NORWICH – Guernsey Memorial Library has begun implementing new software which will allow visitors to reserve computer time more efficiently, and streamline its printing process, with a tentative start date of April 12.
PC Reservation and Print Management, by Envisionware, provides automated computer sign up and access utilizing a walk-up reservation station, thereby freeing up library staff for other duties at the front desk, according to Guernsey Memorial Library Director Sarah Wiggins.
Wiggins reported that she had experienced using the software from previous employment and that other libraries, several in Broome County and the Sidney Memorial Public Library, had successfully made the changeover with positive results.
“It’s extremely important for our Internet users to know that they will need their library card to sign on,” said Wiggins, who added that any past fines must be cleared up first and that the staff would make “no exceptions for those who forgot their card.”
The new system allows visitors to scan their card at a separate reservation station, choose a juvenile or adult setting, and gives them a one hour time limit which can be accessed up to four times a day. Wiggins said no one will be able to go over the allotted 60 minutes per day, and that the computer itself will remind users of how much time they have left at the 10 and 1 minute marks, allowing them to save their session.
“I think it’s going to be excellent and much more efficient for both our staff and our patrons,” said library clerk Trish Phetteplace, who added that the software will give the staff more time to focus on other tasks. “Before this, patrons were having a lot of difficulty tracking their own time, so this should make things much more fair and make sure that everyone gets an equal share of time at the computer.”
The new print management system will allow the library to conserve paper, as the staff will be able to monitor how much is being printed at all times, which in turn will save local taxpayers money, according to Wiggins.
While the exact amount of wasted paper is unknown, Wiggins reported that the library’s computers were accessed over 16,000 times last year by the local community, and Phetteplace added that it was not unusual for someone to accidentally print a large number of unneeded pages.
Concerning the availability and usage of the library’s computers, Wiggins said that “it’s important during these tough economic times for all of the people searching for employment,” and she reiterated that visitors “must have their library card to gain access.”