When schools shut down in mid-March, public libraries seemed perfectly poised to provide reading material, computers and internet access to students and families. But then libraries shut down too (while offering virtual services).

That’s why it was strangely thrilling to learn that the Rancho Cucamonga Public Library was pushing the envelope with physical services.

Computers are open three days per week at the Biane branch at Victoria Gardens. Wifi is accessible from outside the Biane or Archibald branches. And you can reserve books from either branch and pick them up curbside.

Hey, you can pick up restaurant meals. Why not library books?

The Pasadena City College Tournament of Roses Honor Band performs during the 131st Rose Parade in Pasadena, CA., on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)

The Rose Parade president, Laura Farber, waves during the 131st Rose Parade in Pasadena, CA., on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)

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The Trader Joe’s “It Takes a Flight of Fancy” float makes it way through the parade route during the 131st Rose Parade in Pasadena, CA., on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)

The Cowboy Channel float rolls along the parade route during the 131st Rose Parade in Pasadena, CA., on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)

The La Canada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association float travels through parade route during the 131st Rose Parade in Pasadena, CA., on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)



The Donate Life float during the 131st Rose Parade in Pasadena, CA., on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)

Jeannie Wiley collected six novels for herself and her adult son Thursday morning outside the Biane. It was her sixth visit since the library’s March 21 closure.

“It’s wonderful they’re doing this,” said Wiley, who wondered why other libraries weren’t doing the same. Of reading during the pandemic, she joked: “That was my first panicky thought. I wasn’t worried about toilet tissue, I was worried about books.”

Brittni Acosta was already homeschooling her children prior to the shutdown, so she’s relieved to be able to continue to rely on the library for books. She picked up her stack moments after Wiley did.

“For a while I thought with more things being shut down we wouldn’t be able to get books here anymore,” Acosta said. “Being able to access the library has been great.”

Here’s how curbside service works.

People can search the online catalog — cityofrc.us/library — of more than 267,000 books, audiobooks, CDs and DVDs and reserve items. Or immediately download from among the 93,000-plus electronic books and electronic audiobooks.

Alternately, they can phone with a more general request: “Can you put together five mystery books for me?” or “My kid really likes bugs. What books can you find for me?”

Starting at 10 a.m. the next day, calls, texts or emails go out to patrons telling them their materials are ready. Patrons phone when they arrive. A library staffer plucks the items from the hold bay and walks them out to a card table outside. Patrons step forward and claim them.

“We print a date-due slip, but we extended everybody’s due dates. People can keep it until we reopen,” Library Director Julie Sowles said.

Hours of operation are now 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. five days per week on alternating days, Biane on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and Archibald on Wednesday and Friday. The library has cut its 59 part-time employees but retains its 23 full-timers.

Circulation, of course, is down dramatically. Typically about 80,000 items are checked out in a month. Now, an average day is 200 items, not counting e-books.

“The first couple of weeks we were averaging 310 users a week. It spiked to 380 last week,” Sowles said of curbside pickup. “People are finding out about it, which is what we want.”

She added that holds are up 29% from the pre-pandemic period and more space had to be found for pulled items. And dozens of new cardholders are signing up online.

Before the library closed, discussions took place about its core services and how they could be provided safely.

One is children’s storytime, videos of which will go up on Facebook Live at 11 a.m. each Saturday. They’ll be 15 minutes each, with two books, some songs and rhyming, according to Yolanda Gentry, or “Miss Yolanda” to her young fans. “It was nice to know I can connect with them again,” said Gentry, who leads storytime with “Miss Jennifer,” Jennifer Delmonico.

While the Archibald branch’s computer stations are closed, the Biane’s are open because they’re in a room with a separate entrance and thus can be controlled. The Biane is open three days to Archibald’s two to maximize computer availability.

Seven of the 21 computers can be used at any one time to preserve physical distancing. Patrons typically don’t have computers at home.

Adults file for unemployment, update resumes, check email or use social media, or in some cases learn to use social media, supervisor Brittany Garcia said. One teacher sends weekly progress reports to students.

Three users were there Thursday morning. Jay Russell, 60, has been traveling from Ontario since his city’s library is closed. “Nice place, nice staff,” he said of the Biane. Among other tasks, he’s checking job listings — “which is pretty dicey,” he said, “when there are 12 million people looking for work.”

Afternoons bring students doing homework. Some simply stay in the Biane rotunda with their personal device, or hang around outside either the Biane or Archibald branches, to use the free wifi.

“A family brought a card table and chairs to Archibald and sat on the sidewalk so their kids could do their homework,” Sowles said. “It’s really heartbreaking to see.”

Sowles, who was hired in 2017, heard about curbside pickup at a library conference and planned to test it over the summer. But that was moved up as a way to help during the pandemic.

Sowles saw one boy so excited about picking up his books, “he was jumping up and down.”

“Scattered libraries around the state” are doing curbside pickup, said Sowles, who is fielding calls from other libraries about it.

A streaming service is coming to the library’s website, and Sowles wonders what other services might be provided creatively. Perhaps internet hotspots could be loaned, she mused, or free wifi could be delivered on a schedule to less-affluent neighborhoods via a parked city vehicle.

How is it that modest Rancho Cucamonga is on the cutting edge?

In City Manager John Gillison’s view, libraries are “a fundamental institution” and the access to information they provide is a hallmark of American democracy. Via email, he credited the City Council for giving him “the direction and support to be creative” in providing services during the pandemic and Sowles for her passion.

“I have the best library director in the state of California,” Gillison declared. “She has vision and she has heart.”

David Allen delivers internet coldspots Sunday, Wednesday and Friday. Email dallen@scng.com, phone 909-483-9339, visit insidesocal.com/davidallen, like davidallencolumnist on Facebook and follow @davidallen909 on Twitter.