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Incorporating Library Features

Pamela Peh

March 20, 2025 01:50

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As most smaller library like ours are not opened 24-7 and could be unmanned somedays, it would be good to incorporate:

- Patrons self-check out in Populi library

- integrated calendar so that library closures could be incorporated into the systems to reflect fees better.

or

- permit Library admin to amend and override returned dates of the borrowed materials for the individual patrons

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2 comments

• 0
  
  Lindsay Pulsipher March 18, 2026 00:07

  I agree.

  I love that there is a kiosk self-checkout BUT...

  1. We don't have staff in the library at all times to make sure the kiosk is operational and remains plugged in. (If we did, we wouldn't need the kiosk).
  2. Our student IDs don't have barcodes at this time. There isn't someone on staff in the library to print a barcode sticker to put on the back of existing IDs. This means students can't use a kiosk. We are currently using paper and pencil.

  Alternatives for us while I try to work out the ID barcode with our ID printing policy are:

  • Paper and pencil (handwriting is an issue, privacy issue, legal issues)
  • Separate form that I create (Microsoft or Google form, but there are student privacy and legal considerations)
  • Students email me with their titles and then I enter them into Populi (legal and privacy issues)

  For the override returned dates, I end up overriding fees if the book is returned before I return. 

  I am a staff of 1 librarian, no other support staff, and only 12 hours a month to do all library administration and research instruction. Allowing students to self-checkout from their Populi login seems like a good alternative to kiosk only. (Using the hold feature as a pre-checkout doesn't work because I won't know who actually checked out a book and who requested a book.)

• 0
  
  Adam Sentz March 18, 2026 21:55

  Lindsay Pulsipher - Digital Student ID cards with scannable barcodes are available to students in the Populi App. Even if you already have physical IDs for other uses you could still use the digital one for Library Self-Checkout. If you'd like help setting this up just reach out to Populi Support.