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Gadsden library kiosk lets residents check out and return books at two community centers
Summary
A new library kiosk at the Carver and East Gadsden Community Centers lets residents scan library cards to borrow and return books and issues receipts showing due dates; items may also be returned to the Gadsden Public Library, participants said.
GADSDEN, Alabama — A new library kiosk is available at the Carver and East Gadsden Community Centers that allows residents to check out and return books, participants said.
The kiosk, described in a short recorded demonstration, requires users to scan their library card to open a cabinet door; the system keeps an inventory of available books, detects which book a user removes, and prints a receipt showing the due date. Returns can be made at either community-center kiosk or at the Gadsden Public Library, according to the recording.
In the demonstration, one participant identified only as Resident B, a resident, explained the checkout steps: “To check out a book, simply scan your library card and the door will open. The Lib cabinet keeps an inventory of available books and automatically detects which 1 you're checking out. Grab your receipt, which tells you when your book is due.” Resident B also described the return process: “The process to return a book is the same. Scan your card and put the book back on the shelf. Close the door and you're done.”
Another participant, identified here as Resident A, a resident, said the kiosks are located at the Carver and East Gadsden Community Centers and noted that users can return books checked out from the main library at the community-center locations.
The demonstration used the term “Lib cabinet” for the device and described it as a vending-style cabinet that maintains an inventory and issues receipts; no operating hours, funding details, or vendor information were provided in the recording. The recording also did not specify whether the kiosks accept holds, interlibrary loans, fines, or other library services.
The kiosks supplement the Gadsden Public Library’s existing circulation options by adding community-center pickup and return points, according to the participants. The library’s official hours, policies on fines or holds, and any vendor or contract details were not detailed in the recording.
