Self-loan technology installed at Kerang's Sir John Gorton Library

Published on 19 August 2024

Visitors to Kerang's Sir John Gorton Library now have the option to checkout books, DVDs, audiobooks or magazines via a self-loan desk.

The desk, located near the entrance of the Gannawarra Library Service’s largest branch, has been operational since mid-July, with visitors already using the new technology.

“Council is committed to providing residents and visitors with access to technology that can make it quicker and easier to find information, complete requests and, in this instance, borrow items from the Gannawarra Library Service’s vast collection of items,” Gannawarra Shire Council Chief Executive Officer, Geoff Rollinson said.

“Self-loan desks are commonplace at larger library branches across Australia, so it is exciting that the Gannawarra Library Service is providing alternative options to engage with the service.”

Operating the self-loan desk involves three steps:

• Scanning your Gannawarra Library Service membership card.
• Placing the items you want to borrow on the self-loan desk.
• Selecting whether to print out a receipt listing when your items need to be returned, or receiving notification via email.

“The self-loan desk will not replace the role that our dedicated staff play in assisting visitors to borrow or place holds on items from our collection or other libraries across the State,” Mr Rollinson said.

The installation of the self-loan desk was the final step of a year-long program that also involved adding radio frequency identification (RFID) tags to all items within the library service’s collection, with these tags required for connection to the self-loan desk.  RFID is now common in major library services to more efficiently and efficiently manage larger collections.

“Gannawarra Library Service staff have done an amazing job in working to install RFID tags on all items whilst managing our busy library branches and assisting with the various enquiries our libraries receive each day,” Mr Rollinson said.

“The Gannawarra Library Service looks forward to seeing its members embrace this new checkout option whilst also delivering the high-quality service our staff are renowned for.”