Crandall Public Library Makes the Move to RFID Technology

NORCROSS, Ga.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Crandall Public Library’s expansion project will offer patrons more than additional space. The expanded library will also include radio frequency identification (RFID) technology from Polaris and Integrated Technology Group (ITG), a division of Vernon Library Supplies, Inc. The new RFID system, which is designed to improve customer service for patrons and increase the amount of time staff members spend assisting patrons, will include:

• Apex XpressCheck™ patron self-service kiosks
• Apex RFID™ security pedestals
• Apex PowerReader™ wand for inventory purposes
• Apex RFID DirectReader™ software component
• Apex AV Xpress™ security case unlocking system
• Vista™ Sorting automated materials handling system

“The planning process for expanding our space prompted us to want to do business in a new way,” said Christine McDonald, director of the Crandall Public Library. “I have been looking at RFID for the past 15 years, and it seems at this point that the technology has come a long way, making it more feasible to implement without being a ‘test’ library.”

“Working with the Crandall Public Library has been such a joy because I knew from the beginning that the ITG/Polaris partnership would be such a good fit for them,” said Don Chadwick, account executive for ITG.

Crandall Public Library is the central reference library of the Southern Adirondack Library System, which serves Warren, Washington, Saratoga and Hamilton Counties. The library is in the process of renovating a historic 1930s Beaux Arts building and creating additional space for a total of 52,000 square feet. Currently operating in a temporary space in a YMCA building, the library plans to reopen in the renovated building in late November 2008. Since the library’s last expansion in 1969, the population of the service area has increased by 30 percent and library services have grown by 45 percent.

"Patrons will really benefit from the RFID implementation," said Bill Schickling, president and CEO of Polaris Library Systems. "Leveraging RFID technology for automated materials handling means that popular materials can circulate quicker, and the patron self-service kiosks will increase efficiencies during check out."

About Integrated Technology Group

Integrated Technology Group (www.integratedtek.com) develops, markets, and supports library automation technologies that empower librarians to make operations more efficient and better serve their patrons. ITG’s products include patron self-checkout, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), and Automated Materials Handling (AMH) systems. With over 30 years experience in the library industry, ITG combines smart technology and progressive design to create standard solutions that can be easily customized to meet site-specific requirements. ITG, a division of Vernon Library Supplies, Inc., is headquartered in Norcross, Georgia.

About Polaris Library Systems

From its beginnings thirty years ago, Polaris Library Systems has served libraries with time-saving technology, from its first circulation system in the mid-1970s through its third-generation Polaris Integrated Library System. In addition to its library automation systems, Polaris Library Systems offers workflow analysis, database enhancement, wireless access and network services to libraries. For more information about Polaris Library Systems, visit www.polarislibrary.com.