This state-of-the-art, materials-handling system will significantly reduce Library operating costs, while offering the public improved services.

As a prominent feature of the building, this automated system will be displayed behind a glass wall at the entrance, allowing patrons a firsthand look as this innovative technology system delivers returned materials from book drops, via a conveyor system, to smart materials handling bins, sorting them along the way onto carts according to their Dewey Decimal number and status. The system will automatically identify items that are to be returned to other branches in the System, set aside to fulfill patron requests, reshelved for patron use, etc. This technology is currently in use at only a very few libraries nationwide, and is so mesmerizing that patrons have been observed checking out materials, then immediately returning them to the drop, just to watch it in action.

Use of the accompanying Radio Frequency Identification* technology will streamline both checkout and checkin of materials for patrons, deter theft of valuable library holdings, and aid in collection maintenance by providing superior inventory control.

It is estimated this Automated Materials Handling System will free 2.5 full time employees from the requirements of manually handling more than 75,000 items per month, allowing them instead to spend their time providing direct service to Library users. It has the potential to shorten inventory of the Library System’s collection, usually a five-year process, to less than 30 days, allowing superior accountability for resources and the ability to replace missing items while they are still available to purchase.

The overall cost of this technology and accompanying glass viewing area is $275,000, but the availability of matching technology grants will allow the system to be purchased for less than half of the cost, approximately $100,000.