San Leandro Public Library has installed a new radio frequency identification system (RFID), which library officials say will dramatically speed up the checkout and check-in process.
Library staff tagged more than 290,000 books, DVDs, CDs, and other items to prepare for the library to join the many around the country that have made the shift to using RFID.
All four San Leandro branches now have self-checkout machines, offering 35 language options, for use with either a library card or the library’s mobile app. For returns, the Main and Manor branches will have RFID-enabled book drop slots, where items will immediately be removed from the patron’s library account 24/7.
“The addition of RFID technology provides significant advantages for both library operations and patron convenience,” library director Brian Simons said in a statement. “San Leandro is a deeply diverse community and to help make the library more accessible to all, this system provides service in 35 languages, so patrons can have an easy-to-use checkout experience in the language they feel most comfortable in.
“Additionally, RFID allows the library to look at future services and how we might be able to rethink how things are done, so we can focus our staff resources on impactful outcomes for the community,” Simons said.
For more information, people may contact the library’s information desk at 510-577-3971.