My library moved the reference desk and now nobody can find the atlas stand

I stopped by the main branch on Grand Ave in St. Paul yesterday and the reference desk is now tucked in the back corner past the kids section. The big atlas stand that used to sit right by the entrance is gone, and a librarian told me it got moved to make room for a self checkout kiosk. So here is the debate: is pulling reference staff out of sight a good way to push people toward self service, or does it just make it harder for folks who need real help? On one side you could argue more self checkout means shorter lines and librarians get freed up for the hard questions. On the other side, I watched two older guys wander around for ten minutes looking lost, and one of them finally gave up and left. I get that budgets are tight and foot traffic is down, but hiding the desk feels like a message that questions are a bother. Has anyone seen a branch try this and then change it back, or does it actually work somewhere?

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shanefisher14d ago

Two old guys left confused. That's the whole answer right there.

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