Pikes Peak Library District reduces weekday operations due to staff shortages

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO)-- The COVID-19 pandemic has affected industries with staff shortages across the board.

Now in Colorado Springs, the Pikes Peak Library District is struggling to hire employees, leading them to reduce weekday operations in eight of their 16 locations.

Beginning next week, the Old Colorado City library will be closed on Tuesdays.

The Cheyenne Mountain Library will be closed on Wednesdays, and the Monument Library will be closed on Thursdays.

As for Ruth Holley Library and Knights of Columbus Hall, they will shut down every Monday for the foreseeable future.

According to the district, Sand Creek Library will be closed on Fridays. Library 21c, Monument Library and Rockrimmon Library will open an hour later on Fridays and Saturdays and will close at 6 p.m.

It's the library district's latest effort to ensure their employees don't feel burned out.

Many people go to the library for a variety of reasons, from using the internet to pay bills to simply getting some writing or reading done.

For Colorado Springs resident and author, Tom Stella, the OCC library serves as a place of inspiration.

"It is nice to have an atmosphere that is different from home," said Stella.

Stella goes to this library five to six times a week, to know that now he will have to adjust his schedule isn't something he was happy about.

"I was kind of disappointed that they are going to have to cut back in terms of number of days available because, I mean, it is such a great resource for young and old," said Stella.

Pikes Peak Library District CEO John Spears says the only solution to their problem right now is to reduce hours across eight of their locations.

"Right now we are down 42 positions out of 246 and it has made it extremely difficult for our staff to keep up with everything- they've been working so hard and we can't ask them to do more than they already are," said Spears.

According to Spears, most of his staff has been working more than 40 hours a week across the board, and oftentimes they find themselves scrambling to fill in shifts.

"A lot of people get promotions so very often one vacancy that we have might lead to three vacancies down the line. But we are hiring as fast as we can so we are hoping that we will return to full services as soon as possible," said Spears.

The Pikes Peak Library District plans to do a salary study by the end of the year to ensure their employees are being paid well.

Most of the positions that they are in need of right now include security and associates.

For more information head to their website.