Usage rules for wireless internet and the Columbia-Marion County Public Library will be changing with hours of availability decreased.
Wireless internet will now be available from 5 a.m. until midnight each day. Technical Services Librarian Mona Swayze explained the policy change and other updates on the library to the Columbia Board of Aldermen Tuesday during its meeting at City Hall.
“We have had some concerns in the past about our wireless,” she said. “We have had 24-hour a day access to our wireless that has led to some loitering in our parking lot at all hours of the night. We have implemented a plan where the wireless is cutoff at midnight until 5 a.m. every night, so if the police are out there and there is anybody out there after midnight, there is no reason for them to be sitting in the parking lot of the library after midnight.”
Swayze said employees had tested the cutoff system and it would be in place. She also said the wireless receives heavy usage.
“We come at all hours of the day and night,” she said. “We have various school functions and such and we see people in the parking lot around the building. We also see them on the stage in City Park; the wireless will reach out that far. We hope this will cut down on people being in the parking lot after midnight.”
Swayze also described another type of incident to the Board that prompted city action.
“We have one water spigot on the outside of the library,” she said. “We keep it covered when we can, but it is not covered at this time because, for example when we have our Summer Reading Program, we can wash children’s feet off when they come in from wet down day. We have had instances of people using the water. For instance, yesterday there was a lady who brought water containers because her water had been cutoff. She thought it would be OK to come to the library and use the library’s water. I don’t know that there is anything that we can do, but we’ll see about getting it covered again. We just wanted you to be aware of it.”
Swayze said people have used water at the library for years.
“I have personally seen people washing their vehicles in the library parking lot in my 14 years here,” she said. “We even once had a person wash an RV there.”
Mayor Justin McKenzie said the city would help with a solution.
“We can change that faucet out,” he said. “We have some that it takes a key to turn it on. It would prevent that. It is theft after all.”
Water Supervisor Michael McDaniel informed the Board he would take care of the problem this week.
The Board will meet next in regular session at 4 p.m. on Oct. 3 at City Hall.
