I have long been a big fan of bringing in automation to the repetitive parts of library work. If we can get that stuff done by technology, then staff have more time to spend helping patrons with the more important parts of our work: spending time with patrons, talking material, helping them find great stuff!
Here is a school library staffer who has tried out self-check and has had a great success. We have an excerpt here, and you can click on the link to read the whole thing:
Three Reasons to Love Self-Checkout
in an Elementary Library
“At the start of this school year, a new library space was created and my position changed. I now work with students in preschool through fourth grade. The third- and fourth-grade students were already using self-checkout in their old space, and I did not want to change that. I just had to figure out how it could work in our new library.
So I starting reading about other elementary librarians who used self-checkout with their students, especially in the younger grades. What I found was that there are many librarians who are doing this and doing it well!”
Here are her three positive takeaways:
- Time to Talk about Books
- They Know What They Have
- Never a Line
We have used self check for probably 20 years, ever since we implemented AR/STAR. The lines to check out were so long in the mornings we had to move to a different model. Teachers now allow students to visit the library at any point. The Media Specialist trains the students to check out. This starts at First Grade, with assistance sometimes. Since the Media Specialist is part time, self checkout is a lifesaver for students who are devouring books. Are there drawbacks? Yes. But that is another post.