Is your local library a self-service library?
By Porcospino
@Porcospino (31366)
Denmark
March 31, 2013 10:59am CST
The libraries in my area are all self-service libraries. You use a machine when you borrow and return books. If we have made a reservation can print the reservation number and find our books because the librarians have placed a small piece of paper with the reservation number inside the books or the other materials.
The libaries all have their own websites and if you are looking for a particular book you can search the datebase. The database tells you if the library owns that book or not. If the book is available the database tells you where in the library you can find the book. If the book isn't available the database tells you how many weeks you will have to wait for the book. If you local library doesn't own the book you might be able to find the book in the database that covers every library in the country. If another library owns the book you send them a message and ask them to send the book to your local library.
I think that is great we are able to do everything on our own today. We don't have to wait in line in order talk to a librarian and we can visit the database from our home when the library is closed.
Do you have the same kind of self-service librarians in your area? Or do the librarians help you when you want to borrow books or make a reservation?
1 person likes this
12 responses
@Pegasus72 (1898)
•
8 Apr 13
No ours is a full serve library and you can even order books from other libraries all over the state. Our building is brand new and is run by solar panels it is really nice.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
8 Apr 13
That sounds very nice. I think that it is great when we are able to order books from other parts of the country. In my country you can search the database that covers the entire country and if you find the book that you are interested in at another library you ask them to send the book to your local library. You receive an email when the book has arrived. I have often used that service, because there are certain books that I can't find at my local library. The library in Copenhagen is much larger and it is often possible to find the books there. Do you often visit the library?
@Pegasus72 (1898)
•
9 Apr 13
We visit more in the summer then we do in the winter. Keeps the kids busy in the summer when it is raining.
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@mariaperalta (19073)
• Mexico
1 Apr 13
Not at all here in Mexico. Here you take the book to the old lady at the desk, she takes your card.. and writes down what you have. Then stamps it. The old way here.
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@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
1 Apr 13
It used to be like that in my country. I still remember that time, but the young generation today has never experienced the old way. I remember waiting in line of the desks at that time. There were only two desks and sometimes we had to wait in line for a long time. Today it is much faster because everything is done via a computer.
@mariaperalta (19073)
• Mexico
1 Apr 13
Most libraries here, still dont have computers. My son says only the college ones do. What a shame.
1 person likes this
@ReViewMeMedia (3785)
• United States
1 Apr 13
My library isn't self service and they have librarians that print out due date receipts.
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@inopiratum_a_medio12 (877)
•
1 Apr 13
our library is not that high tech at all far beyond from good expectations haha still using card catalog AND MANUal SEARCHING PER CATEGORY OF BOOKS AND THERE'S A librarian to help entertain your concerns, membership card for borrowing books haha, I'm really amazed with your librarian I hope it will be the same as yours from your country
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@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
4 Apr 13
Your libraries sound like the libraries that we had in the past. At that time we weren't able to find books or make reservations on the computer so we had to search materials manually and if we couldn't find the books that we were looking for we asked the librarians for help. Some people liked the old system better because the personal interaction with the librarians, but I prefer the new system, because it is much more flexible and we can search the database from our home when the library is closed. I often search the database before I visit the library and I think that it is a good way to plan my visit to the library. I hope that you will get the same kind of libraries in the future 
@et2705 (21)
• Singapore
1 Apr 13
The libraries here are mostly self service. All the books are cataloged and the data are stored to the server. One may search for any books online or at the library computer system. Unless the item is in the reference section, if not, one may take the book and loan out with the system.
If one opt to reserved the book then, will have to collect the book from the librarian with a small payment attached.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
5 Apr 13
In my country we don't have to pay when we make a reservation. When we log into our account we can see if the book is ready and we receive a number. When we visit the library we find the reservation number on the shelf and pick up the book. In the past we had to collect the book from the librarian, but today most of the libraries in my country are self service libraries where you can do everything on your own. The libraries generally teach the users how to use the machines instead of doing things for the users, because they want the users to be as independent as possible. I think it is nice that we are able to search the database from our own home, and we can do that whether the library is closed or not.
@maddysmummy (110)
• United States
1 Apr 13
We have both. There are terminals for shelf check out and there are terminals with Librarians to help if you need. Most of the time my son and I use the self check out lanes. If I can't find a particular book when i search using their database, then I ask a Librarian for assistance.
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@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
1 Apr 13
I think that it is nice that you have both self check out terminals and terminals where you can ask the librarian for help. At my local library there are only self service machines, but you can ask the librarians to show you how to use the self service machines if you don't know how to use them. We never had both self service and terminals with librarians. In the past there was no self service and today self service is the only option, but I like your system better because some people don't like to use the self service machines. Today they are forced to learn how to use them if they want to continue using the library.
@wolfie34 (26771)
• United Kingdom
1 Apr 13
Yes we have the same system, when it first came in, I was really saddened that once again humans had been replaced by machines, and the human touch was lost, I felt more so for the elderly who would find it a problem using the machines and those that are resistant to change. But there are still libraries, the system cannot eradicate them completely, fortunately. You can also book a session on the internet too, just have to scan your library card and you get a 30 minute computer slot. I like the idea of the receipt. I see some people still put the date the book is due back inside on the library slip.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
1 Apr 13
I think that there are some advantages about the new system. The waiting time is reduced and we can visit the website of the library from our own home and we can use the database on that site even when the library is closed. That gives us options that we didn't have in the past, but you are right about the ekderly. Many of them don't like to use the machines and they no longer use the library. I think that is really sad. You can get help from the librarians if you don't know how to use the machines but they usually try to teach the users how to use the machines instead of just doing it for people like they did in the past.
@maximax8 (31046)
• United Kingdom
31 Mar 13
Our local libraries have book taking back and book issuing machines. These read a bar code of the reader's library card. I make use of that when I am in one of the libraries. I saw a person library assistant to reserve a book called Lonely Planet Europe on a Shoe String. The library service is on-line. I can renew books there and reserve a book on it too. I have to line up at a desk to get my reserved book.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
1 Apr 13
It sounds like there are many similarities between the libraries in your country and the libraries in my country. When I was younger we didn't have that kind of self-service libraries and we had to wait in front of the desk when we wanted to borrow or return books, make a reservation or find books about a particular topic. Sometimes many people waited in front of us because at that time every library user needed help and it wasn't possible to find information on our own or make reservations on our own. I think it is is great that it is possible to be more independent today and the waiting time is much, much shorter today.
@topffer (42156)
• France
31 Mar 13
My library has also a database that I can check to see if a book is available locally, or where I can find it if it is not. I can also do a reservation online at home. But checking the database is optional, because we have still librarians doing their job. Many old persons are not comfortable with computers, and a library is not a self-service gas station : librarians are helpful to point out new books or to help in the choice of books that can be interesting for me.
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@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
31 Mar 13
It is same way in my country. Many people from the older generation don't like the new system where everything is done via self-service, and some of them have stopped using the libraries. I think that is very sad.
The librarians at my library are always willing to show people how to borrow and return books via the self-service machines and they also help people find materials in the internet database, but they usually try to teach the users how they can do those things on their own instead of just doing them for the users. It seems like it is one of their goals that as any users as possible become independent. I think that a system like yours where it is optional to check the database is better than our system, because there are still people don't use computers.
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@natliegleb (5175)
• India
31 Mar 13
they have all the database of the regular books and i go and check in them to get any kind of books with ease for sure
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@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
31 Mar 13
I think that the databases are great. It has become much easier to find books compared to the past. Today we can use the databases from our home and there is even a huge database that covers every library in the country.
@Zacmtl92 (1)
• United States
31 Mar 13
Nope, mine is entirely old school; old Betty White looking librarians and all. Personally, I prefer it, there's a warmer feel to it when you're checking out your books and there's actually somebody there to answer specific questions instead of a randomly generated FAQ. Mind you, I live in Montreal, and ironically, although it is an English library, nobody who works there even speaks English lol, but none the less, if you can figure out what they're saying, it's always nice to be checked out in person.
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
31 Mar 13
That sounds a lot like the libraries that we had in the past and some people miss those libraries and the interaction with the staff. I don't really miss the old libraries, because there was always a lot of a waiting time when we had to talk to the libarians. Today we are able to do everything on our own and that has really reduced the time that we have to wait and I think that it is very nice. I also like the fact that we are able to search the database from our home today. That wasn't possible in the past and we couldn't find information about books when the libraries were closed.
@jamesml (1)
• Canada
1 Apr 13
Mine is actually somewhat in between. I attend a university that has a number of libraries but the one I attend most often is a music score library. You are actually unable to reserve the scores and therefore are forced to photocopy all the materials you would want, which is a self serve system. The only real interaction you have with the library staff is to take out CD's and rarely books. Our library remains open more hours without staff on duty than it does with staff on duty.
