The Lincoln Pelham Public Library is making it easier for Fonthill residents to pick up a good book.
Director of Customer Experience Amy Guilmette said that a new book dispenser will be available by mid-June in the lower foyer of the Meridian Community Centre, adjacent to the service desk and ATM. The machine uses radio-frequency technology, known as RFID, that electronically tags books and records an inventory.
“If somebody wants to use the machine, they simply scan their library card, the door opens, and they can browse through the books available,” said Guilmette. “Once they close the door, having selected a book, the machine takes another inventory and checks it out to whoever opened it with a library card.”
Residents of ten Niagara sub-municipalities who have a library card will be able to use the book dispenser. St. Catharines and Niagara Falls, however, are not part of the Libraries in Niagara Cooperative (LiNC), and consequently won’t have access. The machine will stock a variety of literary genres, including fiction and nonfiction for children, teens, and adults.
“This new service is being funded by a grant that the Town of Pelham obtained through the Ontario Trillium Foundation,” said Guilmette. “It was conceived as a way to improve accessibility to library materials during pandemic times.”
Storage lockers using RFID technology should arrive for library patrons in a couple of months.
Guilmette said that the library would be monitoring the usage of the machine online, so as to report back to the library board and Town staff on the success of the program.
“I'm really excited about this. I think it'll be great,” she said.