Intelligent Libraries,

how to work smart, efficient, and ad value

to products by creating improved logistics

and library services

On the project: Intelligent Material Management System

Information contact

Britta Bitsch, CEO Branch Libraries Aarhus Denmark

bbi@aarhus.dk

Developing new library services

Becoming an cost effective library

Achieve improved logistics and customer service

Creating intelligent presentations of your collection

Introduction

• Intelligent Material Management System (IMMS) • Making the most of your library materials, resources and

creating a platform for better library services

▫ Where are your books and other library materials? ▫ Where are they most needed? –in branch or among branches ▫ Are there enough books or other library materials on the

shelves? ▫ Where can loans of materials and returned library materials be

handled most efficiently?

• These and many other issues can be answered using IMMS.

Facts Copenhagen Libraries and Aarhus

Public Libraries, Denmark • City of Aarhus

▫ Population: 0,31 mill. ▫ Size in km2: 468 km2

• Numbers of libraries ▫ Main library and 18 branches

• Number of employees (2011) ▫ 233

• Budget (2011) ▫ Net. 115 mill.

• Visits (2011) ▫ Libraries: 2,4 mill. ▫ Online: 1,9 mill

• Loans (2011) ▫ Total: 2,6 mill.

Books: 1,7 mill. Music: 0,3 mill. Movies: 0,3 mill.

• Stock(2011) ▫ Total: 0,9 mill

Books: 0,7 mill. Music: 0,1 mill. Movies: 0,03 mill

• City of Copenhagen ▫ Population: 0,55 mill. ▫ Size in km2: 74,4 km2

• Numbers of libraries ▫ Main library and 19 branches

• Number of employees (2011) ▫ 385

• Budget (2011) ▫ Net: 203 mill.

• Visits (2011) ▫ Libraries: 4 mill. ▫ Online.: 4,2 mill.

• Loans (2011) ▫ Total: 3,9 mill.

Books: 2,8 mill. Music: 0,5 mill. Movies: 0,3 mill.

• Stock (2011) ▫ Total: 1,5 mill.

Books: 1,3 mill. Music: 0,2 mill. Movies: 0,03 mill.

WHY?

Facts from current business

There’s room for improvement!

• 30 % of the staff in Copenhagen is utilized with logistics in regard to material handling

• 25 % of all customer inquiries at service desk are subject to failure.

• An unresolved inquiry may

last up to 15 minutes

• Up to 43 % materials are not in its right places in the library

Finance and business case

• In 2010 Copenhagen Libraries and Aarhus Public Libraries received funding of 10.9 million DKK ($1.9 million USD) from The Danish Public Welfare Technology Fund to develop and implement an IT-based Material Management System in the public libraries.

• The goal of the project is to reduce the resources used in library material logistics by 15 %. This will improve customer service and generate important data to be used for more effective material handling, space planning and presentation.

• Material Management Systems has been used in the retail business for many years, and the two largest public libraries in Denmark will apply data tracking and optimization techniques derived from retail businesses to improve :

▫ library material flow,

▫ storage,

▫ handling,

▫ tracking and transport.

• The two libraries in total expect to reduce cost comparing to 21 man years.

• ROI < 2 year.

Intelligent Material Management System

Be in control of your collection

● Save time, cost and resources ● Innovate your book presentation ● Improve customer service ●

HOW?

Learn from others!

Collection management

THERE’S A HUGE POTENTIAL IN LEARNING FROM OTHERS – AND GAIN PROVED BY COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIES

• Libraries can save up

to 15-40 % by improving their stock management operations like storage, handling and transportation.

•25 % less stock

The solution

Detailed data collection of library operations- allowing historical analysis of trends

Intelligent distribution of shared or floating collections – materials are distributed to a location/branch where there’s a demand and/or space available!

Central and locally managed data to make informed decisions about collection

Real time visibility to collection via smart phone application- including on-line pick lists on smart phone

Introducing Material hotels - local or remote storage of overflow, slow moving or off season materials

Automatic refill from the Material hotel when shelves are low on materials

Exact information on the current location of any book or other library materials

Improved work environment

Provide added value to the library management system

IMMS – work flow and smart phones

• Without IMMS (before) ▫ Printed reservation lists

▫ Risk of looking for the same material at different locations

▫ Risk of looking for materials not on the shelves

▫ Manuel sorting of materials on every location

▫ High number of individual material scanning (then sending and receiving)

▫ Material visible in the library system - even though it’s not available on the shelves

• With IMMS ▫ Online reservation lists with

predetermined collection path on every location

▫ Prioritized pick up for reserved materials (among available collection groups)

▫ Online reservation lists only contains materials on the shelves (and on display)

▫ Very low numbers of material scanning

▫ Material visible in the library system WHEN the material is on the shelves

Collection management and

distribution processes

• Without IMMS (before) ▫ Reactive collection

management

▫ Extensive manpower required to assure appropriate assortment of items on shelves

▫ No option to centrally manage / control floating materials between branches

▫ Materials stays at the library where they are returned; even if there’s no space available on the shelves!

• With IMMS ▫ Proactive collection

management

▫ IMMS automatically controls the assortment of items based on the individual branch configurations

▫ Using IMMS to manage / control floating materials between branches

▫ Materials are routed to location where there is a need and/or available space in the library; else sent to other demanding location

Benefits and added values • Intelligent distribution of collections to branch(es), based on volume, copies,

affiliation, etc. • Share collections (entirely or partly) between branches as desired • Exact degree of filling on shelves as desired • Transparent overview of entire collections through all branches • Exact position on each individual copy, including copy trace log • Librarian tools available on smart phones (NFC enabled) • Easy registration via RFID tags / Barcode (individual copies, shelves, racks,

stacks, cards, transporters, etc).

• Improved customer satisfaction • Improved space utilization • Reduced collection (less copies) • No or less paper based Librarian processes • Save Librarian hours using online tools on smart phones • No undesired build-up of copies in branches OR starvation of copies in

branches

Project management, reflections The development process

• The existing library management system is

not designed to be an inventory management system. Is it wise to have two systems to control the collection?

• Good dialogue between libraries, developers of IMMS and suppliers of the library system is vital for a usable product. Is the system too complex?

• The project has been developed under a European public procurement contract. Remember to develop for others – not only for your own library!

The implementation process

• IMMS introduces a new and effective way for librarians and library personal to work. Is an effective librarian a good librarian? Is IMMS as effective as we predict?

• IMMS introduces common standards within the library and therefore takes away some of the flexibility. Too much to run a professional and service orientated library?

• Configuration of the libraries in IMMS is a time consuming process. Is it worth it? And are we too late with this project, i.e. when digital books and other online materials are entering our libraries?

• Libraries must have a rotating collection instead of a fixed collection. Can we still have an interesting collection?

Big Bang November 5th 2013 in Aarhus

• The buttom will be pressed

• See what happens…………….