Automated books - vending and lending

Posted by Martyn Daniels on the Brave New World blog, 17 May 2010

We went to see another POD (print on demand) offer and were drawn by the machine and process next to it the 'ECO Automated Library'.

Imagine you are at home on the computer logged onto the local library, you select a book and ask for it to be available at your local station for your commute to work, alternatively it's late at night and you want to collect a book but the library is shut. You may even log onto the library via a mobile and request a book whilst mobile. You may just want to return the book to the shut library and want a drop off point. From the other side you may be a library just wanting to automate some library operations to free staff to face readers.

The system has a number of components which are for an in-library service and self checkout. It is based on an integrated inventory management approach and security control using RFID and barcodes. However the one that caught the eye was the 'Automatic Material Dispenser' which offered something different and we thought was literally outside the library box.

Anyone who has been to Japan is familiar with the dispensers that are on the street. This is another one, but one that is aimed or adapted for books and not targeted for the street, but stations, community locations or even outside the library itself.

The principle is that a user selects and is allocated a specific collection box and maybe even time window. They go to the dispenser identify themselves open the appropriate box and take the book. The box is empty and can be refilled and reused just like a left luggage box in a station. Returns can also be accommodated by a separate machine.

Ok we have all seen book dispensers sitting idle at airports filled with a selection of the latest blockbusters. However, imagine you were going on holiday and could pick up your book at the airport and return it when you come back. Imagine a large office, a mall, a bus station even out side the library itself. All that is required is a delivery the book to the appropriate dispenser slot.

The basic unit from ECO costs some $25K US and comprises of a control section with two racks of 12 lockers. This can be enhanced to accommodate 8 racks providing 96 lockers at a cost of $5K per two additional racks making a total of $40K. There is the obvious cost of floor space and distribution, but it has many potential uses. ECO have over 500 libraries in Japan and Korea using the library automation system and have an impressive 75% market share in Korea.

Why not use by a bookstore that can take orders over the net and uses the dispenser to offer 24 store service or additional local distribution? Why not use it for the safe unattended collection of other documents, uses within large or sensitive organisations for confidential distribution, or even have it fed by a POD service?

We hope to have a video clip from Korean TV of Annie and the machine later this week.

It is basically a secure locker system that controls the distribution of stuff to an authorised person by self selection or push distribution. The user interface to the system is open to any mobile or PC device and the locker is just a personalised collection and return point. As we said at the beginning technology is created, built, refined, adapted refined and adopted. Some never make it past the drawing board but we fell this one has the potential.

The Espresso 'on demand' book vending machine

Taken from Pocket Lint - Gadget News Reviews Video

The folk behind the patented automatic book making machine claim that this will revolutionise today's publishing industry.

As the machine prints and binds physical books from digital files on the spot, within minutes, this means there are no storage issues, or large print-run costs, and so no titles ever need to go out of print again.

Such classics as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain, Moby Dick by Herman Melville, A Christmas carol by Charles Dickens and Songs of innocence by William Blake are avaialble to print.

Books are bound and trimmed and come out of the machine as a single library quality paperback book that the inventors boast is indistinguishable from the factory made title.

See also

From the D-TechDirect website

A new library RFID enabled vending machine has been installed on the new City Library site. The D-Tech machine chosen was the 400 item option which will be stocked with top title books, DVDs and CDs. It also has the capacity to accept requests which can later also be collected from the machine. Read more about the Newcastle D-Tech vending machine which "...takes self service a step further".

Text and picture from Buster book lending machine flyer

The list of conveniences for those who live life on the go is about to grow. The Contra Costa County Library is expanding services and improving accessibility by making its popular collection available to people at Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) stations and local shopping centers.

The Contra Costa County Library is proud to be the first in the nation to offer the public book lending machines under a new program called Library-a-Go-Go. "We are so thrilled to be the first to offer reading materials in an ATM style lending machine," said County Librarian Anne Cain. "We're very fortunate to have BART helping us launch this endeavor. They're the perfect partner."

This project falls right in line with BART's overall goals to help protect the environment, enhance accessibility and improve service to customers. The first Library-a-Go-Go machine is scheduled for service at the Pittsburg/Bay Point Bart station in May.

These machines will make it easy to borrow books whether you are a business commuter on BART, or a parent checking out children's books at a machine in a local shopping center.

The program is supported by grants from the California State Library and the Bay Area Library and Information System and Baker & Taylor, Inc.

The machines have already been in use in Sweden, Norway and Finland and other US cities are bound to follow.

The machine:
The Buster Book Lending machine provides 24 hour a day access your books in a very secure dispensing format. The Buster Book is available in two models: one wall or window through model and one stand alone model (Kiosk) that is rolled into place in an indoor environment.

Controlled Access to an inventory of approximately 500 books.
Tray Delivery System (Optional): Revolutionary system for the delivery and returning of the books without using the plastic boxes
High precision Robotic Industrial machine
15" Touchscreen user interface
"ADA" compliant machine (Accessible For Disabled)
Fully integrated into the ILS via SIP2. No one can get a hold of a BOOK without first being authenticated
Shock resistant structure
IP55 waterproof machine enclosure
Fully customizable enclosure
Support barcode OR magnetic swipe card input
Transaction receipt thermal printer
RFID technology built in Robot
Capability to export data to an external management system.
Multi-language capability
Ability to manage various sizes of books.
Storage Unit costomizable upon request (Bins size).
Ability to process a great deal of transactions in a short period of time compared to other dispensing machines.
Easy to restock.
Easy to be controlled remotely.
Fast transactions in less than 15 seconds

The software:
The powerful user friendly interface for selecting the books to be dispensed with a 15" touchscreen, displays a lot of information. The Software Management platform working with Buster book lending machine provides full book management with inventory control, full audit trail, reporting capability that allows the administrator to monitor current and historical data.

Taken from Velcro City Tourist Board website

Most libraries today look rather old-fashioned when seen through the eyes of young people raised in a digital age, and are underused by that demographic as a result.
They might not seem so dated were they to have devices like this available, though:
That is a pair of prototypes of a device called the Biblioroll, spotted in a post at Engadget. The site is in English (despite being from a group in Japan):
"It is not just to move through one book, but to read several books in parallel, pick up ideas which could be a cue from each of them, and reconstruct them to come to the answer you search for. To achieve, people use many tools such as a notebook, a pen, or sticky notes and perform physically on a working table. We defined these series of actions as a reading activity and designed a device to support it."
Indeed these people have picked up on a crucial point. That point being that one book is never enough for any serious data-mining, and that browsing many books and taking notes from them becomes a real chore.
Not only that, but the book interface is looking rather tired, especially to modern kids. They've grown up with GUIs, the internet, 50 channels of television - all fast formats that enable (or even encourage) the user to flit from source to source. The Biblioroll would be a far more appealing tool.
Granted, it wouldn't really fit with libraries as they stand at the moment. But let's get a bit futurist here, let's get our 'library2.0 going on. I've mentioned before that a good way for libraries to stay afloat in a fast-changing world would be to offer ebook versions of text books (hell, why not novels too?) in a variety of formats -
Dedicated bookreading terminals in the building
Licenced hardcopies of single chapters available for a small fee (with a payment to the copyright holder)
Electronic format downloads from a local wifi net
Now, the downloads idea has all sorts of objections, most of which revolve around the intellectual property issues pertaining to unauthorised duplication of copyrighted material. This little gizmo could be the answer to that problem. Picture the scenario:
A student comes to the library to research a topic for a paper or dissertation, which will involve searching, reading, referencing, cross-referencing and quoting a number of textbooks. Presently, it's a case of finding the books (some of which may be rare, old, or held in stores to prevent damage or decay), thumbing through the index, finding the right sections, scribbling or typing notes and references, comparing them to other books, and compiling all that data into a coherent section of written work to be inserted in the essay or project being completed. In other words, a lot of work, most of which would be ancillary to the actual finding of the data required - like, heavy downer, man.
But what if the library could lend the student a Biblioroll for use in the building, that could connect to the library dataservers via secure wifi? Finding the right parts of the right books would be just like using a normal search engine, taking them straight to the relevent passages or chapters.
Once there, they select the part that has bearing on their work, and use the quotemark function to store the passage (complete with all the data necessary for accurate bibliographies and references) in a workfile, adding notes and comments as they wish.
A list of works containing related data would be available, allowing easy comparison and correlation of other sources at the flick of a finger or stylus. Cross-referencing, comparison, contextual searching, the ability to search internet documents from the same device - all these things would be a simple and natural extension of the device's functionality.
Once all the data required is found, the student takes the Biblioroll back to the desk where it was issued; then a librarian would dock it, downloading the workfile to be passed to the student's own USB/bluetooth/wireless device.
Now the student has all the quotes they need, fully referenced, complete with their notes that they took at the time, all in one neat file ready to be pasted into their current project. At no time have they possessed a copyright controlled document on their own hardware, and yet they have acquired data in accordance with 'fair use' law in a format that is convenient to them, and using technologies that are not just more in tune with the way they have been gathering information all their lives, but that enable the traditional usage of libraries as a research tool to be performed faster and more efficiently.
The student is happy - she has those obscure quotes pertaining to the viral spread of ribald humour in Victorian-era cotton mills (or, y'know, like, whatever) that she needed. The publishers and copyright holders are happy - their IP has not been infringed, and there are no duplicate copies of entire works floating around to be copied without payment, and the library has already paid up to subscribe to their ebook database. The library is happy - they've got people coming in through the door and using the building for the purpose it was designed for, perhaps paying a small fee for the use of a technology that makes their lives easier (and keeping the spirit of libraries as a place of learning alive).
Technology needn't be the death of public libraries, but until the libraries and the publishers wake up to the fact that books and computing do not have to be two seperate entities, the current decline in usage will continue. Inventions like the Biblioroll, if properly pitched and marketed to the right people and industries, could see libraries reinvigorated and restored to their rightful place as temples of knowledge that are open to all.

German publishing company Hamburger Automatenverlag (Hamburg Automatic Publishing) has adapted old cigarette vending machines to sell books instead of cigarettes at various locations in Hamburg.

The repurposed machines carry a series of condensed novels, photo books, graphic novels and collections of poetry by local authors -- all designed to be exactly the same size as a packet of cigarettes. The idea is to get people into the habit of reading as opposed to smoking.

Germany's increasingly strict smoking regulations mean that coin-operated cigarette vending machines are being replaced by modern versions which can scan identity cards for age verification purposes. This means that the old mechanical versions will become obsolete as of November 2010.

Instead of scrapping the robust machines, which are famed for their craftsmanship, a few small adjustments have been made to complete the vice-to-virtue transformation. To operate the machines you select your desired book, insert coins to the value of %u20AC4 (£3.30), tug on a spring-loaded lever and the requested book is dispensed into a retractable metal drawer.

By Olivia Solon, 22 July 2010

Hamburger Automatenverlag is not the only company to repurpose machines in this way. Art-o-Mat in the US has adapted cigarette machines similarly to sell art. Some 400 contributing artists from 10 different countries created artworks exactly the same size and shape as a packet of cigarettes, which were then sold for five dollars or less.

Los Angeles-based Greenaid converts old coin-operated sweet machines to sell seed bombs -- mixtures of clay, compost and seeds that you can throw anonymously into derelict urban sites.

Article from the Wall Street Journal digital network, Monday 25 October 2010

A look at how automated vending is changing the way libraries work - views from the comapanies set to profit from the technology, those working within libraries, and the patrons ...

Taken from the Harper Studio website

It's actually a book lending machine (a Lending Library), spotted at the American Library Association's 2009 conference. Libraries can install these (plus a book drop for easy returns) in convenient locations where patrons can access them 24/7. It's like a book version of the redbox, but libraries could also include DVDs and audiobooks from their collections. If you ever need a good late-night read but the library is closed, all you have to do is bring your library card to the machine to borrow one of their stocked titles. I could see myself using this at Port Authority, grabbing a good book to read on my long bus ride home.

24 Hour VendingThe System D-Tech is the sole distributor for the VendorTech, multi media vending machine.

Taken from D-Tech website

You've heard of machines dispensing crisps and pop - now new book lovers will be able to get their regular fiction fix from a vending machine. Newcastle's brand new £40.2m City Library is the first place in the country to use the machines.

The new Library24 unit can be delivered as a standalone unit, or be built as a hole in the wall system. It provides customer access to the top ten best resourced or most popular book and non book material, without the need to increase staff opening hours or incur additional staffing costs.

Utilising touch-screen technology your customers can choose from a wide range of media. Browsing by author, title, or searching in all item types allows the customer to make an easy and informed choice.

The Library24 works by inserting a borrower's card which, once verified, will supply the customer with access to select items. Returns are also enabled at the unit providing there is space in the unit to accept them. More importantly this means that the returned item is immediately available for the next user. All items are cased for dispensing and need to be returned in the cases for discharge within the system.

Library24 can be linked to your Library Management System via a SIP2 connection enabling instant customer status and updates in real time.It will assist in providing outreach services and thus gaining new customers who otherwise might not be able to get to a library during normal opening hours. This improves library efficiencies in service and statistical improvements in usage.

The starter model holds 200 items, although the system is designed to be extended providing a vending library of much more resource.

Taken from libramation website

The LibraMate is a service that allows your patrons to borrow books and media 24/7. It can function as a mini library in smaller communities, in shopping malls, or train stations, just to name a few. The LibraMate can also function either exclusively or combined for dispensing "Hold" request.

The LibraMate features a customized graphic interface, which guides their search and provides step-by-step checkout instructions using a touch screen. The self-charge unit allows Patrons to browse the Library's collection, select the item of choice, check out their selection, and receive a receipt. Once the patron has validated their Patron card, the requested item is discharged in a handy box. The boxes are available in two sizes, allowing for optimal storage capabilities. The items can also be returned at the LibraMate, making them immediately available for the next patron, all without staff intervention.

The LibraMate is linked to your ILS system and allows Patrons to view and browse online for titles available in the LibraMate. A hold can be placed on any of the items available in the LibraMate.

The LibraMate has been operational for several years in many Libraries in the Netherlands, and Libramation is extremely pleased to introduce this technology to Libraries in North America. The unit can be built into a wall with the storage compartment behind the wall, ideally with 24 hour access in your lobby area. The unit is ADA compliant allowing adult, children and wheelchair patrons easy access.

Alternatively the LibraMate can be designed as a freestanding unit allowing installations in remote areas as a mini Library.

Taken from an article in the Library Journal

Remote reading The Lend A Book%u2122 Distribution Machine delivers popular titles in remote locations. Library customer's scan their library cards, choose the item(s) they wish to borrow, press the corresponding buttons, and the book(s) will be dispensed through the door located on the bottom of the machine. The LendABook%u2122 will be SIP2 certified and integrated into the library's ILS. Furnished complete with approximately 360 paperback books (fewer hardcovers) from the Brodart McNaughton%u2122 selection list for its opening-day collection and supplemented with new books each month. Each book will be accompanied by full cataloging in MARC 21 or OCLC MARC format with barcode labels and item records for the most popular library management systems. The library's logo, name, and web site address will be affixed to the front of the unit. The machine, 72"h x 37"d x 46½"w, will be delivered and installed in the library's specified location; service and maintenance for the software and hardware will be provided.

From GoLibrary The automatic library machine website

GoLibrary Books acts as an independent library and
can be placed anywhere where you wish to provide
library service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The machine stores books and handles loans, returns
and administration automatically. The user is
identified by their library card and selects
books using the touch screen. The book is delivered
and the loan is registered in the central library
system, just like any other loan. Returns are also done
in the machine.

GoLibrary Books gives libraries the opportunity to
provide a round the clock service, either as a
complement to existing libraries or as a small,
independent library in a remote location. The machine
provides new opportunities as it can be placed in
shopping malls, residential areas, hospitals, train
stations etc.

GoLibrary Books is available in two models; one wall, or
window, through model and one stand alone model
that is rolled into place in an indoor environment. The
storage capacity is approximately 500 books
depending on the size of the selection. This gives a
very high capacity on a yearly basis.

Combining access and capacity, GoLibrary Books offers
a very cost efficient solution for raising the level of
service to the community. GoLibrary Books can provide
service where the traditional library can not.

Taken from Protouch website
Library takes full advantage of Redbox DVD kiosk25/09/2009
Princeton Public Library patrons have been taking full advantage of a new Redbox DVD kiosk since its installation in July, according to library director Leslie Burger.

The automated kiosk, which allows visitors to rent DVDs with the swipe of a credit card, is averaging roughly 200 rentals a week since July.

July saw the kiosk take $904 in sales, with August taking $1,378.

The partnership with Redbox came after nine other libraries across the nation joined in the new pilot programme for the rental kiosks.

At present many of the Redbox kiosks are found in fast food restaurants, pharmacies, grocery stores and convenience stores.

"Redbox wants to see if this works in a library setting," Ms.Burger said.

And since the kiosks have been installed, staff members have noticed that the weekly revenue comes from instances where patrons keep the rentals beyond the original $1 rental period, incurring additional charges on the credit card account used in the original transaction. The profits are being split between Redbox and the libraries.

The Redbox kiosks are growing rapidly throughout the US as consumers turn to online rentals and other alternatives to traditional movie stores. Now there are more Redbox kiosks than there are Blockbuster movie stores in the US, with each kiosk, on average, taking 49 rentals per day and $37,457 in annual revenue.

However the presence of the Redbox is this library is not impacting the libraries own movie rental system according to Ms Burger. The libraries own rental system will begin offering slow-moving titles-from before 2008-at special $1 for a three-night rental.

For more information about self service kiosks and how they can benefit your business visit Protouch today.

Kiosks installed in shops, department stores, cinemas, train stations, supermarkets etc need to stand out. They need to say to the customer, 'Look at me, I am here and I can make your day faster, quicker and more efficient.'

And the look at me is very important. Not only do they need to provide high quality service that is quick and easy to use, they need to initially attract the customers attention else there was really no point in buying one at all.

To help you along the way to choosing the right self service kiosk, we have found some cool kiosks with some fantastic interfaces that stand out to any customer or passer-by.

From the Protouch blog:

On the Protouch blog we have mentioned the Redbox kiosk a few times, but we think it is just so bold and convenient for consumers it deserves another mention.

The great thing about this kiosk is that it is large, has a lot of information and advertising around it and most importantly it is bright red, so you really cannot miss it at all.

The Redbox has seen DVD rentals in the US boom as people find the kiosk convenient, efficient and useful for all their needs and desires.

Another great feature to this kiosk is the DVD picture stand which lists all the top movies and latest releases that people can rent from the Redbox kiosk, keeping customers in the know throughout their interactivity with the kiosk.

Henderson libraries also report on their experience.

Taken from an article in the Library Journal:

The automatic CD/DVD MediaManager%u2122 is a dispenser that delivers CDs or DVDs after authenticating the library customer. One swipe of the library card, and the customer can view your ILS and choose which CD or DVD to borrow. Once an item is selected, the unit delivers the media and automatically checks the item(s) out and delivers a receipt. Models can accommodate a side monitor to allow for two people to browse and reserve media simultaneously. Choose from dispensers that hold 1000, 1700, 2,046, or 2,728 DVDs. Will be SIP2-certified and integrated into the library's ILS. Donut-shaped printed barcodes or RFID tags will be provided along with special cases to hold media. The library's logo and name will be affixed to the unit; the library's choice of colors will decorate the exterior. The machine will be delivered and installed in the library's specified location; service and maintenance for the software and hardware will be provided.

Taken from the Protouch blog, Tuesday March 30:

Co-Create London is a new social initiative giving everyone the chance to change their suburban area with ideas ranging from free WiFi across the city to cheaper Oyster Cards. The social aspect of it brings people's brainpower to the fore, and lets citizens really make a difference.

One of the leading ideas currently featured on Co-Create London is for library-style book kiosks to be positioned around Tube stations across the capital, so that commuters are never without a spot of reading material.

If the user comments are anything to go by, it's an idea that has been met with numerous thumbs-up, including 'Matt from London':

"This would be nice. And it could double up as a distribution point for small independent magazines etc. that can't get stocked in newsagents."

Others have mentioned how the idea is similar to a website called www.bookcrossing.com where people simply leave their finished books in public places so that other people can pick them up, 'own them', and enjoy them too - before heading to Bookcrossing.com to let the previous owner know where the book is now so it's route around the country, and possibly the world, can be tracked.

The book kiosks idea for the London Underground currently has 78 votes and lies in second place, ahead of calls for air conditioning on Tube trains.