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

[Kathleen Stipek]

Before unconditional acceptance or rejection, perhaps a few patrons with the app could be invited to be guinea pigs?  If it registers the check out in the patrons' records and clears any security things, then let it happen.  If not, maybe the tech crew could work out why and enable it.  As long as there is a record of the material in the patron's account, who cares how it gets there as long as it's the right stuff.


Kathleen Stipek
Alachua County Library District
401 East University Avenue
Gainesville, Florida 32601
352-334-3931 fax 352-334-3948
 
--Non, merci
  Cyrano de Bergerac

-----Original Message-----
From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org [mailto:publib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Sarah Strunz
Sent: Tuesday, July 21, 2009 2:42 PM
To: Conrad Rader
Cc: publib at webjunction.org; Becky Rose
Subject: Re: [Publib] "I don't need my library card -- I've got my iphone!"

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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