[Publib] "I don't need my library card -- I've got my iphone!"

[Sarah Strunz]

Conrad great answer and approach to new technology.  

Sarah Strunz
Orfordville Public Library Director

----- Original Message -----
From: Conrad Rader <conrad.rader at gmail.com>
Date: Monday, July 20, 2009 3:05 pm
Subject: Re: [Publib] "I don't need my library card -- I've got my iphone!"
To: Becky Rose <beckyinthemountains at hotmail.com>
Cc: publib at webjunction.org


> Well, OK, I am familiar with the app, it's supposed to take the place 
> of all
>  the barcoded convenience cards that currently live on people's keychains,
>  you can read about it here (
>  http://lifehacker.com/5278532/cardstar-creates-scanner+friendly-bonus-cards-on-iphones
>  ).
>  
>  It seems to me this is another moment of "do we make things harder on 
> people
>  by being inflexible" or do we see a new opportunity?
>  Why aren't we coming up with an app to replace the self checkout machine.
>  iPhones can do barcode scanning as well as storing...
>  
>  In any case what do you do when people use someone else's card?  If 
> the self
>  checkout only takes the barcode without a confirmation or authorization
>  code, perhaps the existing procedure needs to be tweaked rather than
>  generating ill will by banning a patron's convenience.
>  
>  Conrad Rader
>  Niles District Library
>  
>  On Mon, Jul 20, 2009 at 3:10 PM, Becky Rose <beckyinthemountains at hotmail.com
>  > wrote:
>  
>  >  Greetings,
>  >
>  > I'm wondering if any of you have encountered patrons using their iphones
>  > "in place of" their library cards when doing self checkout, and if 
> so, what
>  > have you "done about it" (if anything)?
>  >
>  > I am NOT an iphone owner, so I'm not sure if this is a specific 
> "app" -
>  > or people simply taking a picture of their library barcode. Bottom 
> line
>  > here, is that it WORKS on our self-checkout machines -- but some 
> staff are
>  > concerned that a "policy" needs to be developed to "deal with" 
> this. (As you
>  > know, resourceful patrons could actually recreate a scannable 
> barcode any
>  > number of ways in the past -- but the iphone is definitely an 
> "enabler".) We
>  > DO have language on our card application that says that patrons 
> must have
>  > their card with them whenever they conduct "any library 
> transaction", but if
>  > we "police" our self-checkout machines for iphone "creative users", 
> that's
>  > obviously defeating their purpose.)
>  >
>  > Any comments/experiences/whatever would be appreciated,
>  >
>  > Thanks,
>  >
>  > -Becky Rose-
>  > Cedar Mill Public Library
>  > Cedar Mill, OR
>  > beckyro at wccls.org
>  >
>  >
>  >
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