The evolution of the library has taken an interesting turn with the introduction of machines that allow patrons to check out their materials for themselves. These machines facilitate the checkout process by providing on-screen or voice instructions to patrons as they check out their items. This allows staff that would normally have been busy checking out items to focus on other tasks, or spend more time with patrons who need more help. Or instead, if the library is facing financial problems, they could have a smaller number of employees staffing the circulation desks, saving them money in labor costs. These machines are designed to be compatible with existing library circulation technologies to alleviate some of the pain of transitioning to the automated system.
The self checkout machines include options for RFID or barcode based checkout systems. This allows libraries to easily add a self checkout machine without having to go through their collections and reconfigure each item to be compatible with the new technology. The machines also include options for RFID and electromagnetic (EM) security gates, as well as devices that will unlock security cases for DVDs, CDs, and other media. The ITG systems even include options for a ”jukebox-style media vault“ for the library's CDs and DVDs that has a built-in mechanism that will dispense an item when requested by a patron. (ITG, 2010) If the library is looking for something a little more flashy, 3M offers a machine called the Library Media Box that is essentially a RedBox-style DVD vending machine that accepts library cards. (3M, 2010)
By implementing a self checkout system, libraries are able to handle increased circulation demands while employing a relatively small staff. For example, the Champaign Public Library in Champaign, Illinois has been able to reduce their circulation staff from “six or seven employees ...to two or three now...even though circulation shot up 50 percent. (Wurth, 2010) By reducing staff while increasing circulation by such a significant margin, the Champaign Public Library has proven the efficacy of the self-checkout systems.
An article entitled “Our Journey Down the Self-Check Road” describes how the Health Services Library at University of Washington has been working on implementing a self-checkout system. They have had some issues in getting the systems set up properly, and with getting staff and patrons used to the new machines, but overall it has been a good thing for the library. At that library, in “the first month it was up and running...patrons used the new self-check kiosk 813 times, which was almost 20% of check-outs for that month.” The general consensus among staff there is that, since the information desk handles both circulation and reference needs, “self-check has become an integral part of our library services and contributes to...better quality information desk service.”
(Whitney, Garrett, 2008)
Of course, every new technology will have its naysayers. “I can't see how this will benefit patrons at all,” says one staffer at a Leicestershire County, as quoted in the an article from The Telegraph dramatically entitled 'End of the Librarian' as Staff Sacked for Automatic Check Out Machines. The issue central to the article, however, is not the technology itself, or any flaws it may have, but rather the loss of the human element. “In some places the library is the only place for social contact for a lot of people,” says the same staffer. The article, however, states that the changes will cause 16 libraries to let go of a total of 19 staff. Unless these libraries are now fully automated (they're not), there will still be staff there for people to interact with. They may have to stroll over to the reference desk to meet them, but they'll be there. However, had Leicestershire County Council not made “[t]he move, aimed at saving tens of thousands of pounds,” the libraries may have had no choice but to close altogether, leaving no staff at all. (Hough, 2009)
Self-checkout systems have great potential to save libraries money, and offer better service to their patrons. By making the most of this technology, a library can streamline their checkout systems, making it easier to circulate a greater number of materials without having to employ more circulation staff. As these technologies continue to evolve, they will undoubtedly become more intuitive and, therefore, more easily used by technology-shy patrons.
Take a look at these companies self-check systems:
ITG
LAT
3M
Here's a demonstration of a self-checkout machine in action at a public library!
References
3M (2010). Library Media Box. Retrieved November 23, 2010 from http://multimedia.3m.com/mws/mediawebserver?mwsId=SSSSSu7zK1fslxtUO82vlY_Zev7qe17zHvTSevTSeSSSSSS--
3M (2010). Library Self Checkout Systems: Patron Self-Service. Retrieved November 23, 2010 from http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/3MLibrarySystems/Home/Products/SelfCheckout/
Hibner, H. (2010). Self-Checkout Station.wmv. Retrieved November 23, 2010 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnaMnV66ERs&feature=related
Hough, A. (2009). 'End of the Librarian' as Staff Sacked for Automatic Check Out Machines. The Telegraph. Retrieved November 23, 2010 from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/6239766/End-of-the-librarian-as-staff-sacked-for-automatic-check-out-machines.html
ITG (2010). ITG DiscXpress II. Retrieved November 23, 1020 from http://www.integratedtek.com/self-checkout-dx2.php
ITG (2010). Self-Checkout Solutions from ITG. Retrieved November 23, 2010 from http://www.integratedtek.com/self-checkout.php
Whitney, A.; Garrett, A. (2008). Our Journey Down the Self-Check Road. Computers in Libraries. Retrieved November 23, 2010 from http://csaweb112v.csa.com.proxy.lib.wayne.edu/ids70/view_record.php?id=2&recnum=0&log=from_res&SID=scquepo5c783cnehad5rjgahf2&mark_id=search:2:0,0,1
Wurth, J. (2010.) Library Self-Checkout, Revised Edition. The News-gazette. Retrieved November 23, 2010 from http://www.news-gazette.com/blogs/there-yet/2010-05/library-self-checkout-revised-edition.html
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