When you walk into the Apple Store, you expect to be greeted with the latest in cutting edge technology. However, if you stroll into your local library, you might just be impressed by a similar level of tech there as well.
Already boasting accoutrements such as iPads and digital downloads, patrons of the Plainview-Old Bethpage Public Library now have two options on how to check out materials such as books and movies; the trustworthy librarian, or a snappy new device called the SmartServe 400, an electronic kiosk that enables visitors to do it all themselves, according to Library Director Gretchen Browne.
“We have been busy putting Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags on all of our material,” she said. “They are little radio frequency-sensitive tags that talk to computers, security and inventory control devices. They allow patrons to place the books or DVDs that they are checking out on the SmartServe 400, which will then detect what materials they have and check them out for them.”
The library currently has two such kiosks; one on the checkout counter, and a free-standing unit off to the side. A patron merely has to scan the barcode of their library card (or, if they download an app such as Cardstore or Keyring, their smartphone), and then pile their items onto the sensitive digital pad of SmartServe 400. But unlike the supermarket self-checkout lane, patrons don’t have to scan each individual selection one at a time. Instead, thanks to the RFID tags, the library’s kiosks can automatically identify each individual book and DVD all at once and add them to a patron’s account in the blink of an eye.
In addition, the SmartServe 400 mounted on the checkout counter features an unlocking mechanism for DVD cases. One merely has to insert a movie case into a slot and the SmartServe instantly unlocks the DVD for them, enabling the case to then be freely opened. Currently the kiosks only allow patrons to check out materials, but plans are in the works for the near future to have the devices allow people to check items back in as well.
Browne said that patron opinion of fancy new devices, which stand to free up library personnel for other customer service tasks, has told her that the library is going in the right direction with their tech expansion efforts.
“Reaction so far has been very positive,” she said. “They give people who are in a rush an added speed benefit, and it gives people who really don’t want to share what they’re reading or watching with someone else the benefit of some privacy.”
Next on the library’s checklist is an upcoming renovation of their reference area.
“It’s all a part of staying ahead of the curve and giving the customers what they want,” said Browne of the renovations.
It was this dedication to consistently pushing the envelope on improving and evolving patron experience that has enabled the Plainview-Old Bethpage Library to have been selected as a Five-Star Library for the sixth year running by the Library Journal, a highly-respected, century-old national publication.
“Every year, they issue a statistical report of every library across the country,” said Browne. “The data they use to determine a five-star library is based on circulation, which is the number of times your collection is checked out, including digitally; the number of people who come in the front door on a daily basis; program attendance, for which we are always sky-high; and the number of people who use the public Internet.”
Those statistics are compiled using various formulas, and through that method, Library Journal is able to determine the institutions upon which to bestow their coveted five-star rating. There are nine budget categories in all; typically, there are 10 libraries in each category, except for larger city libraries whose budgets are in the $30 million a year range. Browne added that the libraries in that lofty category are limited to five.
“This year, one other Nassau County library joined us as a five-star library,” she noted. “Port Washington is a fabulous library, so we’re very happy to have them join us.”
Check out the Plainview-Old Bethpage Library’s newest tech toys for yourself at 999 Old Country Rd., Plainview, or call 516-938-0077 for more information.
