When most people think of a drive-through, they picture fast food. But at the Oak Lawn Public Library, the latest convenience isn’t burgers and fries—it’s books.
The library, located at 9427 Raymond Ave., officially launched its new drive-up service on April 1, offering patrons an easier way to pick up reserved books and audiovisual materials without leaving their cars.
The initiative was the vision of Library Director Carol L. Williams, who saw an opportunity to enhance the library’s accessibility.
“When I came to Oak Lawn four years ago, I was impressed, but surprised that the library had a drive-thru drop-off for returns, but no drive-up window for pick-ups,” Williams said. “I knew that once I settled in, that was going to be my first major project to bring to the library and its community.”
The drive-up service allows patrons to place holds on materials online, select the drive-up option, and retrieve their items from the window once they receive a notification. With a simple exchange of a library card, books and other materials are checked out and ready to go.
Williams believes the service will be a game-changer for busy patrons.
“If you have a busy life, sometimes making a stop to pick up your books or movies isn’t easy to fit into your daily schedule,” she said. “People with mobility issues can pick up their items without having to get in and out of their vehicle. Parents of small children won’t have to disturb sleeping kids from car seats. Or during winter when it’s cold and snowy, there will be the option to drive up instead of getting out to brave the weather.”
The Oak Lawn Public Library circulates an average of 27,343 physical items per month, and while Williams hopes the drive-up window will boost that number, she emphasized that convenience for the community was the primary goal.
“The intent of offering the service was to offer convenience to patrons who have to limit their visits to the library because of mobility, time constraints, or other inconveniences that keep them from coming inside,” she said. “I also think that it will be a valuable service to residents of neighboring communities.”
Commuters who pass through Oak Lawn can pick up books on their way home from work, and patrons from other participating SWAN libraries can send their holds to the Oak Lawn drive-up window for easy retrieval.
Williams noted that Oak Lawn’s senior population, which makes up about 18% of the community, may also find the service useful.
“Most of our seniors truly love coming inside and browsing for books and movies as well as participating in our activities at their leisure,” she said. “But I know there will be some who will enjoy this new service for its convenience.”
With the drive-up service now in place, the Oak Lawn Public Library continues to find ways to meet the evolving needs of its patrons.
