A year-long project to upgrade the self-check machines at all 36 City of San Diego libraries is complete, according to officials.
“Our main objective is to enhance our customer service,” said Misty Jones, library director. “The self-check machines are simple to use and allow our staff to focus more time on helping patrons with library materials or developing new, innovative programs to serve our diverse communities.”
The new self-check systems allow patrons to check out books without assistance from staff. The machines offer up 27 languages to choose from on digital screens, and this month a credit card payment feature will be added to allow patrons to pay overdue fines directly at the machines.
“While the new self-check procedure improves efficiency, no library staff positions have been eliminated as a result of this project, which began in December 2016 and was completed on July 14, 2017,” a statement from the city read.
In order to accommodate the technology upgrade, libraries across the city were closed for two weeks at a time on a rotating schedule. Staff tagged approximately 2.6 million circulating library materials with new radio frequency identification microchips, replacing the use of barcodes previously used to catalog and track items.
Enhanced security gates were also installed in several libraries. The project was made possible through a California State Library grant and donations to the San Diego Public Library’s “Matching Equipment Fund.”
According to the city statement, the San Diego Public Library welcomed nearly seven million people in the past year, an increase of more than 20 percent in five years.
–Staff
