surpassed the need for a lot of physical, in person, go find a book and mark a page type researching. I did utilize this branch of the library when I first began teaching about two years ago.. Books are expensive! But are also a fundamental element to teaching young kids so I would go spend a Saturday every couple of weeks checking out books that pertained to our theme or letter of the week. I actually really enjoy being at the library; I think just because it is so quiet and a non-distractionary work place. I, however, prefer to go to the library when looking for books as I like to do my research and school work/work at home.. Just a personal preference. :]
