8th Annual ICAU Meeting Aalborg University, Denmark 8.-10- September 1997

ICAU 97. User Experiences Session. Wednesday, September 10th

by Alessandra Bezzi

Self-Check System

The Aleph / 3M self-service checkout allow the library users to borrow by themselves items located on open shelf sections.

Our Library owns about 800,000 items and 50,000 of these are stored on open shelves.

We have a very high volume of circulation activity, on 1996 we had made about 513,500 circulation transactions (loans, returns, on-line requests) and about 1/3 of these was performed for open shelf materials.

We have started "to talk about" Self-check system with 3M staff on January 1995, before to implement Aleph into the library. In this way we had the opportunity to discuss with them about problems like "what are the best place to put barcode label on items", etc. before to start implementation of Circulation module. So, for example, we have chosen to put the barcode labels on the inside cover in a "bottom / center" position. We have decided to put inside the labels because in this way they are more protected from damage and from the wear and tear of time and use. I think one of more "heavy" work it's really to substitute and control barcode labels on about 800,000 items loaned or consulted about 23,000 times by month.

After this step we have defined some copy status on Tabaleph 15 in this way:

15 BOC C/01 N Y Y Y 00 01 Y Y C

Daily Open Shelf materials (circulation allowed in to the library reading room only)

15 BOC C/02 Y Y Y 0 03 00 Y Y C

Circulation Allowed Open Shelf materials

15 BOC C/03 Y Y Y 0 00 01 Y C C

Daily Closed Shelf materials (circulation allowed in to the library reading room only)

15 BOC C/04 Y Y Y 0 03 00 Y C C

Circulation Allowed Closed Shelf materials

Flags relevant on using a Self-check system and, at the same time, to allow users to do on-line requests through telnet opac and www interface are flags 13,27,29:

status 01 Circulation not allowed, hold can be placed in the OPAC, item is accessible to user. When a local user places a REQUEST, if there is a copy not on loan, the request is not accepted.

On this way remote users can place photocopy requests via WWW but local users cannot perform self-check loans.

status 02 Circulation allowed, hold can be placed in the OPAC, item is accessible to user. When a local user places a REQUEST, if there is a copy not on loan, the request is not accepted.

On this way remote users can place requests via WWW and local users can

perform self-check loans.

status 03 Circulation allowed, hold can be placed in the OPAC, item not accessible to user, but is available. Requests are always accepted.

status 04 Circulation allowed, hold can be placed in the OPAC, item not accessible to user, but is available. Requests are always accepted.

 

Configuration of the 3M Self-Check machine is:

One 3M Self-check system Model 5220 (s/w version 2.4) with a magnetic card reader for the borrower's card and barcode scanner put on the left side because users must put the item opened under the scanner to read the barcode label, a de-sensitizer for markers strips, a printer for loan receipt.

Configuration of the Aleph Self-Check table is:

institution_id BOC !

timeout_period 500 !

retries_allowed 10 !

online_status Y ! Yes/No (see 3M manual)

checkin_ok Y ! Yes/No (see 3M manual)

checkout_ok Y ! Yes/No (see 3M manual)

renewal_ok N ! Yes/No (see 3M manual)

stat_update_ok Y ! Yes/No (see 3M manual)

offline_ok Y ! Yes/No (see 3M manual)

desensitize Y ! Yes/No (see 3M manual)

resensitize Y ! Yes/No (see 3M manual)

alert Y ! Yes/No (see 3M manual)

sc_language 001 ! SC language (see 3M manual)

asc_language ENG ! Aleph's language

sc_language 004 ! SC language (see 3M manual)

asc_language ITA ! Aleph's language

block_delinquency 99 ! Delinquent code to block bor.

override_delinquency Y ! Yes/No

error_correction S ! No error_correction

Customization required, both in Aleph and 3M machine, are really simple:

On 3M side, we have chosen from customize menu only our preferred languages, instruction messages related to barcode label position on items and to use of users magnetic card and, through the same way, we have added our "welcome message" for the first screen and chosen information to print on loan receipt.

On Aleph side, we have personalized the SC table, defined port number used by SC server and automatic run (after every shutdown) of related process.

 

Past year, at the end of November as beta test site, we had implemented the Aleph - 3M Self-Check System.

On later March 1997 we have put 3M Self-check into the reading room in our library.

Ex-Libris, Atlantis (our national distributor) and 3M have offered to us an excellent support both in beta-test and installation phases.

The Self-check machine has been put near to the Circulation Desk from which staff can help easy users when necessary. During the first two weeks people from our and 3M staffs have supported users on using the new service and "information posters" about it have been placed in to the library reading rooms.

How to use Self-Check:

Borrower:

runs his magnetic card onto reader

places opened book on platform bar-code side up

follows screen instructions

repeat with next book

take receipt from printer

 

Aleph and Self-check:

verifies borrower is O.K. and item is allows to loan according your circulation policy defined via Tabaleph 10, 15, 16, 17 and borrowers authorization flags.

performs loan transaction

de-sensitizes item

Prints loan receipt with due date.

 

To obtain statistical information about use of Self-Check facility we have prepared some retrieval formats on Util 70 tab-ret.

We really appreciate this new Aleph functionality, it's fine, easy to operate and well-designed. The system was received with great appreciation by our users, no need to wait in line, etc. During these first five months of activities more than 5000 loan transactions were performed via Self-check.

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