Innovative Self-Service Library Kiosks In America Win State Award
16/01/2012
Two libraries in America that deployed touch screen kiosks have earned state awards.
The Washington and Carver County libraries in Minnesota launched Express Library systems for small communities that do not have a full-service library.
And Carver County’s “Victoria Express Library” and Washington County’s “Library Express in Hugo” have been bestowed winners of the Association of Minnesota Counties (AMC) Achievement Award 2011 for exhibiting excellence and innovation in their counties.
The Minnesota-based firm LEID Products developed and installed the iLibrary Express self-service kiosk to provide the U.S city access to library materials. The technology enables book-lovers to request materials from other computers with Internet access and it is all delivered to LEID’s secure electronic lockers.
The units provide 24/7 access to reading resources and library customers can receive email notifications to retrieve the materials at their own convenience. The technology was purchased with a federal Institutes of Museum and Library Services grant of $140,000.
Carver County partnered with the City of Victoria to place the Express Library in the City’s Recreation Center; and Washington County partnered with the City of Hugo to place the automated lockers and book return outside the entry to Hugo City Hall.
The ground-breaking projects, which were awarded in the ‘Outstanding Service Awards’, are the first in the American state and demonstrate a creative solution to the growing demand for public library service in a difficult economic time.
Carver County Library Director Melissa Brechon and Washington County Library Director Patricia Conley accepted the award an annual conference.
Conley said that the scheme had been a success because of the research which took place to establish where to locate the systems. She said: “Our patrons love the ease of browsing for library materials on our website or at the Express Library kiosk and then we deliver to them, rather than them coming to us.”
Interested in deploying touch screen technology in the local government building? Contact the experts and call Protouch kiosk manufacturers.
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