Integrated Self-Pickup Service at the National Library of Public Information (NLPI) in Taiwan: A Resilient Infrastructure

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Date

2023-10-02

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Publisher

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA)

Abstract

Every day, more than 1,000 reserved books are held at the National Library of Public Information (NLPI). To efficiently manage these books and provide users with a flexible, convenient, and contactless self-pickup service, we have integrated our library automation system using RFID tags, IoT technology, and mobile checkout technology, creating an integrated reserved book self-pickup service, located at the first floor of our main library, called the Reserved Books Self-Pickup Area (RBSP Area). The RBSP Area is approximately 20 square meters and equipped with a library security gate, eight RFID bookshelves, 40 self-pickup lockers, an inquiry kiosk, and two self-checkout machines. Only users who have reserved books shelved in the RBSP Area can enter and check out books using a physical library card or the iLib Guider app on their personal smartphone. The integrated reserved book self-pickup service at NLPI not only eases the workload of staff but also provides a contactless service model. During the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020 to 2022, reservation requests increased over 50%. Users have expressed high satisfaction with the service, giving a Likert scale score of more than 4.6. The integrated reserved book self-pickup service at NLPI is becoming a sustainable and developing service.

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Keywords

Subject::Automation, Subject::Libraries, Subject::Technology, Subject::Digital library services

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