In the October 2007 edition of BuB, the German journal published by the Information and Library Professional Association, the longstanding head librarian, Dr. Gerhard W. Matter, reports in detail on the renovation of the historical building, the exciting environmentally friendly domestic engineering system installed within. The library's technical modernization with the installation of the BiblioChip system, completely integrated into the OCLC software, is a further topic.

“…The distinctive library building is a good expression of the concept and the philosophy behind the cantonal library. The lamp on the roof is lit at night, thereby symbolizing a beacon of knowledge and education – a beacon that radiates light throughout the region. Enlightenment in the sense of elucidation and education…”

“Providing extended services for library patrons and an efficient checking-out system were among the library's goals. The sisis-sunrise library management system was expanded to include new features and combined with the BiblioChip RFID system. The library wanted to enable patrons to check their selections out at their convenience. It also wanted to be able to send all necessary messages to library patrons electronically whenever possible. All of these goals were achieved, with the new technologies being very well received by the library's 17,500 patrons. The four SelfCheck stations – dispersed over three floors – easily coped with the 650,000 media checked out in the first year of operation. Ensuring the security of the media with RFID also proved highly effective.”

“Books and media returned during opening hours are processed and checked by library staff in person. This enables them to identify any damage or any media returned inside the wrong covers. It is also apparent that library users actually enjoy the opportunity to talk with the librarians when returning their books. Returning media is thus more than just a routine administrative operation; it is also a good way of finding out about customer satisfaction levels and a chance to point out new arrivals. When the library is closed, customers can use a BookReturn machine with built-in sorting unit to return their books. The media are sorted by location and by type. Reserved books and media are sorted into a separate container. Within an hour of a reserved book being returned, the person who reserved it receives a text message or e-mail inviting them to pick it up from the library.”

“The new cantonal library has been operating successfully for two years. The building has become a landmark and the new library concept was an immediate success. The number of registered patrons has risen from 14,000 to 17,500 and the number of media borrowed from the library is up from 440,000 to 650,000. This dramatic growth could not have been managed without the software, the library's technology and the SelfCheck system.”

(Excerpts from BuB, issue 10, October 2, 2007, reprinted with the kind permission of the editors.
See also www.b-u-b.de.
Pictures © Cantonal Library of Basle-Country)

For more information please visit www.kbl.ch