Had to change libraries
 

I have stopped going to the Sumter County library on Powell Road, and now I use the library near the Pimlico rec center. The reason is the extremely noisy automatic doors at the entrance. These doors can be heard clanging constantly throughout the entire library. The employees also hate the doors, but have apparently given up trying to get them fixed. I have filled out the complaint form, and even wrote a personal letter to the county, but did not receive any reply. Has anyone else been irritated by this issue?

The public libraries I have worked or volunteered in were very noisy. That is a sign of a library staff getting their resources out to the community. The academic libraries were more for studying and the like where you could get silenced by other library users or the library workers.

You may want to check out Lady Lake Public Library. It is set up so that they have a lot of community rooms away from a quiet area. It does cost $20 a 6 month period for Sumter County residents but the DVD/Blu-Ray and number of copies of popular books is well worth it.

They have some very comfortable chairs and a nice area to study in the Lady Lake Library regular area. Children's libraries can get quite noisy.

The library on Belvedere is quiet you are right. At least, whenever I have been in there.

You would think that they would get that automatic door fixed though at the Powell Road library. You should contact whoever manages that library and not so much the front desk people who could just be volunteers?

OP, if you go up the stairs, you will be at the receptionist desk for Sumter County, they might be able to help.

Keep in mind that the operation of the Sumter county libraries was outsourced a couple of years ago. The people you see there work for the contractor, NOT the county, so you may need to contact some sort of county facility manager.

I will try going upstairs. But, I have already sent a letter, complaint form, and a personal email to Leslie Smith, who is the head of administrative services. No reply so far. The library employees acknowledge and are well aware of the problem, but they say that the county will not fix it.

This is the contractor who manages the Sumter County library. Not sure who would be in charge of the automated door though.
That may be someone else entirely.

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Would not hurt to contact them as a library user.

The library manager told me that the county in responsible for building maintenance, and that the library has notified the county about the door problem, but they won't fix it. I have contacted Leslie Smith, who is the head of the county administrative services according to the county website. Maybe someone else has another contact.

Well there is usually strength in numbers. You get more people contacting the right person and then someone might fix the door.

Good luck. I will put a link to this thread on my Facebook account which might help. Others could get their Facebook friends involved as well.

I would also contact the Villages Daily Sun unless you have already. Check who covers what in the latest edition. They have e-mail addresses listed.

What about good see of ear plugs, are these doors automatic? If not I don’t see how manual doors with return shock and be so noisy that Adjustment or lubrication wouldn’t solve.

I think they were noisy the last time I was in there which was many months ago. That is not a library I use much. Once or twice a year if that.

Wife and I use that library, and I fully agree about the auto doors. I mentioned it to one of the librarians, and her response was, 'you get used to it, but it takes a long time.'
I take my hearing aids out. Deafness has its advantages some times!

Does anybody know exactly what the problem is with the doors? Would a can of WD-40 solve the problem?

Why don’t you just checkout the book and take it home? You certainly should be able to control the noise level in your own home.

You have a Public Library that you have to PAY to use for 6 months? And another one that's subcontracted? That's so sad. Doesn't Florida value literacy? I've never heard of such a thing. Are there other states that have public libraries that aren't funded by the state/town/county, or that subcontract to - to who exactly? Library subcontractors? Wow - insane. I'm just gobsmacked. As for the doors - well if it were a normal library the town would take care of it. Because - literacy.

WD-40 will not stop the metal on metal clanging noise every 10 seconds or so while you are trying to look at reading material. The doors were not installed properly. Yes, they can be fixed, but they have been broken for about 6 months or so, and no one has done anything to fix them.