Off on my own today!

Josh's Mum had to go and do another session of CSIT today - you know the meeting I went to last week about evaluating what culture and leisure do?  She was booked to go and do a 1:1 with another member of staff straight afterwards so I persuaded her that I should pop out to one of the libraries on my own - to "familiarise" myself a bit more.

I decided to go back to Elm Park Library and see how everyone was getting on.  They were really busy!  Lots of people were choosing books, using the computers and asking questions.  Then I saw this!

I asked Louise what it was as it was sat right near the entrance and people kept going up and pressing the screen and then just leaving.  Louise explained that it was an RFID machine - every book has a special little tag inside and that means that the machine can recognise them without anyone having to scan the numbers in or even touch the books.  You cant see the plate where you put the books - hey it was warm, ok? - but you just put the books on this special (warm) plate and then put your ticket in - press the screen a couple of times and hey presto - your books are issued.  I just thought it was amazing!

Louise had a lot of fun showing me - it can "do its thing" in different languages (not monkey though!) and also has a special screen for children.  Louise said that children loved using it and so did retired people!  When I was talking to Josh's Mum about it later on she said that libraries often got things before supermarkets - for instance, libraries had barcodes before they were on beans in the supermarkets!  And libraries are getting RFID before the supermarkets do!

Due to the fact that I am a little "height restricted" Louise had to help me to reach the buttons - I just think she liked holding my hand!

When people return their books they can use it too - they just put their books on the plate and the machine wipes them off their ticket.  If any of the books are wanted by somebody else they put them into a special box on wheels so that they dont get put back on the shelves by accident.

It was dark in there - thank goodness for Louise!

I am going to have a little lie down now - but not in a dark room - it was pretty scary!

Nighty Night
Monkeyx