Automated Library Distributes Books Amid Budget Cuts

TRENTON, NJ -- The Trenton Free Public Library here is using electronic lockers and vending machines to provide self-service book access to patrons who otherwise would not be able to access the full-service library.

In 2010, the Trenton Free Public Library closed four of its five library locations due to budget cuts, limiting its ability to serve patrons. The library's administrators were faced with the challenge of retaining engagement with the community, despite the severely reduced budget.

So the library's executive director, Kimberly Matthew, researched self-service library access systems and determined that an investment in strategically placed book-delivery systems could economically expand the library's reach. With funding allocated for the project, two convenient Library Outpost locations were selected to receive the automated solution last April. One is in a YMCA building and the other is in Mercer Professional Center, which houses medical offices and related family services.

The Trenton Free Public Library team equipped its outposts with LEID LLC's Access.it electronic library lockers. Patrons can order any book from the library's main branch and pick it up from an electronic locker using the keypad and their library card. The Library Outposts also include a library vending machine from Public Information Kiosk Inc. that complements the lockers, offering customers instant pickup for a spur-of-the-moment selection.

"The Trenton Free Public Library's outposts allow the library to reach those patrons who cannot reach our Academy Street location. It allows for a very nontraditional library experience, yet exposes patrons to some of our library materials," said Trenton Free Public Library operational manager Patricia Hall. "We are encouraged with its prospects, as well as the ability to expose individuals to our library who may otherwise not have access."