Timeline People Services

11 a.m.

The third hour of Dana Treichler’s shift on the second floor Information Desk begins with a phone call from Heather, whom Dana described as a “regular,” asking for the phone number of Le Pain Quotideien in New York’s Central Park. (Heather, who does not have access to the internet, calls back at 11:05 a.m. because her pen malfunctioned while Dana was giving her the number.)

11:04 a.m.

A customer returns a Museum Pass for the Museum of Modern Art.

Unlike most other Museum Passes, the pass for MoMA must be picked up at the library by 3 p.m. the day before the visit and returned to the library by 11a.m. the day after use. (Editor’s note: Coincidentally, the second MoMa pass was checked out at the exact time the first was returned.)

11:07 a.m.

Sari Ruskin is looking for a study room and greets Dana with a smile and a hug before securing a room for two hours. Dana calls Sari “one of our regulars” and says building relationships with regular visitors is one of the things she likes about working at the library.

11:18 a.m.

After spending a few minutes logging previous desk interactions in Gimlet and checking her email, Dana is approached by another second floor regular, Abby Bogner, who asks Dana to adjust the flame on the fireplace in the reading area.

11:27 a.m.

Another study room inquiry, this one from cardholder Binita Adhikari, who has a reservation and asks about the protocol for room turnover. Dana says she should knock on the door to notify the previous user that she is here a minute before her reserved time.

11:29 a.m.

Holding a new library card she just obtained at the Checkout Desk, Adi Caspi stops at the Information Desk to ask about the process for reserving study rooms; specifically, she wants to know if they are suitable for videoconferencing. (Editor’s note: They are.)

DANA TREICHLER began working part time at the library in 2016. She became a full-timer after earning her master’s degree in library science in 2021. In addition to providing reference assistance and readers advisory at the public desks, she organizes technology classes, is content producer for the monthly Tech newsletter and participates in outreach to the senior community.

Phone Calls

Librarians answer many questions by phone, ranging from what Dana referred to as “White Pages” calls from people who are not online to specialized questions related to research and inquiries about municipal services. The Information Desk also fields calls from people hoping to reach the Princeton Public Library in Indiana or West Virginia.

Museum Passes

The Museum of Modern Art is one of seven destinations in New York that can be visited for free through the Museum Pass program. Free passes are also available to four museums in New Jersey and four in Philadelphia. Most passes can be printed at home.

Study Rooms

SARI RUSKIN is a lecturer at Rutgers University. A Princeton resident, she is a frequent library visitor and uses the Study Rooms for tutoring. “I love this library for everything it is,” she said. “I adore the people here. They are so friendly and helpful; and I mean everyone, every time. It is a community treasure — it’s that simple.”

ABBY BOGNER is a resident of South Brunswick who retired eight years ago and has purchased a non-resident senior card every year since. “I come here every day to read the paper,”

The second floor has nine study rooms that can be used for between 30 minutes and two hours once a day. Five of the rooms are equipped with software and HD monitors to enhance collaboration. Cardholders can reserve a room up to 48 hours in advance and have 10 minutes to arrive after the reserved time. Those without cards can stop at the desk to check for availability. Though called “Study Rooms,” the nine spaces are used for a variety of purposes, including tutoring, interviews and Zoom meetings.

Fireplaces

When the Sands Library Building was built in 2004, the design included gas-powered fireplaces on the first and second floors. Architect Nick Garrison said their inclusion was an homage to the 1,687 public libraries built between 1886 and 1919 with funding from