Circulation
The Circulation Department is the first line of the public library. Operating the front desk is their full-time job! You can always find a person at the desk to answer a question, direct you to where you want to go, or sign you up for your own library card! The department maintains the adult fiction and Library of Things collections, as well as the audiobooks, movies, TV series, music and games.
Behind the scenes, Circulation is responsible for keeping all the patron account information, processing overdue accounts and damaged materials, pulling patron holds twice a day, repairing books that can be given new life, and receiving and shelving all the returned items. While managing the computer system that runs all the library processes, Circulation keeps all the material flowing in and out of the building while keeping track of all the abnormalities that unexpectedly rear their heads. They oversee the library inventory system which allows all departments to keep their collections tidy and up to date with accurate material locations. Circulation also supervises the Page team. There are six library Pages who help reshelve material, place library coverings on new books, package all outgoing interlibrary-loans and many more vital tasks. Check back for a future post about the awesome Page team at the library!
Circulation has 8 employees: Eric, Christy, Barb, Falan, Aurora, Melissa, Lindee and Elizabeth. Together, they have 160 years of experience in the Campbell County Public Library System. Sometimes known as the Serious Department to their coworkers, it is just because they have seen it all, been through it all, and are no-nonsense people.
They love to help any patron who comes through the door, which includes managing all the 15,558 patron accounts at the Gillette library making sure that they can access the physical and digital collections without any problems. (Unless someone from a different Wyoming library accidently erases all their patron holds one morning while trying to borrow a report. Hypothetically, of course…not based on real circumstances… 😐)
Every morning at 8am and every afternoon at 2pm, the Circulation department pulls all the items that patrons put on hold, so they are available for them at the front desk. In 2025, Circulation pulled 21,515 holds and notified each patron either by snail mail, email, or text that their hold was available (so far in 2026 they’ve pulled 1,534 holds!).
Circulation’s book repair team have repaired 1,514 books in the last year and a half; this saves the need to repurchase them due to wear and tear. A book costs an average of $15 to replace, so their work has saved the library around $22,710 in reorder costs!
This post highlights only a few of the many responsibilities of the Circulation department. Sometimes it is interesting to see behind the scenes. Our circulation department is the flight crew of the library, checking every detail, keeping systems humming, and making sure each interaction begins and ends with a smile. Their work is often invisible, but without it the whole operation would stall on the runway. They may not be the faces you see at programs or classes, but the next time your visit feels effortless, know that it is not an accident. It is the result of a dedicated crew doing vital work, together, every single day. All because they value you.
