Unofficial Self Check-Out Survey

Thanks to the excellent work of fellow staff member Julie Cross, I now have good stats to point to for our Library's budget request to expand self check-out services. Julie surveyed other public library systems of similar size (total of 43 from the Urban Library Council) and gathered these results:

• 81% (38 library systems) are currently offering self check services in some form.
  
• Of the 38 offering it, only 6 libraries have it at every branch location (Columbus Metro Library, OH; Gwinnett County Public Library, GA; Nashville Public Library, TN; San Jose Public Library, CA; Seattle Public Library, WA; Tucson-Pima Public Library, AZ).
  
• Of the eight not offering it, 4 were currently considering it.
  
• 49% (17 of t35) of libraries that offer it have self-checkout in over half of their branch locations.
  
• 71% (25 of 35) of the libraries that offer it have self-checkout in more than a quarter of their branch locations.
  
• 57% (20 of 35) have it have been offering self-checkout in some capacity since the 1990s.
  
• 43% (15 of 35) mentioned plans to expand self-checkout services, even as early as this year.

BTW: If you're curious PLCMC currently offers Express Check (our installation of TechLogic's solution also offers the ability to pay for fines & rental fees with credit/debit) at two locations. Our hope is to secure funding that will allow us to expand it to all twenty-four locations next year. ** Fingers Crossed **

And here's even short video created by our awesome Web Services team. :) (Sorry, it doesn't show the credit/debit swipper which is flush with the desk and just off to the right of the barcode scanner)


PS: Thanks Julie, You're a GEM !!!

PPS: Yup! I just had to play around a bit with YouTube to see how easy it is... and posting this little video gave me the opportunity I needed. :)

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