Pushing Heavy Book Trollies Is Now Finally in the Past

Preliminary plans for the introduction of a self-service system have been in place since 2008, but it was only years later that the fundamental modernization* of the Aachen City Library could be implemented (*The introduction of the new technology went hand-in-hand with a structural redesign of the entrance area and refurbishment of the ground floor). The State of North Rhine-Westphalia provided financial support for the introduction of the self-service system and the associated structural changes.

While other libraries elsewhere had already gained experience with self-service systems or even had to process the “end-of-life” of their equipment, the Aachen City Library was able to build on these experiences. The technology had evolved over time and the market position of the supplier companies had been established. Despite the relatively late switch from over-the-counter booking to RFID, the City Library in Aachen benefited from the timing. The facility was looking for tailored solutions that make material booking processes as quick and easy as possible. RFID access control had to be able to accommodate future developments such as more flexible opening hours (Open Library).

Ergonomic considerations had been identified as a key requirement during the design phase. Many application libraries use media bins as the sorting destination for sorting media. Here, the staff has to put the returned media back in the correct place on the trolleys. Bücherhallen Hamburg already had a sorting system with stackable book trolleys in use, where the books are placed gently and, in a row, which enables the staff to sort them back on the shelf in a back-friendly way. After reading a wide variety of testimonials, contact with other libraries, and assessments from the library community, the decision was made to introduce a similar approach in Aachen.

The goal was to ensure that transport and the process of checking the media back in was quick and stable with a pre-sorting stage. The planning team was supported in all these considerations by the city project steering committee. This is a committee made up of representatives from a wide range of offices, occupational health, and safety as well as other bodies subject to co-determination. These requirements were ultimately formulated in the Europe-wide tender. The tender was for several RFID pads, a resorting system with 17 sorting destinations, 13 connected stacking books and exchange trolleys, two return terminals, an external return station, four height-adjustable check-out stations, and a security gate with visitor counting. Lyngsoe Systems was awarded the contract.

Step-by-step procedure: Conversion of media collection, installation of RFID components, step-by-step commissioning. The necessary preparatory work was planned together with the municipal IT service provider, the library software company, and municipal representatives such as building management and an external architectural firm. The interaction required openness, trust, and flexibility from all sides.