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Subject:

Re: self-checkin / self-return machines - problems? ( don't want to sound

From:

Tom Poston <[log in to unmask]>

Reply-To:

Tom Poston <[log in to unmask]>

Date:

Tue, 27 Feb 2007 11:07:32 -0000

Content-Type:

text/plain

Parts/Attachments:

Parts/Attachments

text/plain (88 lines)

Without sounding like a bit of a Ludite, doesn't the automation of return services abstract ( no pun intended)  some of the human element of interaction within the library - thus further distancing Librarians from the end users ( and further establish the mistaken stereotype of librarian guarding the books from the users )

Does it not also mean that job 'revalidation' and cuts are  more likely if significant proportions of the service function can be re-assigned to machines.

Just a thought.

-----Original Message-----
From: A general Library and Information Science list for news and
discussion. [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Lesha Fossey
Sent: 27 February 2007 10:01
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: self-checkin / self-return machines - problems?


We're looking to increase our self-service facilities and specifically 
to introduce self-return machines

As far as I can see there are 2 options:

1) self-return machines (usually switchable issue/return machines) where 
the student is alerted via the screen which bin to put the returned book 
in (i.e. one bin for normal checkins, and one bin for books with holds 
and other "problem" books)

2) self-return machines which physically take the books from the 
students, and sort them automatically (i.e. out of the students' reach) 
via a conveyor belt system or similar into one of a number of 
library-configurable bins (e.g. by classmark/floor/location etc as well 
as sorting holds)

Now machines of variety 2 (i.e. automatic returns sorting machines) seem 
to cost at least 3x the cost of machines of variety 1. And of course a 
strong business case would need to be made for that levek of spending!

I've seen automatic returns sorting machines in use, and thought they 
were great. In that particular case, they'd started with student-sorted 
machines, but found that owing to the resulting problems and workload 
for staff they just couldn't cope, and they had therefore got the money 
for automatic returns sorting machines. Problems they (and a couple of 
other colleagues from difrerent libraries) have specifically 
mentioned/experienced are;

- students realising that once hold books have been scanned (i.e. 
checked in from their user record), there's nothing to make them 
actually put the book in the correct bin, and therefore hold books were 
being hidden within the library, causing daily problems when the 
reserver came in to collect the book, which then couldn't be found. 
(This has resulted in at least one library having its machines 
reconfigured so that they won't check in items with holds at all, and 
students are instead told to return these books to the Lending Desk 
staff directly.)

- students putting books in the bins without checking them in at all, 
and the books then being reshelved while still checked out and not 
resensitised. (This type of problem has meant that in some libraries 
*all* books in the returns bins are re-returned by library staff to make 
sure that all are checked in on the LMS)

Of course, this level of extra work by library staff would count against 
the cheaper cost of these "student-sorted" machines as opposed to 
automatic sorting machines. So in my mind a pertinent question is, how 
long would it take for a more expensive machine to pay for itself in 
staff time savings?!

Therefore, in order to help me decide whether to make a case for an 
automatic returns sorting machine, I'd like any feedback you can give me 
on problems experienced by student-sorted self-returns machines (and 
staff time implications), and/or benefits given by automatic returns 
sorting machines.

I can summarise for the list if there's interest?

Thanks

Lesha

-- 

Lesha Fossey  MA MCLIP
Assistant Librarian, Circulation Services
University of Exeter
Stocker Road            TEL: 01392 263878
Exeter                  FAX: 01392 263871
EX4 4PT     E-MAIL: [log in to unmask]

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