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CIRCULATION
HAS GONE WAY UP!
Many new customers are using the library since
the grand re-opening in May. The library will
issue more new library cards this year than the
last two years combined.
Use,
too, has gone way up. The library has circulated
more than 20,000 items each month since opening.
The number of items checked for the months of
June, July, and August is up 41% from last summer,
and the circulations done per open hour are up
over 60%. Whew!
In
order to help the staff efficiently handle these
staggering increases, the library has looked toward
technology to help.
EXPRESS
CHECKOUT STATION.
One way is with the Express Checkout station.
If your library card is in good standing, you
can now check out your own books. It’s easy,
it’s personal, and it’s fast. Give
it a try the next time you’re in the library.
(see pictures to your upper right)
CONVEYOR
BELT SYSTEM INSTALLED.
Another
technological helper is the new conveyor belt.
This contraption, using a patented sandwich-belt
system, moves returned materials from the main
floor to the basement where they are checked in
and sorted for return to the shelves. The conveyor
is saving the library about 12 staff hours per
week that were spent manually moving books down
to the basement.
Camas
is the first public library in Washington to have
one of these systems installed. Tech Logic Corporation
of Minnesota is the manufacturer. They are currently
installing a huge system in the new Seattle library
and also installed the system in the new Eugene,
Oregon, library.
The
vision for the future is to expand this conveyor
into a system like Seattle’s and Eugene’s,
which will not just move materials, but will check
them in and even sort them for re-shelving. This
will allow the library staff to handle books less
and spend more time with you, our customer.
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