The first twelve weeks in the Hovedbiblioteket
Our first article on this blog was about the different departments, including Bertha and IMS in the logistic department. Now the weeks can be counted on the fingers of one hand and we want to amplify their work a little more.
As it is known, the Hovedbibliotek is in charge of many branches and busses. But the main library is also responsible for all media items all over the Aalborg Kommune. To manage that, it needs a lot of work and organisation – and a new technology.
The department Acquisition and Logistics is composed of 36 librarians. This people acquire media items and the associated data. A tidy sum of two people catalogues further information. Once the items are ready, they get a tag and RFID-code. The tag is not only for locking and for security, but it also works as a data medium. It contains the information about the item and connects automatically with the IMS-System. The Aalborg Bibliotekerne are one of the first libraries, which use this system.
Read more about it: https://www.lyngsoesystems.com/en/solutions/library/
The system allows having floating collections. It means that no item has its steady location. They are there, where they are most needed. The IMS (intelligent material system) collects data and knows, where the item gets most loan out, how many copies of this item are situated in one of the branches and so on. The most important point is, that (in correct practice) every items’ location is completely apparent.
The IMS-System is applicable on a smartphone. You can scan the tag on the item and all information are readable. Not only bibliographic information, in form and content and the cover, but also the exact location. Because every possible location has also a tag. That could be a shelf in the main library, a transport box in a library bus or a book trolley next to your working desk.
The same works in the other way. If a librarian or a guest cannot find an item, they search for it in the intern catalogue and the location gets apparent. The most important thing is not to forget to change the items location, by scanning the item and its new location. Once the book was placed wrong, it is very difficult to find it again.
Another benefit is the holdings-management. The librarians do not have to do that by themselves anymore. The system knows how old the item is, how the statistic of the item is and how many copies exist. The cassation lists are generated automatically every day. A librarian has to find the item, scan it in, and the item is out of holding.
As good and practical the system is, the precondition is the correct use of it. Forget to scan and change the items location is not a drama, but time-consuming. And that is not only our experience…
Have a nice fortnight and check the gallery.