News

Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library introduces checkout kiosks

May 5, 2014

The Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library in Topeka, Kansas, is introducing self-service checkout in order to improve inventory management and security and eliminate long wait times at counters.

The library was closed May 1 through today, opening tomorrow, for staff to put RFID tags onto 450,000 items held on its shelves. Tagged CDs and DVDs have been taken out of their lock-boxes and left on open shelves.

Eleven self-service kiosks have been installed throughout the library in locations such as the lobby, the media room and the children's room.

In order to check out items, members put everything they want to borrow, including books, CDs and movies, into a space in one of the kiosks. They then insert their barcoded cards into a slot and enter their PIN. The kiosk registers multiple items automatically and issues a printed statement.

Library members will not need new cards, but they will need to register a PIN, either online or by phone, in order to use the kiosks.