Self‐issue and self‐return — system selection and performance at the University of Sunderland

Date01 January 1997
DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1108/eb040619
Pages14-19
Published date01 January 1997
AuthorJanet Stafford
Subject MatterInformation & knowledge management
Self-issue and
self-return system
selection and
performance at the
University of
Sunderland
by Janet Stafford, Systems Manager,
University of Sunderland
Self-service has wide-ranging implications for
the management and delivery of library
services. It affects staff and
users,
system
development and integration, library planning
and
design.
This article outlines the essential
points to consider before installing self-issue
and/or self-return services, user reaction and
successes (for both staff and user)
experienced so far at Information Services,
University of Sunderland.
Introduction
In the early 90's, at the time of the decision-
making process, there were only two libraries at
the University of Sunderland. Chester Road was
operating as the main site and circulation figures
were high. The automated library system employed
at the time was unable to cope adequately with the
increased volume of transactions. This, combined
with limited staffing resources, produced long
queues at the issue desk, unacceptable shelving
backlogs, notice distribution delays and so on. The
potential for injury arising from the repetitive
physical and mental processes involved in han-
dling these large numbers of transactions was also
a matter for concern. In 1992, the decision was
made to introduce self-service facilities in an
attempt to address the problem.
Staffing issues, however, became even more
important as the Service became a four site opera-
tion in September 1994: Chester Road, Ashburne,
St. Peter's and Hutton libraries. Distributed service
points covering long opening hours always mean
losing out on economies of
scale,
ie at least 3
people
(1
qualified) on duty at each site for health
and safety reasons. The changes in the Service in
terms of provision of
IT,
with access to a number
of
applications,
the Web, student email, etc.,
needed IT support requiring library assistants to be
diverted from routine, mechanistic tasks to 'sup-
port' activities. There was a pressing need
therefore to release staff to support readers and
training. Empowering users to complete transac-
tions for themselves would enable library staff to
be released for more satisfying and important work
concerned with assisting readers and maintaining a
high quality service.
System selection
It was important that the self-issue and self-return
products were able to operate with the 3M security
system already employed in Information Services,
to ensure security for items processed at
self-
service workstations. Barcode security was an
issue, but an investigation revealed that any opera-
tion dependent on scanning barcodes could be
defeated.
Dynix Library Systems (UK) Ltd. had agreed to
develop an interface with a self-issue system,
required by the Sunderland 1992 library
automated system specification, and they were
already committed to working with 3M on the
project.
Primarily for reasons of stock security, and the
knowledge that Dynix and 3M were already
working on an interface, a decision was made to
select the 3M 5210 Self Issue machine in January
1993.
Self-issue
The University of Sunderland was the first UK
Library to provide a 3M 5210 Self Issue system
interfaced with Dynix software. The unit has been
available at the Chester Road site since January
1995.
A second machine was installed at St.
Peter's Library in April 1996. In mid November
1996,
a further two 3M 5210 machines were
installed, one at Chester Road in the Short Loan
area, and one at Hutton Library. The system
provides users with the ability to issue and renew
books themselves(1).
The Short Loan area at the Chester Road site is an
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