ResourceBlog Article: Canada: Toronto: "City Library Considering Book-Dispensing Kiosk at Union Station" & More

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Tuesday, 10th August 2010

Canada: Toronto: "City Library Considering Book-Dispensing Kiosk at Union Station" & More

Update: (August 10, 2010): The CBC is Also on the Kiosk Story Today: "Library 'vending machine' touted for Toronto"

The kiosk would "look somewhat like a vending machine," she said. Borrowers can use a touchscreen to select books, CDs or DVDs. They then swipe their library cards, check out the items they are interested in and return them to the kiosk by the due date.

From An Article in The Toronto Star:

Imagine having a few minutes before the train leaves. What to do? Browse through a magazine at the newsstand or grab a quick ice cream cone?

The Toronto Public Library is studying the idea of installing an automated kiosk at Union Station, where patrons could borrow a book with the simple swipe of their library cards at any time of day.

It’s not a new concept — these machines have been in place in Europe and in the United States — but the idea is slowly gaining steam here.

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In Europe, many of the machines are located outside branches so patrons can borrow books after hours. In the U.S. these machines have typically been installed in busy transit stations and malls.

In Contra Costa County, in the San Francisco Bay area, three machines called Library a Go Go are in use.

“We’ve got the highest commute times here. We’ve got commuters on the go constantly. Our library hours often don’t match with their lives,” said Cathy Sanford, deputy county librarian. “They need fast, easy and convenient.”

After the first machine was installed in 2008, demand for new library cards surged. About 30 per cent of the machine’s collection is now in circulation at any time.

“These were people we were never going to reach,” said Sanford.

Machines in Ottawa, Ontario are also mentioned.

Source: The Toronto Star
Hat Tip and Thanks: Rebecca Jones.

Note: Since we're talking about the Toronto Public Library (the largest urban library system in the world) you might want to take a look at the new homepage they began rolling out on July 14, 2010. Learn about its development, improvements, access an FAQ, and more here.

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