Hall County libraries are packed.

Circulation and door counts are up, attendance for children’s and teen programs are higher than ever and unemployed residents use computers daily to find jobs.

In fact, Library System Director Adrian Mixson is worried that current resources soon won’t be able to meet the demand.

"My big concern is replacing computers. I’m not sure what we’re going to do there," he said. The library branches replace computers about every three years, leaving more than 60 that need to be purchased in the county this year.

"People are coming in every day and really using those computers to find jobs and use e-mails," Mixson said. "We have a good program on them where we have fewer viruses and less malware, but the computers just wear out."

The system didn’t close on Monday, the county’s first furlough day, and more than 3,000 users showed up to use its resources.

"We had planned teen programs that had a good response," Mixson said. "There really are more people in the facilities right now."

With $1.60 per capita for the next year to spend on books and little difference in the amount of late fees being levied, Mixson said he’s also worried about book supply.

"You’ll be able to see the difference on the shelves, and I expect some complaints," he said. "We’ll just have to tell people that if they don’t find something, they’ll just have to let us know."

Although audio books and downloadable audio are still offered, downloadable video is being canceled. Periodical subscriptions may change as well.

"We talked a few weeks ago about starting a survey to ask what magazines people read," Mixson said. "I don’t see great change in which newspapers we get, but we may cut some magazine subscriptions."

The survey could also help librarians determine how reference books are used.

Especially during tough economic times, residents use reference books to "figure out how to fix a fence or rebuild part of a car," Mixson said. "The survey could be really helpful."