By Rhonda Massad
www.thesuburban.com
On Feb. 13, Kirkland Mayor Michel Gibson tested out it’s the city’s new, web-based, integrated library automation system at a self-serve station for library loans.
Kirkland Library division head Sonia Djevalikian, explained that the new system already serves 70 thousand people worldwide, including at the Vatican.
“If it’s good enough for the Vatican, it’s good enough for Kirkland,” she explained. “This system has all the bells and whistles.”
The web-based technology will allow Kirkland residents to reserve, renew and browse more than 80,000 documents from the comfort of their homes.
“In addition we have about 600 English electronic-books,” she said. “French electronic-books will be offered within three weeks. The provider for the English e-books is Overdrive and for the French electronic-books is Prêt numériques.”
Djevalikian explained that Dorval and Dollard have already implemented the system and the intercity library support has been welcomed. She said that Jennifer Keetly, library technician and librarian Roland Guérin from Dorval library and Dollard division head Lise Brosseau “have been quite generous with their time. We hope to offer help to the next library that takes this on, just as they have done with us.”
“This initiative was brought forth in an continued effort to keep our services up to date,” Mayor Gibson said. “It will save the city money and will save the residents time. Residents will have access to book reviews and ratings. The system is very intuitive and user-friendly according to Gibson. The new automated self-serve checkout and return circulation desk allows people to avoid lineups.