I know (at least to me) it seems like forever ago that we talked about RFID technology (it was actually in the third week of the class). I'm so glad we did discuss it, though, because I was able to understand what they were talking about in this article.
To quickly summarize the article, the library in Shenzhen, China is starting to use "Integrated Library Automation Systems" (ILAS). These are essentially like ATMs for books -- or another anology that came to mind was vending machines. These carts depend on RFID technology. The article does not go into detail on this point, but does say that patron cards, the books, and other library materials all have RFID tags. Patrons can request a book via the web (or at the machine) and the book will be delivered to the ILAS nearest them. It sounds like patrons will also be able to browse and choose a book that the ILAS has available for checkout, as the article talked about books "circulat(ing) on a three-layer conveyor belt to facilitate readers' selection." (that's the part that seemed reminiscent of a vending machine).
The city is planning to build several dozen of these machines and sprinkle them across the city in places like supermarkets, subway stops, and office buildings.
Personally, upon reading this article I had mixed feelings. On the one hand, I love that books will be more conveniently accessed by more people. On the other hand, it starts seeming less and less like a "library" to me if someone's entire library experience could be had without interacting with anyone. How will patrons whose whole experience is at ILAS's know about all the other services the library offers?
What are your thoughts? Are the ILAS's good for the future of libraries (since they make the books more accessible) or bad for the future of libraries (reducing the role of libraries to book vending machines)?
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2 comments:
Like you said, I wonder what if this is a person's only experience with the library - afterall they don't even have to go the library to get a card - what happens to their opinion of libraries when they don't find books of interest in the ILAS? Will they bother to visit the library where there are millions of books or will they be frustrated and look no further.
It seems like today it’s more about getting information to people when and where they need it rather than providing a personal, one-to-one exchange of ideas. Though the ILAS sounds like it is a quick and convenient way to help people access the books they need, I do think that a lot of the “real library” experience will be lost as a result. The library should not only be an experience with accessing information, it should be a community-building experience as well. When people spend time at a library they interact with other local people and they develop relationships with the library staff who gain an understanding of their information needs, book interests, etc. When children are taken to the library they not only are encouraged to select books, they often meet and interact with other children who have different reading interests. This brings a more social aspect of reading to a child’s understanding. Through the use of ILAS, such things are lost. I see the purpose behind why things like ILAS’s are being implemented, but I do agree that many things are lost at the expense of convenience.
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