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Service Improvements at Your Library
Your library recently implemented several initiatives designed to increase staff efficiency, enhance the security of library materials, and, most importantly, make it even easier for you to use the library.
What we did
- Installed radio frequency identification (RFID) tags on books, DVDs and other materials that are housed in the public areas.
- Replaced outdated self-check machines at certain neighborhood libraries. The new checkout stations are RFID-capable.
- Installed RFID security gates in certain libraries.
- Shelved media holds on the public hold shelves, so that patrons can check them out without staff assistance.
- Moved all DVDs to public shelving to make them accessible without staff intervention.
Why we did it
In the last 10 years, use of your library has increased explosively. Checkouts and renewals have more than doubled, and holds have more than tripled. Here in Multnomah County, you and other library patrons check out or return more than 51,000 items a day.
To handle such high use, your library is continually exploring smarter and more efficient ways to check materials in and out, move holds through the system, and ensure that items in the collection are protected from theft. The use of RFID technology will make it possible to achieve all these goals, and was recommended in 2009 by the citizen-led Access Policy Advisory Committee of the Multnomah County Library Advisory Board.
