Library Kiosks!
Originally posted on Olyblog by emmettoconnell
Last night at the General Government committee meeting, another topic brought up by Jodi Reng, library director for the Timberland system, was the possibility of placing a couple of library service kiosks around town. That would take pressure off of the downtown branch.
My initial thought would be to put kiosks in the two high schools in Olympia. Both are far enough from the downtown library to provide geographic diversity, and as you'll read below, I think there is something awfully cool about libraries and schools coming together.
Kiosks are basicaly mini-libraries that have been succesfully used throughout the system in non-library settings:
"The kiosk will provide Timberland Library services to both the Center’s students and Hawks Prairie area residents," said TRL Director, Jodi Reng. "Developed and designed by TRL’s Computer Services staff, the kiosk is the first stand-alone library services station to combine a library catalog and information computer with a self-checkout station. It’s efficient and economical," said Reng. The cost for the two-station kiosk was a little under $5,000.
Timberland library services available at the Kiosk
TRL cardholders can:
Place holds on Timberland library books and other library materials and request delivery to the Hawks Prairie Center.
Pick up and self-check out the materials that have arrived for them.
Return TRL materials in the book drop outside the Center’s main entrance.
Check their library card accounts, including the status of materials they have reserved.
Search the TRL catalog for books, DVDs, music and audio book CDs and cassettes, and more.
Search full-text magazine and newspaper articles and reliable reference resources.
Last night at the General Government committee meeting, another topic brought up by Jodi Reng, library director for the Timberland system, was the possibility of placing a couple of library service kiosks around town. That would take pressure off of the downtown branch.
My initial thought would be to put kiosks in the two high schools in Olympia. Both are far enough from the downtown library to provide geographic diversity, and as you'll read below, I think there is something awfully cool about libraries and schools coming together.
Kiosks are basicaly mini-libraries that have been succesfully used throughout the system in non-library settings:
"The kiosk will provide Timberland Library services to both the Center’s students and Hawks Prairie area residents," said TRL Director, Jodi Reng. "Developed and designed by TRL’s Computer Services staff, the kiosk is the first stand-alone library services station to combine a library catalog and information computer with a self-checkout station. It’s efficient and economical," said Reng. The cost for the two-station kiosk was a little under $5,000.
Timberland library services available at the Kiosk
TRL cardholders can:
Place holds on Timberland library books and other library materials and request delivery to the Hawks Prairie Center.
Pick up and self-check out the materials that have arrived for them.
Return TRL materials in the book drop outside the Center’s main entrance.
Check their library card accounts, including the status of materials they have reserved.
Search the TRL catalog for books, DVDs, music and audio book CDs and cassettes, and more.
Search full-text magazine and newspaper articles and reliable reference resources.
posted by Jade at 11:05 PM
3 Comments:
I see nothing wrong with a library kiosk, hey maybe put one in Batdorf and Bronson, maybe one in Sylvester Park. I think it will take some pressure off the library in Olympia but it will not eliminate the need for a new building. I don't want to see a library kiosk diverting "normal" users from the Olympia library. One of the greatest things about our library is the incredible mix of users. In some ways I can be very cruel in saying that people should be forced to exist in proximity to each other, regardless of economics, age, or race. The Olympia Library is one of our "melting pot" organizations where people of all persuasions can share in a common interest.
Crenshaw Sepulveda
Perhaps we could have a kiosk at the Briggs Urban Village. I'd like to see one at the food co-op. Maybe at the Capital Mall, too.
I agree with Crenshaw, though. We need more library- kiosks may be great but they are no substitute for places to BE together as a community.
Boy, talk about being late to the game.
Jade: that's why I suggest putting them in high schools. I feel that our schools are so underused in terms of their potential to be public spaces. Consider that they're typically in residential areas (where the people are) and are usually lights off after 5p. The space is there at the right time, why not use it?
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