News Release 22 August 2011

Book Lovers Will Soon Have 24 Libraries In One!

Porirua library users will soon have half a million books to choose from with a new shared library service being launched here in October.

Porirua, Kapiti, Masterton and Hutt cities have joined with Weltech and Whitireia polytechs as part of the SMART (Shared & Managed A Region Together) library service that will roll out in Porirua from Monday 3 October.

"This means that avid readers now have an enormous number of new books at their disposal from six separate library services," says Porirua City Libraries Manager Brian Anderson. "That's 24 separate libraries across the region"

Come the start of October, the six library services will turn on the merged system with a regional Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC).

Library members will then be able to reserve books from any of the 24 libraries.

"When we switch on network wide reservations, the system will use a workflow manager utility that will scan the system for available items and allocate them the borrower in a series of expanding geographic circles depending on their home location," says Brian.

"So if a Porirua borrower reserves an item with multiple copies across the network the workflow manager will allocate first from Porirua, then Whitireia, then Kapiti, and finally Masterton. This is to reduce the distance materials need to be sent to fulfil a reservation."

Initially couriers will do a twice weekly circuit of the main libraries to transfer the books and other items around the network.

Brian says to make the logistics of network wide reservations work, Porirua has had to make some changes to its charging.

"Three of the six libraries don't charge for reservations so to maintain a consistent standard for all users it's been necessary for Porirua to adopt this approach also. However, we currently receive just over $7000 per year from reservation charges and to balance this we have decided to add 10 cents to the charge for overdue items. This will increase from 50 cents to 60 cents beginning on 1 September."

ends

© Scoop Media